OFFICE OF THE 2022 BAR CHAIR

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

ON THE DIGITALIZED EXAMINATIONS FOR THE 2022 BAR
EXAMINATIONS

The Supreme Court announced in Bar Bulletin No. 6, s. 2022 that the 2022
Bar Examinations will be conducted through Examplify, a secure examination
delivery program that was also used for the 2020/21 Bar Examinations.

In preparation for the digitalized examinations in November, the examinees

who will be taking the 2022 Bar Examinations should refer to this bulletin for
guidance and information. Examinees are advised to bookmark this page as this
document will be periodically updated.

A. General Overview

A.1. What program will be used for the digitalized Bar Examinations in
November 2022?

Following the success of the 2020/21 Bar Examinations, the Supreme Court
will continue to use Examplify, a computer-based examination program that allows
examinees to securely take an examination using their own devices. Examinees
will be taking the 2022 Bar Examinations in-person, in their venue of choice,
supervised by proctors, and monitored through closed-circuit television cameras.

A.2. What devices should examinees bring for this year’s Bar Examinations?

Similar to the 2020/21 Bar Examinations, examinees must bring their own
WiFi-enabled laptops, with an integrated display screen, keyboard, and trackpad or
pointer device, with sufficient internal battery power. The examinees’ laptops must
run on Mac or Windows operating systems. Smartphones, iOS devices, and tablets
will not be allowed.

Examplify will not run on Chromebooks, Android, or Linux operating

systems, or within virtualized environments or environments that require persistent
network (local or otherwise) connections during secure examinations. Examplify
also does not support touchscreen input devices on Mac or Windows laptops.
A.3. What are the minimum system requirements for the devices?

The prescribed minimum system requirements for Examplify version 2.9.6

on Windows and version 2.9.2 on Mac may be accessed here:
https://examsoft.com/resources/examplify-minimum-system-requirements/.1 To
avoid issues with the software during the examinations, it is recommended that
laptops running on Windows 10 and 11 should have at least 8GB of usable RAM or
higher.

A.4. How will the examinees know if their device is compatible with Examplify?

Examinees will be given the opportunity to complete two (2) sample

examinations in order to check the compatibility of their devices prior to the
November 2022 Bar Examinations. It is the examinees’ responsibility to present
themselves at their chosen Local Testing Center (LTC) with a functioning and
compatible laptop. See Item C below for further details.

A.5. How will the examinees be given access to Examplify?

All applicants who have been conditionally or unconditionally approved to

take the 2022 Bar Examinations shall be given access to their respective Examplify
accounts. The list of applicants conditionally and unconditionally approved to take
the examination is sent to the applicants’ Bar PLUS-registered e-mails.

All approved applicants (hereinafter, “examinees”) will receive instructions

on downloading and accessing their Examplify accounts in their Bar
PLUS-registered e-mail. Thus, examinees must regularly monitor their inbox, or
their junk folders, for the registration information e-mail, especially in the coming
days.

Examinees are further advised that the Supreme Court will not charge
additional fees for the use of Examplify. Any attempts to solicit additional fees for
such purpose must be reported to the Online Help Desk via
https://bit.ly/2022BarExamHelpDesk by choosing “Examplify - Report
Solicitation.”

A.6. What version of Examplify should examinees use for the 2022 Bar
Examinations?

Examinees using laptops installed with the Windows Operating System

(Windows OS) must download Examplify version 2.9.6. Please note that
Examplify version 2.9.6 forces a restart of the device, even though the “Restart
Later” option has been chosen. All users will be required to restart, despite the
option chosen at the end of the installation.

Examinees using laptops installed with the Mac Operating System

(macOS) must download Examplify version 2.9.2. macOS users are advised not
to update their devices to macOS 13 Ventura (expected to be released in October
2022) or install beta versions of this or any other new operating system. Examplify
will not work in devices running on macOS 13 Ventura or any beta version thereof.

1
Important note: Invigilation for the 2022 Bar Examinations will be through in-person proctors. As such, the
requirements for ExamID and ExamMonitor are not applicable.

2
A.7. May examinees use the version of Examplify provided by their law school,
review center, or by the Supreme Court from the 2020/21 Bar Examinations?

No. All examinees shall install and use only the version of Examplify
provided by the Supreme Court for the 2022 Bar Examinations, as instructed in the
registration information e-mail they will receive. All other versions of Examplify
that may have been distributed or used previously must be deleted or uninstalled.
Should there be any updates of the program prior to the 2022 Bar Examinations in
November, the examinees will be duly notified.

