WWW.CICBV.CA

T 416 977 1117 F 416 977 7066

277 WELLINGTON STREET WEST, SUITE 710, TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, M5V 3H2

Securexam Guide

CICBV Course Exams

Software Version 7.0.4 May 2016

WWW.CICBV.CA

1

Contents

Important Information and Frequently Asked Questions – September 2016 CICBV

Course Exams ............................................................................................................................................... 2

Important dates....................................................................................................................................... 2

Important contact information .......................................................................................................... 2

Frequently Asked Questions ............................................................................................................... 3

Securexam Summary Installation Instructions ................................................................................ 6

Student User Guide – Securexam Student Version 7.0.4 ........................................................... 9

Minimum hardware and software requirements for Securexam Student ......................... 9

Required pre-installation maintenance .......................................................................................... 9

Installing/launching Securexam Student ...................................................................................... 9

Obtaining or updating your license ............................................................................................... 10

Computer Qualification Exam ......................................................................................................... 12

Ending your exam ................................................................................................................................ 18

Uploading your response .................................................................................................................. 18

Tips ........................................................................................................................................................... 20

Appendix A – Functionality of the “Word” Answer Tab .......................................................... 22

Appendix B – Functionality of the Spreadsheet ....................................................................... 22

Exam Day Instructions ............................................................................................................................ 23

Getting Securexam help during an exam session ................................................................... 23

As soon as you get seated in the exam room ........................................................................... 23

Functions and formatting ................................................................................................................. 23

Starting the exam session ................................................................................................................ 23

Ending the exam session .................................................................................................................. 24

Instructions to Upload Your Exam ...................................................................................................... 25

WWW.CICBV.CA

2

Important Information and Frequently Asked Questions –

September 2016 CICBV Course Exams

Important dates

July 11,

2016 Securexam software available for download – Version 7.0.4

Mandatory computer qualification exam available to take and

upload/submit

Practice exam feature available

Student toll-free helpline is active (1-844-267-1014)

September

8, 2016 Deadline to download software and take and upload/submit

mandatory computer qualification exam (no extensions will be given.

Students are encouraged to download the software and submit the

qualification exam well in advance of this date, in the event that the

student has technical problems which require time to resolve)

September

29, 2016 Last day to use practice exam feature (unless your exam date is

earlier)

Important contact information

Software Secure helpline

(1-844-267-1014)

Christine Sawchuk: christine.sawchuk@cicbv.ca

Isabel Natale: isabel.natale@cicbv.ca

Issues downloading/installing the

software (before Sept 8)

Difficulties logging in to PlanetSSI (i.e.,

preferred email or student ID

questions)

Difficulties with respect to the

functionality of the software

Uncertain as to whether the

qualification exam was successfully

uploaded/submitted (before Sept 8)

Other questions of a technical nature Other non-technical questions

Difficulties uploading a completed course

exam

WWW.CICBV.CA

3

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is Securexam mandatory?

Yes, it is mandatory for course examinations in the Program of Studies1, unless a

student is granted a special accommodation that permits the student to write by

hand. Students are registered with Securexam automatically upon registering in a

course in the CICBV Program of Studies.

2. What are the minimum hardware and software requirements?

Laptop (Note: tablets, 2-in-1 devices, Chromebooks, etc., are not supported).

Hardware: 1 GB of RAM; 100 MB of free hard drive space (to run application);

free USB port

Software: Microsoft Windows OS only – Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, 10

3. I used Securexam to write my CPA exams and/or a prior CICBV exam. Do I have to

do anything?

You cannot use another institution’s version of Securexam to write your CICBV

exams. You must use the CICBV’s version of Securexam (Version 7.0.4).

If you already have Version 7.0.4 (CICBV version) of Securexam currently installed

on your laptop, you should uninstall and reinstall the software (Version 7.0.4) from

PlanetSSI.com to retrieve the updated guide (i.e., this document). You also need to

update your Exams and Licenses – simply go into the software and click “Get

Exams and Licenses”:

In the next box (see below), Leave all checkboxes “checked” and click on the

“Update” button. Securexam Student will download your Exams and Licenses, and

any software updates and other required files. Note: You must be connected to the

Internet for this operation to succeed. Once the updates have completed, click on

“Close” to exit the updates dialog.

1 NOTE: For the 2016 MQE, Securexam is still optional. Securexam will be mandatory for the 2017 MQE.

WWW.CICBV.CA

4

4. I have never used Securexam before. How do I obtain/install the Securexam

software?

Watch the video in the link below (Question #5).

Go to PlanetSSI.com and login using your preferred email (the one you provided

to the CICBV and use for CICBV-purposes) and your password (your student ID –

using capital letters).

Follow the instructions in the section in this document entitled “Securexam

Summary Installation Instructions”. After your computer is qualified, you can

practice within the Practice Exam.

