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What devices did you use on Flex Exam Day?

_iamnw96_iamnw96 Alum Member
in General 437 karma

Hi all!

Taking January and just trying to avoid any potential mishaps as much as I can. Was curious about the devices everyone used to take their Flex exam on (for those who have already tested). I have a Macbook Air 2020 that I'm generally confident about but I also read somewhere that Macs are less compatible with the system - may have just been an anecdotal story though.

Also any other tips for taking Flex? I've heard horror stories of proctors messaging test-takers and causing them to lose time, so I'm trying to avoid anything that could get me "in trouble" lol.

Thanks :)

Comments

  • Burt ReynoldsBurt Reynolds Alum Member Sage
    957 karma

    I am one of those anecdotal horror stories. I think having an ethernet cord can certainly help w/ any connection issues, but I'll be following this closely.

  • yazzie711yazzie711 Core Member
    19 karma

    The LSAC website says not to use Safari as your web browser. If you use a different one I don't see a reason why your Macbook would cause issues.

  • SheboyganBoiSheboyganBoi Member
    195 karma

    I have an older MacBook and took the flex in November on it using Google Chrome, and I thankfully didn't have an issues! I also made sure to sit pretty close to the router in my house and that no other devices were on the wifi during my test, and I think that definitely helped as well. Although, it probably would be best to have an ethernet cable if you can make that happen.

    With regards to the proctor potentially interrupting, I just let my proctor know as nicely as possible that every second mattered on this test and then asked what kinds of things would she might interrupt me for so that I can avoid them and avoid getting interrupted. She understood and said to just make sure that my face was visible on camera at all times. I made sure to do that, and everything went smoothly. Hope that helped!

  • _iamnw96_iamnw96 Alum Member
    437 karma

    @hsiyad22 Good on you for being so upfront! So I'm actually confused about this... is it that every proctor is only in charge of supervising one student? I didn't realize you would actually be able to have a convo with them beforehand.

  • _iamnw96_iamnw96 Alum Member
    437 karma

    @"Burt Reynolds" Oh no...do you mind me asking what happened? Hope it goes better for you next time!

  • mclachl97mclachl97 Core Member
    38 karma

    I wrote in November and used my Macbook (2016) with Google Chrome and no issues. You do have a conversation with the Proctor before. They ask you to read out the agreement, show your room/supplies, ID, etc. and when I was finished I spoke to the same Proctor to let them know I was done and they let me know when it was "safe" to close the exam.

  • aszane21aszane21 Member
    350 karma

    @nw_39796 said:
    Hi all!

    Taking January and just trying to avoid any potential mishaps as much as I can. Was curious about the devices everyone used to take their Flex exam on (for those who have already tested). I have a Macbook Air 2020 that I'm generally confident about but I also read somewhere that Macs are less compatible with the system - may have just been an anecdotal story though.

    Also any other tips for taking Flex? I've heard horror stories of proctors messaging test-takers and causing them to lose time, so I'm trying to avoid anything that could get me "in trouble" lol.

    Thanks :)

    I also have a 2020 Air. The thing to know is that they use the Apple Silicon chip. Not all software is designed on universal binary which would allow them to run on these chips but your Mac uses as software called Rosetta 2 to run Intel-based apps (like Zoom, for instance). Make sure your Chrome or Firefox is updated to the latest version since they both are now universal binary (you can also check by going to you Applications folder, finding your browser and clicking Get Info, it should list as either Intel or universal). Since ProctorU is run through Chrome/Firefox you should be okay, however, in my experience Rosetta uses a lot of RAM so make sure you close out all apps that aren't your browser (you can use Activity Monitor to close apps running in the background). Also, I've had an issue with kernel panics on my Mac (won't go into what it is other than to say your Mac will restart without warning) but its only ever been an issue after my Mac has been on for many hours so just make sure to shut off your Mac before your test.

    If anyone else has any insight, I'd be interested to know (especially about the kernel panic issue, I don't have time to drop my Mac off at the Apple Store).

  • canihazJDcanihazJD Alum Member Sage
    8491 karma

    My trusty 2015 MacBook Air 11" has been flawless. I've been using chrome, though I wish they would support safari.

  • Burt ReynoldsBurt Reynolds Alum Member Sage
    957 karma

    @nw_39796 said:
    @"Burt Reynolds" Oh no...do you mind me asking what happened? Hope it goes better for you next time!

    There was a connectivity issue: I'm fairly positive it wasn't on my end but I'm still not sure (hence the ethernet cord). My screen went blank and I lost the test for a minute or so. Once the proctor reconnected me, he had to reactivate my video. All this happened with the clock running on RC...I wouldn't recommend it lol. I ended up canceling my score and getting a voucher for January. Best of luck to you as well!

  • emmorensemmorens Core Member
    1470 karma

    @"Burt Reynolds" would they not allow you to retake if you lost 10 minutes because of connectivity issues? That seems very unfair for you! I had heard that if there are any 'unforeseeable circumstances' they would rebook you towards the end of testing week

  • SheboyganBoiSheboyganBoi Member
    edited January 2021 195 karma

    @nw_39796 said:
    @hsiyad22 Good on you for being so upfront! So I'm actually confused about this... is it that every proctor is only in charge of supervising one student? I didn't realize you would actually be able to have a convo with them beforehand.

    @nw_39796 To my knowledge, yes, each proctor supervises one student at a time. And yeah, during the initial check in time (when you show them your ID, scratch paper, and the room) and after the test, you're actually speaking with them through your computer microphone and speaker. During the test, they have their microphones muted so you can't hear them, but there is ProctorU chat box open in the background for you to communicate with them during the test in case some technical issue comes up.

  • Burt ReynoldsBurt Reynolds Alum Member Sage
    957 karma

    @emmorens said:
    @"Burt Reynolds" would they not allow you to retake if you lost 10 minutes because of connectivity issues? That seems very unfair for you! I had heard that if there are any 'unforeseeable circumstances' they would rebook you towards the end of testing week

    @emmorens So I took the LSAT on the last day of scheduling in November (rookie mistake on my part) and sent in an official complaint immediately after. The retake was on Friday morning and they reached out to me on Thursday afternoon. I needed to respond to LSAC by 5 PM and didn't see the email until after work so I missed the opportunity. Moral of the story: schedule early if possible.

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