No one shall: (1) modify, decompile, decode, reverse-engineer, tamper, or

alter Examplify in any way; (2) bypass, defeat, or disable Examplify’s security
features either natively or by introducing any other computer code, file, or
program; or (3) breach ExamSoft’s data systems and servers. The performance of
any of these acts is administratively and criminally punishable.

B. Registration

B.1. What is the process for Examplify registration?

The Office of the Bar Confidant periodically submits for the consideration of
the Court En Banc the list of bar candidates unconditionally and conditionally
approved to take the 2022 Bar Examinations. After approval, the approved
candidates are informed through their Bar PLUS-registered e-mail about the status
of their application.

Bar candidates who were approved by the Court En Banc as of September

20, 2022 shall be included in the release of registration information e-mails. They
will receive their Examplify registration information in their Bar PLUS-registered
e-mail address on or before September 28, 2022.

The e-mail will contain all the instructions and necessary information for
examinees to access their Examplify accounts. During the registration and log-in
process, examinees must be connected to the internet.

To ensure that the registration e-mails and other Examplify-related

communications are duly received, examinees are advised to whitelist or add the
following addresses in their respective e-mail address books:

noreply@examsoft.com
barexams2022@judiciary.gov.ph

Examinees whose Bar PLUS-registered e-mail addresses are managed by

their law school, university, college, company, or organization are also advised to
contact their IT administrators to ensure that the above addresses are whitelisted or
marked “safe senders” in their e-mail servers.

B.2. What should an examinee do after receiving the registration e-mail and
downloading Examplify?

Examinees will be directed to the Supreme Court’s exam-taker portal, where

they will follow the on-screen prompt to enter their system-generated password.

3
After entering their passwords, examinees must download the Examplify installer
corresponding to their device, which is available on the first page of the portal. In
navigating the portal, examinees should use either Google Chrome or FireFox
browsers.

Examplify registration information is unique to each examinee and

corresponds to the individual’s personal Bar record. All examinees are strictly
enjoined to keep their registration information, (i.e., their Applicant ID and
password) confidential and secure. Such information must be memorized and not
be shared with anyone. Examinees are further encouraged to change the
system-generated password to a stronger password that is easy to remember.

To stress, examinees are responsible for the security of their Examplify

accounts. The Supreme Court and ExamSoft Worldwide LLC will never ask
examinees for their account password. Examinees must never disclose their
passwords to any person, even to technical support staff. In the event that an
Examplify account is believed to have been or has in fact been compromised, the
affected examinee must immediately reset his or her password. Examinees are
advised to report any suspected breach of their registration information to the
Online Help Desk via https://bit.ly/2022BarExamHelpDesk by choosing “Other
Special Concerns.”

B.3. What should examinees do if they received the list of approved bar
candidates which includes their name, but they have not yet received the
Examplify registration information e-mail?

If examinees who were conditionally or unconditionally approved to take the

2022 Bar Examinations do not receive the registration information by September
28, 2022, they should request their registration details through the Online Help
Desk via https://bit.ly/2022BarExamHelpDesk by choosing “Examplify - Request
for Registration.”

Only requests from examinees whose approvals are reflected in the official
lists, and who have not received their registration information e-mail after the
aforementioned period, shall be entertained.

B.4. What should examinees do if their first name and/or surname in their
Examplify registration information does not correspond to the name in their
application?

To correct any entry in their Examplify registration information (i.e., First

Name and Last Name), examinees should immediately course their request through
the Online Help Desk via https://bit.ly/2022BarExamHelpDesk by choosing
“Examplify - Correction of Information.”

No corrections to Examplify registration information shall be

entertained after October 28, 2022.

If examinees wish to change their passwords, they may do so at any time

without filing a request with the Supreme Court by following the instructions on
this page:
https://help.examsoft.com/s/article/Legacy-Portal-Reset-Your-Account-Password.

4
B.5. What should examinees do if they are assigned more than one Examplify
account?

Examinees may receive duplicate e-mails containing their registration

information. However, if the Applicant ID and passwords in these e-mails are
different from each other and it appears that the examinee has been assigned more
than one Examplify account, the examinee must immediately inform the Supreme
Court to ensure that the account registration corresponds to only one examinee. For
the multiple account registrations to be merged, the examinee should report the
matter to the Online Help Desk via https://bit.ly/2022BarExamHelpDesk by
choosing “Examplify - Request to Merge Multiple Accounts.”

