Bar Exam Online Cheating
Bar exam cheating online is a serious offense that takes an exceptionally skilled individual to perpetrate. Like bank robbery, bar exam online cheating has far-reaching ramifications on one’s career and reputation.
NCBE is committed to providing jurisdictions with resources that will aid them in maintaining the integrity of bar exams, such as test security measures and administration processes.
1. Taking the exam on a mobile device
Utilizing a smartphone during a bar exam is against exam rules, and students caught cheating may have their applications adjourned or even dismissed from consideration for admission to the bar. An iPhone could even become the cause of their disbarment after years of hard work.
Not all students who attempt to cheat on the bar exam rely on smartphones alone; some use laptops for note taking, research answers or accessing illegal websites during an exam. According to an article in ABA Journal, several law schools are looking at changing the exam so it requires laptops equipped with inbuilt locks which would prevent students from accessing any websites other than Exam360 during test taking.
An Illinois bar applicant known as burnerman1818 recently took to Reddit in order to disclose that they cheated on their exam. While Reddit is often skeptical about such claims, this post serves as a stark reminder that cheating does occur on bar exams; jurisdictions and NCBE must remain vigilant in combatting such behavior.
Michigan was recently hit with an example of this when their online bar exam software crashed during testing, temporarily disallowing law students from taking their exams. While Michigan Supreme Court and Board of Law Examiners claimed it was due to hacking attempts, better testing procedures may have prevented such problems.
Due to this glitch, students who registered for the online bar exam had to reschedule and pay additional fees; it also gave fuel for critics of the exam who argue it should be easier for law school graduates to receive licensing without taking a bar exam.
2. Taking the exam on a computer
If you plan to take the bar exam online, a few points must be kept in mind. First of all, you will require a laptop equipped with working webcam and Wi-Fi; furthermore, make sure your internet connection is secure; store copies of your exam answers on separate hard drives or cloud storage devices for safety; finally access a working printer is essential.
No matter which method you select, it is vitally important that you thoroughly prepare for an exam. Review material extensively and practice writing skills regularly before taking practice exams to gauge performance level. In addition, hiring a bar preparation service might also prove invaluable in getting ready for exam success.
As part of their efforts to curb cheating, several states are mandating that prospective lawyers take the bar exam on computer instead of taking it in person. While this move has caused concern among some people, law schools will find it hard to evaluate students if they don’t take part directly.
A recent scandal surrounding bar exam cheating involves two lawyers caught sharing questions during Part B online examination of 2021. As punishment, both were ordered to retake their test; these retakes are required before lawyers are allowed to practice law in the US. As an attempt at prevention, New York State Bar Association banned MacBook Pros with Touch Bar software from taking exams room while Apple posted instructions online explaining how to disable Touch Bar functionality.
EFF has long opposed remote proctoring software used for bar exams as it exposes examinees to excessive surveillance, with this year’s controversy only exacerbating our concerns. California Bar data indicates that over one-third of examinees flagged by ExamSoft video-file software received so-called Chapter 6 Notices warning of potential sanctions without ever being given the chance to review evidence against them.
3. Taking the exam on a tablet
If you are taking an online bar exam using a tablet computer, be aware that using it is prohibited by exam proctors. They will monitor your device to make sure no cheating or breaking of rules occurs; should any violations take place during the examination, your exam will be terminated and you will need to reregister for it.
Whenever the bar examiner detects that you are using or possessing any electronic devices, such as tablets or phones, they will notify and request that it be taken out of the room immediately. They may also inquire as to the circumstances surrounding its usage. Should they suspect collusion between any two individuals involved, they will request you surrender all materials including devices held.
One of the easiest ways to cheat on a bar exam is posting or sharing answers online or with others – known as collaboration or sharing answers and illegal in most jurisdictions. If caught, if could lead to license suspension and possible imprisonment. If in doubt about sharing answers with other individuals prior to taking your bar exam. Discuss it with an attorney beforehand.
Some individuals have sought to exploit vulnerabilities in remote proctored exams’ security systems in the past. One test taker raised suspicion when his multiple-choice responses on an alternate version were significantly higher than on its original form – leading investigators to discover he was sitting across from someone who could access that version of the exam.
Examiners found evidence of cheating during his bar exam and disqualified him immediately, inflicting a $5,000 fine as punishment and issuing a formal warning for breaching professional conduct regulations and ethics code of ethics.
Measuring justice can be difficult. Judges understandably need to provide offenders a chance for repentance; yet at the same time they have a responsibility to prevent future wrongdoing without breaking young backs in the process.
4. Taking the exam on a laptop
An effective laptop for the Bar exam should be well-suited and familiar with its features, though. A suitable model will support all necessary software, hardware, internet connection and applications (web browser and word processing program), mouse support as well as enough memory space for exam files – with at least 10MB free hard drive space; large monitor screen resolution at least 800×600 resolution is ideal.
Those planning on taking their bar exam on a laptop must bring extra batteries and chargers with them in case the device runs into any technical difficulties during the examination; such issues could include software or hardware malfunction, data saving/retrieval issues or even power outage at testing facilities. Should such issues arise, you will be required to handwrite essay answers in an answer book instead of receiving additional testing time.
In some instances, the Bar Admission Examination may suspend or cancel an examination if it suspects misconduct on behalf of a candidate taking part in it, in order to protect its integrity and maintain high standards in this process. It is essential that prospective lawyers display good character and integrity; thus the Law Society hopes no cheating on this exam occurs.
Cheating on the Bar exam takes a certain type of person, who lacks moral and integrity essential for lawyers. Cheaters should not be admitted into the bar. Understanding online cheating risks prior to taking the exam is critical.