examsoft softest for mac, and SecureExam

Hey all,
So we're still doing heavy testing of the mac client. Have any of you seen
the following behavior:

1- secure exam, print enabled. You hit print, and somehow you are able to
break out into the OS

2 - with Parallels or VMWare Fusion, you can access the VM even if in
softest secure mode (I tried this and could not but am checking)

3 - that there is something about how softest for the Mac is written that is
fundamentally not as secure as it should be.

The last one I heard through...some other sources. I don't know exact
details but perhaps there are some nuts and bolts OS X folks on here that
might have an idea on that.

Also, any comments on SecureExam? I've seen some comments about it taking a
long time to upload, and I can't seem to find, just yet, a clear answer to
how it behaves re: the presence of VM software. Not the running of it - I
have read that SecureExam will not run if Fusion or Parallels is actually
running. But whether SecureExam will work if Fusion is simply installed,l
but not running.

thanks,
allan

--
Assistant Dean for Law Technology
Santa Clara Law School
v: 408-210-6274

‹ Law School Tech Talk – Episode 3: Yet another Tom - Tom Ryan RE: examsoft softest for mac, and SecureExam ›

RE: examsoft softest for mac, and SecureExam

Submitted by daniel.dean on Fri, 09/03/2010 - 15:00.

Do you have the final version? Talked to ExamSoft a couple of days ago and they made quite a few fixes for the final release. Not sure if any of these fixes are on your list.

Daniel T. Dean MCSE
Technology Support, Procurement, and Asset Management
Texas Tech University School of Law
Law Library and Computing

From: teknoids-bounces@ruckus.law.cornell.edu [mailto:teknoids-bounces@ruckus.law.cornell.edu] On Behalf Of Allan Chen
Sent: Friday, September 03, 2010 2:47 PM
To: Teknoids
Subject: [teknoids] examsoft softest for mac, and SecureExam

Hey all,
So we're still doing heavy testing of the mac client. Have any of you seen the following behavior:

1- secure exam, print enabled. You hit print, and somehow you are able to break out into the OS

2 - with Parallels or VMWare Fusion, you can access the VM even if in softest secure mode (I tried this and could not but am checking)

3 - that there is something about how softest for the Mac is written that is fundamentally not as secure as it should be.

The last one I heard through...some other sources. I don't know exact details but perhaps there are some nuts and bolts OS X folks on here that might have an idea on that.

Also, any comments on SecureExam? I've seen some comments about it taking a long time to upload, and I can't seem to find, just yet, a clear answer to how it behaves re: the presence of VM software. Not the running of it - I have read that SecureExam will not run if Fusion or Parallels is actually running. But whether SecureExam will work if Fusion is simply installed,l but not running.

thanks,
allan

--
Assistant Dean for Law Technology
Santa Clara Law School
v: 408-210-6274

RE: examsoft softest for mac, and SecureExam

Submitted by gary.p.moore on Fri, 09/03/2010 - 15:00.

Allan

On #1, in my case, several times, machine just hangs. Noted that to them. Also, when you select special characters, the windows opens behind the software. When you exit the exam, then you see the Special Characters window. I noted several of the bugs to them including the spellcheck not being consistent in its passes through the exam finding errors (one pass, it works fine. Then when you make another spelling mistake, and do a second pass, it misses misspelled words.)

On #2, not good.

Gary

Gary Moore PMP
Assistant Dean for Information Systems
Hofstra Law School
e-mail - Gary.P.Moore@hofstra.edu
Phone: (516) 463-6067

From: teknoids-bounces@ruckus.law.cornell.edu [mailto:teknoids-bounces@ruckus.law.cornell.edu] On Behalf Of Allan Chen
Sent: Friday, September 03, 2010 3:47 PM
To: Teknoids
Subject: [teknoids] examsoft softest for mac, and SecureExam

Hey all,
So we're still doing heavy testing of the mac client. Have any of you seen the following behavior:

1- secure exam, print enabled. You hit print, and somehow you are able to break out into the OS

2 - with Parallels or VMWare Fusion, you can access the VM even if in softest secure mode (I tried this and could not but am checking)

3 - that there is something about how softest for the Mac is written that is fundamentally not as secure as it should be.