5. Are there any real-time demonstrations as to how the software works?

The video at this link (https://cicbv.ca/securexam/) demonstrates:

Start to 3:20 minutes: how to install the software

3:20 to 3:40 minutes: the USB drive backup wizard (for qualification/

practice exam purposes, you will hit “Cancel”. At the exam, you will be given a

USB key to back up)

3:40 to 3:55 minutes: the exams that you will have access to on certain dates

3:55 to 5:06 minutes: an example of the spreadsheet and word processor that

you will use to write your course exam(s)

5:06 to 6:40 minutes: how to upload your course exam(s) to PlanetSSI (using

the Qualification Exam as an example)

6. Do I need to perform the computer qualification exam? What if I already submitted

one in a previous semester?

Yes, you need to perform this step and upload/submit the exam to ensure that the

Securexam software is working properly on your computer. Even if you submitted a

qualification exam in a previous semester, you need to submit the qualification

exam again. You may have installed programs or made other changes to your

WWW.CICBV.CA

5

computer since your last exam which may impede the proper functioning of

Securexam.

7. Do I need to upload/submit any practice exams? Can I write more than one

practice exam?

The purpose of the practice exam feature is to demonstrate how the Securexam

word processor and spreadsheet work. It is simply a blank template. We

recommend that you use it to practice with actual course exams from prior

semesters. You do not need to upload or submit your practice exams, but you may

upload them in order to practice uploading an exam before you write your actual

course exam.

You can write as many practice exams using the practice exam feature as you wish

prior to the deadline noted above. For those students who wish to use the practice

exam feature within Securexam more than once, you must update your “Exams and

Licenses” prior to retaking the practice exam each time (see Question #3 above).

8. Do I need to download my course exam before I write the exam?

No. At your exam, your exam invigilator will give you a paper copy of the exam

questions and provide a password for you to access your electronic answer

“booklet” to write your exam.

9. I am using a firm-provided laptop. Are there any unique issues I should be aware

of?

Contact your firm’s IT help desk to enquire about this. You must have administrator

rights to install the software. User-level rights will allow you to use the software

once installed.

You may also need to encrypt your USB key at the exam, which you will be given at

the exam center.

Note: the onus is on the student to determine whether he/she will need to encrypt

a USB key at the exam (i.e., whether software on his/her laptop will require it), and

to determine how long the encryption process will take.

10. Do I need to bring an encrypted USB key to the exam?

Your exam invigilator will give you a USB key upon check-in at the exam center on

the day of your exam. If you need to encrypt your USB key at the exam center,

please use Canada2016 as your encryption password.

Note: the onus is on the students to know how long the encryption process will take

with their laptop, and to be at the exam center in sufficient time to do so.

WWW.CICBV.CA

6

Securexam Summary Installation Instructions

Note: you must complete the Securexam installation and computer qualification exam

as soon as possible, but no later than September 8, 2016.

For technical support, please call 1-844-267-1014.

To download the CICBV’s verison of Securexam (Version 7.0.4.), please follow the

following steps.

1. Go to http://www.planetssi.com. Login using your CICBV Preferred email address

and your Student ID as your password.

2. Once logged in, on the left navigation click the “Download” button.

WWW.CICBV.CA

7

3. Click the “Download Securexam Student” link and then click the “Secure Student”

link. Save the file to your desktop.

4. After download, open up the zip file containing the software and the guide (i.e., this

document). Print the guides and read them before doing the qualification exam -

this will help avoid confusion during the following steps! The “Exam Day

Instructions” and “Instructions to Upload Your Course Exams” sections of this guide

will also be distributed during the exam.

5. Install the software, and take a qualification exam - this step is required not only to

qualify the use of your laptop but to ensure that the software runs properly.

6. For both the Qualification and Practice exam the entry and exit passwords are

password.

7. If, for any reason, your computer reboots in the middle of these exams, the

password to re-enter the exam is: password.

8. After completing the qualification exam (which you cannot exit for 5 minutes), exit

the program. Your qualification exam will be saved to your desktop and you will see

an icon similar to this:

WWW.CICBV.CA

8

9. Return to the website again, login, and on the left side click the "Exam Center"

button:

10. Next to the Qualification Exam Class, click on the "Upload" button. This will pop up a

window letting you select your qualification exam. The qualification exam (which is

located on your desktop) begins with "Qual_" and ends in “.ssi-response”.

11. A Practice exam cannot qualify the laptop – only the succesful upload of the

Qualificaiton Exam can qualify your laptop.

12. After a successful confirmation message, you will receive an email letting you know

the verification status of your exam.

For technical support, please call 1-844-267-1014.

WWW.CICBV.CA

9

Student User Guide – Securexam Student Version 7.0.4

Minimum hardware and software requirements for Securexam Student

Securexam Student runs on PC-based computers only.