System records will be periodically audited to ensure that each examinee is

assigned only one Examplify account.

C. Preparing for the Digitalized Bar Examinations

C.1. How can examinees prepare for the digitalized Bar Examinations?

Examinees are required to take the Sample Examinations to familiarize

themselves with Examplify. The registration information e-mail will contain
instructions on the Sample Examinations.

C.2. What are Sample Examinations?

The Sample Examinations are non-graded practice tests that simulate the
experience of using Examplify for the 2022 Bar Examinations, and provide
examinees with the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the exam-taker
interface of Examplify. The Sample Examinations are also intended to confirm the
compatibility of the examinees’ laptops with Examplify.

Examinees are encouraged to take the Sample Examinations multiple times

to ensure that they gain a comfortable familiarity with Examplify’s features and
functions. Answers to the Sample Examinations will not be checked and have no
bearing on the examinee’s actual performance in the 2022 Bar Examinations. Only
the download of the Sample Examinations and the upload of the answer files will
require an internet connection.

Examinees must be familiar with the version of Examplify provided by the

Supreme Court. All examinees must upload at least one (1) answer file for each
Sample Examination by 11:59 p.m. of October 21, 2022, or risk the deactivation
of their Examplify accounts. When an answer file has been successfully uploaded,
Examplify shall display a confirmation screen. A confirmation notice will also be
sent to the examinee’s Bar PLUS-registered e-mail address.

The Supreme Court will not entertain any requests for confirmation of
successful uploads, and will not send individual reminders to examinees who
have not submitted at least one answer file for each Sample Examination.

5
C.3. When are the Sample Examinations scheduled?

There will be two (2) Sample Examinations.

The first Sample Examination will be available starting on September

28, 2022. This Sample Examination is intended to test the compatibility of the
examinees’ device with Examplify and increase the examinees’ familiarity with its
tools, features, and flow, from downloading of the examination file to uploading of
an answer file. The password to the first Sample Examination is included in the
registration information e-mail.

The second Sample Examination is intended to closely simulate the 2022

Bar Examinations, and as such, this examination will be taken in Examplify’s
secure or locked mode. The second Sample Examination will be available to
examinees for download on October 2, 2022. It may be taken by examinees
either synchronously on the same day, or asynchronously until October 21, 2022.

Examinees are encouraged to join the synchronous session. The password to

the second Sample Examination will be sent to the examinees’ e-mails at 7:30 a.m.
on October 2, 2022. Examinees are advised to monitor their e-mails for the
password. They shall start the examination at the same time at 8:00 a.m. and
submit their answers by 12:00 noon. During the synchronous session, examinees
will be allowed to download the second Sample Examination only once.

Examinees who are unable to join the synchronous examination

simulation may still take the second Sample Examination starting on October
3, 2022. On this date, the second Sample Examination will be made available to all
examinees, which they may take multiple times in order to be more comfortable
with the use of Examplify. The password for the asynchronous exam will be sent to
the examinees’ e-mail on the same date.

Both Sample Examinations will be available only until October 21, 2022.
The Examplify accounts of examinees who were unable to take both Sample
Examinations will be deactivated. No reminders will be given to
non-compliant examinees.

C.4. What are the relevant dates again?

For easier reference, below is the schedule as discussed above:

Last Day to Receive Examplify September 28, 2022 (Wed)

Registration Information
First Sample Examination
Second Sample Examination
(synchronous)
Second Sample Examination
(asynchronous)
Deadline to take both Sample
Examinations
Deadline for correction of
information in Examplify
Available starting on September 28,
2022 (Wed)
October 2, 2022, 8:00 a.m. to 12:00
noon (Sun)
Available starting on October 3, 2022
(Mon)
October 21, 2022 (Wed)
October 28, 2022 (Fri)

6
 2022 Bar Examinations November 9, 2022 (Wed)
November 13, 2022 (Sun)
November 16, 2022 (Wed)
November 20, 2022 (Sun)

D. Examination Proper

D.1. How should examinees prepare their laptops for the 2022 Bar
Examinations?

Before taking the 2022 Bar Examinations, all examinees are expected to
have familiarized themselves with Examplify’s functions and features using the
Sample Examinations.

Examinees should ensure that Examplify has been installed and registered
under their Supreme Court-provided accounts on the laptops they will bring to their
chosen LTC. The laptop will serve as their examination booklet.

