SC to Bar examinees: Get familiar with exam delivery sofware

MANILA, Philippines — The Supreme Court (SC) has reminded qualified examinees for this year’s Bar examinations to familiarize themselves with the exam delivery software Examplify to avoid inconvenience and losing time downloading it on examination day at their designated local testing centers (LTCs).

In a 12-page Bar bulletin dated Oct. 14 and signed by Associate Justice and 2022 Bar Examination chairman Alfred Benjamin Caguioa, the SC said Bar examinees are expected to know how to download, take and submit exams through the Examplify software before actual examinations next month.

The high court added that examinees should ensure that they have installed the correct version of Examplify and registered it under their accounts provided on laptops, which will serve as their examination booklets on examination day.

“If an examinee has not yet updated his or her Examplify to the recommended versions, she/he will be prompted to do so before he/she can begin the Bar examinations. No time extensions will be given to make up for lost time due to the need to update,” the SC said.

Examinees are also required to complete all the sample examinations by Oct. 21 as they are required to take two samples provided to them by the SC to ensure that they are familiar with the software’s system and functions and to configure its compatibility with their laptops.

Any examinee caught using their laptops for any unauthorized purpose shall be subject to disciplinary action, according to the SC.

It said examinees who do not know how to navigate Examplify will not be given assistance during the Bar exams, as it emphasized that no extensions will be given to examinees who fail to navigate the software before taking the exams.

During the examination proper, the SC said exam files for the morning and afternoon subjects would be made available for download on examinees’ Exemplify dashboard 24 hours before the start of examination day.

“Examinees must download both exam files only on the laptop they intend to use for the Bar examinations. Only one download of each exam file shall be allotted for each examinee. Examinees may download both exam files in the comfort of their homes, while in transit or at their assigned examination room in their LTC,” it said.

“However, examinees may not use their devices to download the exam files while they are in line for the security process in the LTCs. Thus, all examinees are reminded to plan ahead and manage their time wisely,” it added.

The SC also reminded examinees that they cannot open the downloaded exam files without the password given to them by the Bar exam chairperson through the LTC before the start of the exam as it clarified that attempting to crack the password would be considered cheating.

Examinees are encouraged to enter their LTCs before 5:30 a.m. as testing centers will open by that time and will be closed at 7 a.m. since late examinees will not be allowed to enter without the permission of the Bar chairperson or any authorized representative after the gates are closed.

The “first bell” will ring at 7:30 a.m. for morning exams and at 1:30 p.m. for afternoon exams; the “second bell” will ring at 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. for morning and afternoon exams, respectively; and the “third bell” will sound at 11:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. for morning and afternoon exams, respectively.

The “fourth bell” will be at 11:55 a.m. and at 4:55 p.m. while the “fifth bell” will begin at noon and at 5 p.m. for morning and afternoon exams, respectively, signifying the end of the examination, which means examinees should finish their exams before the specified times.

There will be four security stations that the examinees have to pass through before proceeding to their designated examination rooms: security stations, where health checks are conducted; identity verification station, where checking of notices of admissions is held; security inspection unit and the body frisking unit.

Bringing of deadly weapons and firearms and possession of alcoholic drinks, cigarettes and electronic cigarettes and the like are strictly prohibited inside LTCs.

A complete copy of the Bar bulletin is available on the SC’s official website.