Using ExamSoft at Questrom
Link to login to ExamSoft: https://ui.examsoft.io/login?institutioncode=BostonUniversity
Check out the laptop requirements below. If you don’t have a laptop, please contact Questrom ITS.
Minimum System Requirements for Windows Machines (including Windows Surface)
From the ExamSoft website:
Examplify can be used on most modern Microsoft Windows-based computers (i.e. purchased within the last 3-4 years). Please see specific system requirements as noted below.
Examplify cannot be used on virtual operating systems such as Microsoft’s Virtual Machine, Parallels, VMware, VMware Fusion or any other virtual environments.
For exam taking best practices: (including disabling antivirus programs), click Here!
- Operating System: 32-bit and 64-bit Versions of Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 10.
- All Windows 10 Creators versions, including the Fall 1709 update are now supported!
- Alternate versions of Windows 10, such as Windows RT, and Windows 10 S are NOT supported at this time.
- Only genuine, U.S.-English versions of Windows Operating Systems are supported
- ExamSoft does not support Tablet devices other than Surface Pro as detailed below
- CPU Processor: 1.86Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo or greater
- RAM: highest recommended for the operating system or 2GB
- Hard Drive: highest recommended for the operating system or 1GB of available space
- For onsite support, a working USB port is required (Newer devices may require an adaptor)
- Internet connection for Examplify Download, Registration, Exam Download and Upload
- Screen Resolution must be 1024×768 or higher
- Administrator level account permissions (Click Here for instructions)
- Internet connection for Examplify download, Registration, Exam download, and Exam upload
Surface Pro Requirements:
- Surface Pro, Surface Books, and Surface Laptop devices are supported (Non-Pro Surface devices are NOT supported)
- Must be running a supported Operating System (See PC Requirements above)
- An external keyboard (USB or Bluetooth) is required. Bluetooth keyboards must be paired prior to launching exam
- Hard Drive: 1GB or higher available space
- For onsite support, a working USB port is required (Newer devices may require an adaptor)
- Internet connection for Examplify Download, Registration, Exam Download and Upload
- Screen Resolution must be 1920×1080
- Administrator level account permissions (Click Here for instructions)
- Internet connection for Examplify download, Registration, Exam download, and Exam upload
Minimum System Requirements for Macs
From the ExamSoft website:
Examplify can be used on most modern Mac OS X based computers (i.e. purchased within the last 3-4 years). Please see specific system requirements as noted below.
Examplify cannot be used on virtual operating systems such as Microsoft’s Virtual Machine, Parallels, VMware, VMware Fusion or any other virtual environments.
For exam taking best practices, click here!
In order to use Examplify on your Apple Macbook, Macbook Air or Macbook Pro natively, you must have:
- Administrator level account permissions (Click Here for instructions)
- Internet connection for Examplify Download, Registration, Exam Download and Upload
- For onsite support, a working USB port is required (Newer devices may require an adapter)
- Server version of Mac OS X is not supported
- Screen Resolution must be 1024 x 768 or higher
- Operating System:
- Mac OS X 10.9 Mavericks
- Mac OS X 10.10 Yosemite
- Mac OS X 10.11 El Capitan
- Mac OS X 10.12 Sierra
- Mac OS X 10.13 High Sierra is supported!
- Hard Drive = 1 GB or higher free disk space
- RAM = 2 GB
- CPU = Intel processor
- Internet connection for Examplify download, Registration, Exam download, and Exam upload
Click here to access the ExamSoft website
What to do if you don’t have a laptop that meets the minimum systems requirements
If you don’t have a laptop, or yours doesn’t meet the system requirements, please contact Questrom ITS. Questrom ITS as laptops you can borrow for your exam. We will need to know in advance if you require a laptop.
Tips for using ExamSoft
Click here to read Examplify’s Quick Start Guide
Before installing Examplify:
- Check that your computer meets the minimum system requirements
- Check that your computer is virus free and has all updates
Installing Examplify:
- Download and install Examplify on the computer you will use for the test
- Enter your Institution ID
- Register your device using your ID and Password
- DO IT EARLY! Do not wait until exam day to download and install Examplify.
Preparing for your Exam:
- Download the exam as soon as it is available
- Check that your computer’s time and date are accurate
- Charge your laptop battery and bring your power cord
- Disable all antivirus software prior to launching a secure exam
- Arrive at the exam site early
Taking an Exam:
- You can set an reminder alarm to appear at a specific time during the exam
- Access the Alarm button located in the top right-hand corner of your exam
- Select “Add Alarm” and click “Create Alarm” to activate the alarm
- Examplify automatically saves your answers in the exam every 60 seconds
- Navigating through questions in the exam
- Use the Next button to proceed to the next question, or the back arrow to go to the previous one
- You can navigate through questions by selecting the down arrow in the bottom left-hand corner, or the up arrow in the top left-hand corner
- You can also navigate through questions by selecting the question number from within the navigation pane
- View all unanswered questions through the question filters feature in the top left
After an Exam:
- After completing an exam, wait until you see the green confirmation screen
- On this screen, you can click “History” to review your upload and download history. This will reconfirm the uploading of your answer file.
- An email will be sent to the address you used when you registered Examplify
- The email will confirm the upload of your answer file
- The email may take up to 15 minutes to be generated
ExamSoft FAQs
How does Examplify work?
For Short Answer / Essay type questions, Examplify works as a simplified word processor similar to Microsoft Word. The software blocks access to all applications and stored files on your laptop during the exam. Once the exam begins, you will only be able to work on the exam and will not regain access to your files until you exit the exam.