The last one I heard through...some other sources. I don't know exact details but perhaps there are some nuts and bolts OS X folks on here that might have an idea on that.

Also, any comments on SecureExam? I've seen some comments about it taking a long time to upload, and I can't seem to find, just yet, a clear answer to how it behaves re: the presence of VM software. Not the running of it - I have read that SecureExam will not run if Fusion or Parallels is actually running. But whether SecureExam will work if Fusion is simply installed,l but not running.

thanks,
allan

--
Assistant Dean for Law Technology
Santa Clara Law School
v: 408-210-6274

examsoft softest for mac, and SecureExam

Submitted by abchen on Fri, 09/03/2010 - 15:20.

So your experiences with SecureExam are not good? Just making sure I
understand.

They "fixed" the symbol thing by making it a list of commands for symbols.
The pop up just doesn't...pop up anymore. You can't click on symbols, you
have to use the command keys to enter them.

Haven't noticed the spell check issue, but we haven't been watching that
either. We'll test that.

Hitting print during beta did cause hanging. They fixed that but supposedly
now people can jump out into the OS...? It doesn't actually matter to us,
practically speaking. We don't allow printing on secure exams, and we only
allow printing on open exams. So the issue is moot, but the question should
still be asked...

danke,
allan

On Fri, Sep 3, 2010 at 12:53 PM, Gary P. Moore <Gary.P.Moore@hofstra.edu>wrote:

> Allan
>
>
>
> On #1, in my case, several times, machine just hangs. Noted that to them.
> Also, when you select special characters, the windows opens behind the
> software. When you exit the exam, then you see the Special Characters
> window. I noted several of the bugs to them including the spellcheck not
> being consistent in its passes through the exam finding errors (one pass, it
> works fine. Then when you make another spelling mistake, and do a second
> pass, it misses misspelled words.)
>
>
>
> On #2, not good.
>
>
>
> Gary
>
>
>
> Gary Moore PMP
>
> Assistant Dean for Information Systems
>
> Hofstra Law School
>
> e-mail - Gary.P.Moore@hofstra.edu
>
> Phone: (516) 463-6067
>
>
>
> *From:* teknoids-bounces@ruckus.law.cornell.edu [mailto:
> teknoids-bounces@ruckus.law.cornell.edu] *On Behalf Of *Allan Chen
> *Sent:* Friday, September 03, 2010 3:47 PM
> *To:* Teknoids
> *Subject:* [teknoids] examsoft softest for mac, and SecureExam
>
>
>
> Hey all,
> So we're still doing heavy testing of the mac client. Have any of you seen
> the following behavior:
>
> 1- secure exam, print enabled. You hit print, and somehow you are able to
> break out into the OS
>
> 2 - with Parallels or VMWare Fusion, you can access the VM even if in
> softest secure mode (I tried this and could not but am checking)
>
> 3 - that there is something about how softest for the Mac is written that
> is fundamentally not as secure as it should be.
>
> The last one I heard through...some other sources. I don't know exact
> details but perhaps there are some nuts and bolts OS X folks on here that
> might have an idea on that.
>
> Also, any comments on SecureExam? I've seen some comments about it taking
> a long time to upload, and I can't seem to find, just yet, a clear answer to
> how it behaves re: the presence of VM software. Not the running of it - I
> have read that SecureExam will not run if Fusion or Parallels is actually
> running. But whether SecureExam will work if Fusion is simply installed,l
> but not running.
>
> thanks,
> allan
>
> --
> Assistant Dean for Law Technology
> Santa Clara Law School
> v: 408-210-6274
>
> _______________________________________________
> You are currently subscribed to teknoids as: abchen@scu.edu.
> To unsubscribe send a blank email to teknoids-leave@ruckus.law.cornell.edu
> --
> See the web interface at
> http://ruckus.law.cornell.edu/mailman/listinfo/teknoids to get your list
> password, unsubscribe, and view your list settings.
>

--
Assistant Dean for Law Technology
Santa Clara Law School
v: 408-210-6274

RE: examsoft softest for mac, and SecureExam

Submitted by gary.p.moore on Fri, 09/03/2010 - 15:20.