To ensure uninterrupted examination taking, examinees are advised to keep

the following best practices in mind:

● Memorize the log-in credentials for the laptop and for Examplify.
● Check the laptop’s compatibility with the minimum system requirements of
Examplify. See Item A.2. of this Frequently Asked Questions.
● Check whether the correct version of Examplify is installed: (1) for
Windows OS, Examplify version 2.9.6; and (2) for macOS, Examplify
version 2.9.2.
● Disable the laptop’s sleep or hibernate settings.
● Check that the date and time settings are accurate, and synced to the
Philippine Standard Time.
● Disconnect the device from any Virtual Private Network (VPN) to ensure
connectivity to the LTC’s WiFi.
● Before starting the examination, close all open programs or applications.
(Note: Examinees are encouraged to uninstall, in the meantime, any
messaging applications or programs in order to avoid any unintentional or
accidental opening of these programs during the days of the Bar
Examinations.)
● Disable all antivirus software installed on the laptop. (Note: The antivirus
software may be enabled after the afternoon examination.)
● The day before the examination, make sure to disable updates in the laptop’s
operating system. Failure to do so will run the risk of having an
uninterruptible systems update on the examinee’s device, which may reduce
the examinee’s exam-taking time. Again, examinees with macOS laptops are
advised not to update their operating systems to macOS 13 Ventura, the
latest Mac operating system that is expected to be released in October 2022.
Neither should examinees install beta versions of this or any new operating
system.

Examinees should also ensure the functionality of their laptops’ internal

batteries and power bricks or chargers. While charging outlets are provided inside
examination rooms, examinees are encouraged to have their laptop batteries fully
charged before they arrive at their LTCs. Examinees are further advised that the

7
power outlets in the LTCs may vary, and as such, they should likewise bring a
two-pin type A plug adapter , if necessary.

Although the computer software is designed to prohibit examinees from

exiting the application and accessing other applications during the test proper,
examinees are advised not to store any file in their laptops that has a reasonable
connection with the substance and procedure of the examinations to dispel any
suspicion of or occasion for any dishonest behavior. Examinees are advised to
transfer their law-related files and review materials into an external disk or to other
devices before taking the Bar Examinations.

D.2. What laptop peripherals and accessories are allowed for the 2022 Bar
Examinations?

Examinees must bring one (1) laptop compatible with Examplify and one
(1) charger corresponding to the laptop. Examinees are advised that the power
outlets in the LTCs may vary, and as such, they should likewise bring a two-pin
type A plug adapter , if necessary.

Other external devices, peripherals, or accessories that may be brought

inside the LTC, subject to inspection, are as follows:

● Laptop bag or sleeve (Note: The laptop bag or sleeve is not required to be
made of transparent materials.)
● For laptops without any USB-A ports: a USB-C to USB-A adapter
● For laptops without a wireless Internet card: external WiFi adapter
● Webcam cover for the laptop camera
● Keyboard protector, skin, or cover for the laptop keyboard
● External non-mechanical keyboard and/or external mouse

To reduce their inspection time prior to entry into the LTC, examinees are
advised to limit the devices that they will bring. Some of these external devices
may be kept inside the bags only as the use of the external non-mechanical
keyboard and/or mouse may be limited by the desk space in the LTCs.

The external components of the laptop must not be marked, configured, or

decorated in any way that may raise concerns of dishonesty or may be distracting
to the staff and other examinees. Examinees are advised to dress down their laptops
in advance of the Bar Examinations by removing or covering such marking or
decoration. At the security staff’s or proctors’ discretion, examinees may be
required to temporarily cover any distracting or suspicious markings or decorations
on their laptops during the examinations.

All other peripherals and accessories are not allowed to brought into the
LTCs, and will be confiscated by the security staff upon entry, for return only upon
the examinee’s exit from their LTC at the end of the Bar Examination day. External
monitors, flash drives, cellphones, tablets, analog, digital, or smartwatches,
earphones, headsets, and other devices not included in the enumeration above will
be confiscated. Examinees may bring ear plugs to reduce noise level and minimize
distractions while taking the examinations.