The following laptops cannot run Securexam Student:

o Any Apple / Power PC / Macintosh computer in any form even if it runs

Microsoft Windows

Tablets, 2-in-1 devices, Chromebooks, etc., are not supported.

To install Securexam Student, your laptop computer must meet the following

minimum hardware and software requirements:

o Hardware

1 GB of RAM

100 MB of free hard drive space (required to run application)

A free USB port.

o Operating System

Microsoft Windows Operating System - Vista, 7, 8 , 8.1, 10

To download the software, upload the exam response and receive emails from

Software Secure, you also require Internet access.

You must have administrator rights to install this software and set the system date

to Eastern Time if necessary.

Required pre-installation maintenance

To make sure your computer is in good general working order, you must perform the

following maintenance before installing Securexam Student:

1. Ensure the computer meets the minimum hardware and software requirements

noted above.

2. Install and run the latest antivirus software updates and definitions.

3. Install the latest updates for Microsoft Windows. Updates can be found at

http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/.

Installing/launching Securexam Student

1. To install Securexam Student, extract the securexamstudentinstaller.exe that is

contained in your download.

WWW.CICBV.CA

10

2. Locate the Securexam Student installer that you unzipped to your Desktop and

double-click it.

3. Follow the installation setup wizard’s instructions to install Securexam Student onto

your laptop.

4. After installing the software, a Securexam Student icon is placed on the desktop. To

start the application, double-click on this icon.

Obtaining or updating your license

In order to successfully log into the Securexam Student to answer exams, you must

obtain confirmation of the licence that is attached to your email address.

You need to click on “Get Exams and Licenses” if:

1. If it is the first time that you are running

Securexam Student; OR

2. If you wish to use the Practice Exam feature

more than once (you will have to update

your Exams and Licenses prior to retaking

the Practice Exam each time).

Once you have clicked on “Get Exams and

Licenses”, the “Updates” dialog will appear.

Fill in your user name (CICBV

Preferred email address) and

password (student ID) in the

appropriate fields.

Leave all checkboxes “checked”

and click on the “Update”

button. Securexam Student will

download your Exams and

Licenses, and any software

updates and other required files.

Note: You must be connected to

the Internet for this operation to

succeed. Once the updates have

completed, click on “Close” to

exit the updates dialog.

WWW.CICBV.CA

11

In the event that you are unable to retrieve your exams and licenses, there is a

standalone utility program that can be used to retrieve them. This program should be

used by users experiencing issues traversing through their company’s proxy, though it

can be used for general use. To access the program:

1. Click on “Start”

2. Click on “All Programs”

3. Click on ‘Software Secure, Inc”

4. Click on “Exams and Licenses” to launch the program

After the program launches, enter your Username (CICBV Preferred email address) and

password (student ID). Click on the “Get Exams and Licenses” button. After

downloading, you may exit the program. When you launch Securexam, your licenses

and exams have already been retrieved and you are ready to take an exam.

WWW.CICBV.CA

12

If for some reason your login information is not recognized by Securexam Student,

please contact technical support at 1-844-267-1014.

Computer Qualification Exam

The “Qualification Exam” is a test exam that inspects your system and ensures that the

software will properly run on your system.

In this section you will need to complete the following:

a. Download and take the “Qualification Exam”

b. Upload the completed “Qualification Exam” file.

You must select this exam the first time you launch Securexam Student program to

ensure that your system functions correctly as well as to familiarize yourself with the

functionality of the two screens available.

1. Open Securexam Student application by double clicking the Securexam icon on

your desktop.

2. Click on “Login and take an exam” from the main screen.

WWW.CICBV.CA

13

3. The “Exam Credentials” dialog will appear. Enter your Username (your CICBV

Preferred email address) and click “OK” to continue.

4. USB Key Backup

(When you arrive at your exam center, the exam invigilator will give you a USB key.

This key will be used to backup your exam response files).

After step 3 above, the Computer Backup Wizard will load. For the qualification

exam, please hit “Cancel”.

At the exam center, you will it “OK”. The “USB Drive Backup Wizard” will guide you

through the process of properly registering your USB key with Securexam Student

and testing your USB key to ensure the proper usage. If you click the “Cancel”

button, the exam files will not backup onto the USB key.

WWW.CICBV.CA

14

5. After exiting the USB wizard, you will see a list of exams:

For the course exams, the “Start Time” and “End Date” are the dates of the

course exam.

For the Qualification and Practice Exams, the “Start Time” and “End Dates” are

the dates for which the Qualification and Practice Exams are accessible.

Click the checkbox next to the “Qualification Exam” and click the “OK” button.

The software will set up the exam which may take a few moments (especially on

older computers and those with limited RAM memory).