Allan

I think my experiences could have been better. I might not have the latest beta version (I thought I did but apparently not). It would be better if they had the section symbol on the toolbar, like EBB does. Most students just use the section or paragraph symbols. Haven't seen the jump out to the OS on the Print (and they said that the Print can be disabled for exams). The latest version I had, had the hanging. I was able to repeat the inconsistent spell check several times. Hope someone else finds that as well.

Gary Moore PMP
Assistant Dean for Information Systems
Hofstra Law School
e-mail - Gary.P.Moore@hofstra.edu
Phone: (516) 463-6067

From: teknoids-bounces@ruckus.law.cornell.edu [mailto:teknoids-bounces@ruckus.law.cornell.edu] On Behalf Of Allan Chen
Sent: Friday, September 03, 2010 4:10 PM
To: Teknoids
Subject: Re: [teknoids] examsoft softest for mac, and SecureExam

So your experiences with SecureExam are not good? Just making sure I understand.

They "fixed" the symbol thing by making it a list of commands for symbols. The pop up just doesn't...pop up anymore. You can't click on symbols, you have to use the command keys to enter them.

Haven't noticed the spell check issue, but we haven't been watching that either. We'll test that.

Hitting print during beta did cause hanging. They fixed that but supposedly now people can jump out into the OS...? It doesn't actually matter to us, practically speaking. We don't allow printing on secure exams, and we only allow printing on open exams. So the issue is moot, but the question should still be asked...

danke,
allan
On Fri, Sep 3, 2010 at 12:53 PM, Gary P. Moore <Gary.P.Moore@hofstra.edu> wrote:
Allan

On #1, in my case, several times, machine just hangs. Noted that to them. Also, when you select special characters, the windows opens behind the software. When you exit the exam, then you see the Special Characters window. I noted several of the bugs to them including the spellcheck not being consistent in its passes through the exam finding errors (one pass, it works fine. Then when you make another spelling mistake, and do a second pass, it misses misspelled words.)

On #2, not good.

Gary

Gary Moore PMP
Assistant Dean for Information Systems
Hofstra Law School
e-mail - Gary.P.Moore@hofstra.edu
Phone: (516) 463-6067

From: teknoids-bounces@ruckus.law.cornell.edu [mailto:teknoids-bounces@ruckus.law.cornell.edu] On Behalf Of Allan Chen
Sent: Friday, September 03, 2010 3:47 PM
To: Teknoids
Subject: [teknoids] examsoft softest for mac, and SecureExam

Hey all,
So we're still doing heavy testing of the mac client. Have any of you seen the following behavior:

1- secure exam, print enabled. You hit print, and somehow you are able to break out into the OS

2 - with Parallels or VMWare Fusion, you can access the VM even if in softest secure mode (I tried this and could not but am checking)

3 - that there is something about how softest for the Mac is written that is fundamentally not as secure as it should be.

The last one I heard through...some other sources. I don't know exact details but perhaps there are some nuts and bolts OS X folks on here that might have an idea on that.

Also, any comments on SecureExam? I've seen some comments about it taking a long time to upload, and I can't seem to find, just yet, a clear answer to how it behaves re: the presence of VM software. Not the running of it - I have read that SecureExam will not run if Fusion or Parallels is actually running. But whether SecureExam will work if Fusion is simply installed,l but not running.

thanks,
allan

--
Assistant Dean for Law Technology
Santa Clara Law School
v: 408-210-6274

_______________________________________________
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--
Assistant Dean for Law Technology
Santa Clara Law School
v: 408-210-6274