Examplify automatically saves your exam every 60 seconds and creates multiple backup copies during the examination, all of which are stored in an encrypted format on your hard drive.
If your laptop shuts off, crashes, or freezes during exam, when you reboot it, you’ll see a dialog box informing you that an unfinished exam has been located. You’ll have the option to continue the exam or to exit it (if you’ve already finished). If your laptop crashes and you have trouble rebooting it, an encrypted copy of your exam answers will be on the laptop. Please contact Questrom ITS for help retrieving your answers.
At the end of the exam, you will upload your exam answers to a secure server via the internet. From there, your professor will be able to grade your responses.
What are the laptop requirements?
I don’t have a laptop - where can I borrow one?
Will there be an option for me to take a paper exam instead?
Yes. Please discuss this with your professor.
Why are we taking a Mock / Practice exam? Is the format the same for the real exam?
A mock or practice exam is a great way to make sure that you’ve downloaded and correctly installed the software, as well as to familiarize yourself with how Examplify works ahead of your actual test. The mock / practice exam gives you experience downloading, taking, and uploading an exam in secure mode using Examplify. This should help alleviate some of your stress on exam day, since you’ll already know what to do.
Your instructor will let you know when you can download the mock / practice exam, and what the password is for accessing it.
My exam as a word limit - how can I view my word count in Examplify?
A character count is automatically displayed at the top of the page in which you are working. To view your word count instead, click on the page icon that appears next to the character count.
What other tools should I know about in Examplify?
You can set a reminder alarm for yourself – click on the clock icon at the top right of your screen to access this feature. Select “Add Alarm” and set your alarm. Be sure to click “Create Alarm” to activate the alarm.
When can I download my exam?
Your professor will let you know when your exam is ready to be downloaded – typically this is 24 to 48 hours ahead of your scheduled exam time.
How do I download my exam?
To download your exam:
- Connect to the internet
- Open Examplify
- Windows PC: Double click the “Examplify” icon on your Windows Desktop
- Macs: Click the icon from the Applications folder
- The Examplify Launcher window should appear.
- Select the exam you would like to download and click the “Download Exam” button
- You have successfully downloaded the exam when you see a check mark next to the exam name.
For questions or if you have trouble, please contact Questrom ITS.
Will I need to plug in my laptop during the exam, or can I rely on battery power?
Laptop users will be required to plug their computers into outlets and may not rely on battery power.
What if I have a problem with my laptop or with the Examplify software during the exam?
Immediately inform your professor, who will contact Questrom ITS staff.
If any software problems occur, and they are not easily fixable, you can handwrite the exam. Your faculty member will decide whether to allow additional time or not.
What do I do when I am done with my exam?
When you’re all done, click on the “Exam Controls” tab in the top left, and select “Submit Exam.” You’ll receive a warning that you’re about to close your exam, and click that you’re ready to exit the exam. Once you exit the exam, your exam will automatically be uploaded to the ExamSoft website – this might take a minute, so be patient! When your exam is uploaded, your screen will turn green and you’ll see a message that your exam has been successfully uploaded.
How do I start and take an exam with Examplify?
To start your exam, open the Examplify application, and log in. If you haven’t already downloaded your exam, download it. If you have downloaded the exam, wait until your professor gives you the Exam Password to start your exam. Enter in the Exam Password (it’s case sensitive) and click the “Start Exam.” You’ll be prompted to enter in a four-character code before you can start the exam. Once you do that, you’re in!
How do I navigate between questions?
To navigate between questions on your exam, you can:
- Use the “Next” button at the bottom of the page to go to the next question, or the “back arrow” to go to the previous one.
- Toggle between the next/previous question by selecting the up/down arrows on the left-hand side of your screen
- You can select the question number you would like to navigate to within the navigation pane on the left-hand side of your screen
How do I answer a multiple choice question?
To answer a multiple choice question, click the circled letter to the left of the desired answer. The circle will turn blue indicating that it has been selected. Some multiple choice questions will have multiple answers – in this case, click the circle next to all answers you would like to select before proceeding.
You can also cross out answer choices. Hover over the answer choice and click the “X” that appears in order to cross-out that choice. To undo this, click on the crossed-out text in the answer choice.
Can I use keyboard shortcuts during an exam?
How do I confirm that my answer file has been submitted successfully?
Once an upload has completed, a green “Congratulations!” screen will appear. This means that the file has been successfully uploaded to the server, and is awaiting processing.
It may take several minutes for the confirmations such as the email and text notifications as well as the exam history to reflect your upload. Your files have been uploaded and your content is safe once the green confirmation screen is displayed. You will also notice the blue symbol to download the exam has changed to a green check-mark.
To access your exams history screen, you can click on the “Exam History” at the top of the screen.
Why do I need to disable my anti-virus software, and how do I do that?
ExamSoft recommends disabling your anti-virus software before launching your examination. In some cases, certain anti-virus applications may block Examplify from starting properly or can affect Examplify’s performance during an exam. If your computer is running any of the programs on the list at the bottom of this page, disable them before installing Examplify and re-enable them after the installation is complete. You’ll also need to disable your anti-virus software before taking the exam and re-enable it after exiting your exam. For more information on disabling your anti-virus software, please click here.
For Windows users: You can create an exclusion for “Examsoft.Softshield” within your security application, which can be found in the path C:\Program Files (x86)\Examsoft\Services
Resources for Faculty
Here’s a quick video showing you what it’s like to take an exam with Examplify.