Please see the summary of devices and peripherals below:

8
 Necessary Optional Prohibited
one (1) laptop Laptop bag or sleeve (Note: The Cellular and smart
compatible with laptop bag or sleeve is not phones
Examplify required to be made of
transparent materials.) Cameras
one (1) charger
corresponding to the For laptops without any USB dongles
laptop USB-A ports: a USB-C to
USB-A adapter External monitors
one (1) two-pin type
A plug adapter For laptops without a wireless Mechanical keyboard
Internet card: external WiFi
adapter Flash drives

Webcam cover for the laptop Tablets

camera
Analog, digital, or
Keyboard protector, skin, or smartwatches
cover for the laptop keyboard
Earphones
External non-mechanical
keyboard and/or external mouse Headsets

Other devices not

included in the
necessary and optional
items enumerated
herein

D.3. What are the policies on examinees’ laptop use at the LTC?

Examinees are strictly prohibited from using their LTC’s’ Internet

connections for any purpose other than to download examination files and
upload answer files within Examplify. All requests to access e-mail accounts to
retrieve Examplify registration information must be made to the room Head
Proctor, and the retrieval shall be supervised. At the end of the day, the room Head
Proctor shall prepare a report on the examinees who requested internet access to
check their e-mail.

While examinees are inside their LTCs, they are strictly prohibited from
using their laptops for any purpose other than to access Examplify within the
scheduled periods of the examinations. Any examinee caught using their laptops
for any purpose other than this shall be subject to disciplinary action.

Examinees should also not have any open containers containing food or
liquids next to their laptops. Damage to their laptops in the course of taking the
examinations will be the sole responsibility of the examinees.

D.4. When will the examination be available for download?

Examinees are advised to periodically check their e-mail notifications to

know if the examination is already available for download. Examinees should
download the exams as soon as they are available.

9
D.5. What should an examinee do if he or she needs to step out of the exam room
while taking an examination?

Examinees who are not yet finished with answering the examination are
advised to use the “Hide Exam” feature of Examplify before asking the Head
Proctor for permission to leave the room.

D.6. What should an examinee do if he or she encounters any technical issue

while taking an examination?

Examinees shall raise their hand to call the attention of the Head Proctor or
Proctor if they need technical assistance. This will minimize noise or distraction
for the other examinees.

D.7. How would an examinee know how much time they have to finish the
examination?

Examinees shall have four (4) hours to take the morning examinations, from
8:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon, and three (3) hours to take the afternoon examinations
from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Please refer to Bar Bulletin No. 1, s. 2022 for further
details.

There will be five (5) bells for every examination. The first bell shall ring 30
minutes before the start of the examination, and shall signal all examinees to be
inside their designated rooms. All bags and review materials shall already be
placed in the designated areas within or outside the room. The second bell will
signal the posting of the password for the examination. After the second bell rings,
examinees may immediately enter the password and begin the examination.
Examinees are not required to wait at the stop sign in Examplify, or to await the
cue of their Head Proctors or Proctors once the password is released.

The third bell will signal the last 30 minutes remaining for the examination.
There will also be a fourth bell to indicate the remaining five (5) minutes for
examinees to finish the examination. The fifth and final bell will signal the end of
the examination. By this time, examinees should have uploaded their answer files.

For ease of reference, please refer to this table:

Morning Examination Afternoon Examination

st
1 bell – Examinees
must be inside their
designated rooms. All 7:30 a.m. 1:30 p.m.
bags and review
materials set aside.
2nd bell – Posting of
examination password; 8:00 a.m. 2:00 p.m.
start of examinations.
3rd bell – Last 30 minutes
before end of the 11:30 a.m. 4:30 p.m.
examinations.

10
 Morning Examination Afternoon Examination
th
4 bell – Last five (5)
minutes before the end 11:55 a.m. 4:55 p.m.
of the examinations.
5th bell – End of
examinations; examinees
must upload their answer
files. Return the Notice 12:00 p.m. 5:00 p.m.
of Admission (except for
the last and final
examination).

D.8. What should an examinee do after uploading the answer file?

After finishing the examination and submitting the answers, examinees are
required to raise their hand and show to the Proctor the green screen confirming the
successful upload of their answer file. They may leave the room after the Proctor
gives them the go signal and after they take their Notice of Admission from the
Head Proctor, except for the last examination.

D.9. May an examinee take the laptop out of the testing room during lunchtime?

To avoid any mishaps, examinees shall leave the laptop inside the testing
room during lunchtime. To emphasize anew, examinees shall not use the laptops
for any purpose other than to download their examination files and upload the
answer files. Therefore, the laptops shall not be used during lunchtime to check
any digital reviewers, the internet, or to access any other file or program.

11