[blindlaw] LSAT and MPRE using a screen reader

[AZNOR99 at aol.com]

I had a heck of a time trying to convince the powers that be to allow me to  
have an electronic version of both the MPRE and the Illinois Bar Exam.   ACT, 
which administers the MPRE, refused on security grounds.  They said  that they 
would allow me to have both an audiocassette and a live reader in the  room.  
But they said that they do not provide electronic versions of the  exam 
unless the candidate is deaf-blind.  In the end, I accepted both the  
reader/transcriber and the audiocassette and it worked out.  The problem,  of course, is 
that BarBri provides study materials electronically, so reading  rate was a 
problem.  Perhaps ACT has changed its position, but as of August  2006, they were 
refusing to allow for electronic testing.
 
The Illinois Bar Exam was different.  They were thrilled to give me  
electronic versions of the Illinois Essay exam (IEE).  They gave me a flash  drive 
with the questions, and I had to save my answers to a 3 1/2 floppy or CD  they 
provided.  They also asked me to upload my answers to a secure site  they had as 
an added precaution.
 
The National Conference of Bar Examiners seems to be the problem.   They also 
refused to furnish their questions in electronic format.   Individual states 
only get the MPT (Multistate Performance Test), MEE  (Multistate Essay Exam), 
and MBE (Multistate Bar Exam) questions the Monday  before the exam is 
administered.  Therefore, individual states can't  transcribe or retype the questions 
in time for a Tuesday morning start  date.  National Conference of Bar 
Examiners gave me the same answer as ACT,  citing security measures for the reason 
they wouldn't give me a version I could  use with my screen reader.  They did 
agree to allow me to type my essay  answers and have them printed, saved, and 
uploaded.  But they said that an  audiocassette and live reader were enough 
accommodations.  My reader was a  nice woman, but she ended up serving me better 
as a transcriber for the MBE than  a reader because she couldn't pronounce 
legal terminology.  The person who  read on the cassette was a lawyer and a 
member of the NCBEX staff, so he did a  good job.
 
I was afraid that I wouldn't have enough time for the cassette versions of  
the exam since I'd been studying with Jaws at a much quicker reading  speed.  
But I ended up being OK and not using any of the extended time they  allowed 
me.  I think that I got myself into the mindset that I'd have to  read quickly, 
and I'd been studying by listening, so it worked out.  
 
I guess my point is that it isn't necessarily individual state bars that  are 
to blame for inadequate testing accommodations.  It's ACT and the  National 
Conference of Bar Examiners.  
 
Regards,
Ronza
 



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I had a heck of a time trying to convince the powers that be to allow me to have an electronic version of both the MPRE and the Illinois Bar Exam.  ACT, which administers the MPRE, refused on security grounds.  They said that they would allow me to have both an audiocassette and a live reader in the room.  But they said that they do not provide electronic versions of the exam unless the candidate is deaf-blind.  In the end, I accepted both the reader/transcriber and the audiocassette and it worked out.  The problem, of course, is that BarBri provides study materials electronically, so reading rate was a problem.  Perhaps ACT has changed its position, but as of August 2006, they were refusing to allow for electronic testing.
 
The Illinois Bar Exam was different.  They were thrilled to give me electronic versions of the Illinois Essay exam (IEE).  They gave me a flash drive with the questions, and I had to save my answers to a 3 1/2 floppy or CD they provided.  They also asked me to upload my answers to a secure site they had as an added precaution.
 
The National Conference of Bar Examiners seems to be the problem.  They also refused to furnish their questions in electronic format.  Individual states only get the MPT (Multistate Performance Test), MEE (Multistate Essay Exam), and MBE (Multistate Bar Exam) questions the Monday before the exam is administered.  Therefore, individual states can't transcribe or retype the questions in time for a Tuesday morning start date.  National Conference of Bar Examiners gave me the same answer as ACT, citing security measures for the reason they wouldn't give me a version I could use with my screen reader.  They did agree to allow me to type my essay answers and have them printed, saved, and uploaded.  But they said that an audiocassette and live reader were enough accommodations.  My reader was a nice woman, but she ended up serving me better as a transcriber for the MBE than a reader because she couldn't pronounce legal terminology.  The person who read on the cassette was a lawyer and a member of the NCBEX staff, so he did a good job.
 
I was afraid that I wouldn't have enough time for the cassette versions of the exam since I'd been studying with Jaws at a much quicker reading speed.  But I ended up being OK and not using any of the extended time they allowed me.  I think that I got myself into the mindset that I'd have to read quickly, and I'd been studying by listening, so it worked out. 
 
I guess my point is that it isn't necessarily individual state bars that are to blame for inadequate testing accommodations.  It's ACT and the National Conference of Bar Examiners. 
 
Regards,
Ronza
 
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