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NBME Web-test Shelf Exams

All students are required to complete shelf exams for the following core clinical clerkships:
  • Medicine
  • Neurology
  • OB/GYN
  • Pediatrics 
  • Psychiatry 
  • Primary Care (Ambulatory Care Shelf) ***Family Medicine Shelf during pandemic
  • Surgery
NBME shelf exams are administered on a web-test platform using a secure browser downloaded on test day.  

Exams will be administered in a university classroom.  Students are expected to come prepared with their own laptop on test day.  

Preparing your laptop for test day: 


How do I disable a recording application?

To disable a detected recording application or process, follow these steps:

Open Task Manager (Windows PC) or Activity Monitor (Mac). 

Windows PC: To open Task Manager, press CTRL+ALT+DELETE on the keyboard, and then click Task Manager.
Click the Processes tab and select the running process from the list.
Click End Process to disable the running process.


Mac: To open Activity Monitor, select the Go menu from the desktop and click Utilities. Click Activity Monitor and select the running process from the list.
Click Quit Process and then Quit to disable the running process. 
Common built in Mac recording software/running process: Image Capture extension, imagent

What hardware and software do I need to run the Secure Browser?
 
  • 1GHZ or higher processor
  •  Windows 7, Windows 8, Mac OS X 10.6 or higher
  • Internet Explorer 8, 9, or 10 
  • Safari 5.1.9 or higher
  • Chrome 34.0.1847 or higher
  • Firefox 29 or higher
  • JavaScript, Cookies and CSS must be enabled
  • Screen resolution set to 1024 x768, with 32-bit color setting 
  • 17 inch screen or larger (Desktop), 13 inch screen or larger (Laptop)
  • Broadband Internet (DSL, Cable or T1) with network bandwidth of 256 Kbps or higher 

Workstation Certification: 


Prior to test day, you should perform a workstation certification test on the computer you plan to use

Before attempting this workstation certification, you MUST disable the following programs: 
  • Disable any cloud services (Dropbox, google drive, evernote) 
  • Bluetooth is turned OFF.  
  • Mac:  disable image capture extension, imagent Open Activity Monitor, select the Go menu from the desktop and click Utilities. Click Activity Monitor and select the running process from the list. Click Quit Process and then Quit to disable the running process.
  • Windows PC: disable antivirus programs  Open Task Manager, press CTRL+ALT+DELETE on the keyboard, and then click Task Manager: End process 

Go to https://wbt.nbme.org/wbtexam/tos.jsp and follow the steps to 

  • download a secure browser
  • launch
  • select “Workstation Certification” 
  • “Examinee personal laptop certification"
  • follow the steps through to “launch a sample exam”

Troubleshooting : 
If a recording application or process is detected on the examinee’s personal laptop during the laptop certification process, examinees will be instructed to bring their laptop to the Technical Support Staff or the Chief Proctor for certification if the following occurs:

  A recording application or process is detected on the examinee’s personal laptop
 A recording application or process is detected on the examinee’s personal laptop three or more times within a 28 day period.

If you receive this message, please submit a ticket in uservoice to arrange a time to visit the office of medical education VEC 1003

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