6. The password to enter the Qualification Exam is: password

7. Once the exam is ready, the “Exam Start” dialog will appear. Once you type in

“Start” and press the enter key, your exam start time will be recorded and you will

have access to the exam writing software.

WWW.CICBV.CA

15

8. This exam will require you to be in the software for five minutes as the software

analyzes your computer for compatibility with the software. Once five minutes have

elapsed, and/or you feel comfortable with the process and functionality of

Securexam Student software, you may exit out of the exam and save your file.

9. If, during the Qualification Exam, your computer reboots, it will ask you for a proctor

password to re-enter the exam. The password is: password

10. Essay Answer Tab

WWW.CICBV.CA

16

An Answer tab and a Spreadsheet tab will appear at the top of the screen. Type

your response in this template. Headers and page numbering will be automatically

added.

There are only a limited number of Word functions available. For example, the

Tables function is not available. Appendix A outlines how to access some of the

functionality keys available.

What shortcut keys work?

The following shortcut keys work within the program:

Control-B = Toggle Bold

Control-U = Toggle Underline

Control-I = Toggle Italics

Control-C = Copy

Control-V = Paste

Control-A = Select All

Control-X = Cut

Control-Z = Undo

Control-M = Insert carriage return

Control-S = Save

Control-E = Centre*

Control-L = Align Left*

Control-R = Align Right*

Control-J = Full Justification*

*only works in answer tab

Note that Control-F (find) and Control-H (replace) have been disabled

WWW.CICBV.CA

17

11. Spreadsheet Tab

Click on the “Spreadsheet” tab and a spreadsheet template will be provided, as

shown above. A limited number of standard Excel functions will be available.

The template is designed to print the page on letter-size paper using portrait

orientation. However, you are allowed to change the width of the columns by

positioning the cursor on the margin to the right of the column label (e.g. A, B, C)

such that a double arrow appears, and then dragging the column margin to the

left or right.

Do not enter any data to the right of column ‘N’ in the spreadsheet, this

information will not print on your exam. Please be sure not to work in this area,

you will also see a warning message.

See Appendix B for information about the Spreadsheet Tab functionality.

WWW.CICBV.CA

18

Ending your exam

Note: these steps are applicable to ending your Qualification Exam, your Practice

Exams, and your Course Exams.

Uploading your response

Note: these steps are applicable to uploading your Qualification Exam, your Practice

Exams, and your Course Exams.

Your response file for the exam will be saved automatically to desktop, similar to

the icon shown below. These files are encrypted and cannot be opened.

Once you have exited out of the Qualification Exam, you will need to UPLOAD your

exam file.

When you are ready to end your

exam, select the “End Exam

/Session” from the File Menu.

Confirm that you wish to

end your exam. An

additional, final

confirmation dialog will

appear which you must

also confirm.

WWW.CICBV.CA

19

Return to www.planetssi.com again, login, and on the left side click the "Exam

Center" button.

Click on the "Upload" button next to the qualification exam. This will pop up a

window. Select “Choose File”.

The qualification exam which is located on your desktop begins with "Qualification,

Exam…" and ends in “.ssi-response”. It will look something like this:

A Practice Exam cannot qualify your laptop.

After a successful confirmation message, you will receive an email confirming a

successful upload.

WWW.CICBV.CA

20

Tips

1. How often should I save my exam file?

There is no need to save your file. The file is saved every minute to two locations on

your hard drive and, if you completed the USB Key Wizard at the beginning of the

exam, your file is saved every five minutes to the USB Key. On exit, your file is saved

to your desktop.

2. While in Securexam, I got a pop-up saying “Empty Document – Nothing Typed

Warning!”

Securexam saves your answer every minute and checks if the file contains data. If

you have opened up an answer tab and after 15 minutes have not typed anything,

Securexam will warn you with this message:

Empty Document – Nothing Typed Warning! The system has detected that 15

saves and/or minutes have occurred without any text being typed. If there is text

appearing on your screen in the document right now – STOP IMMEDIATELY and get

a proctor before proceeding. If your document is blank and you have not typed any

text yet and wish to continue, click on “Okay to continue”.

This message will also appear if you typed only in the spreadsheet tab since

Securexam is looking for content in the answer tab. To prevent this message from

appearing, when you open an answer tab, simply type the question number or just

one character.

3. The text in the answer tab is grey. It seems the font colour has changed and I

cannot change it back to black.

This happens when you click on the answer tab header. It then changes all the text

to the same font and colour of the header. It is not possible to change it back. Do

not worry, when printing an encrypted file, the text will be printed as Times New

Roman 12 point in black and white.

4. Where can I get the available functions in the spreadsheet?

Please see the following link from Software Secure for a comprehensive list of the

functions available in the spreadsheet:

http://clientportal.softwaresecure.com/support/index.php?/Knowledgebase/Articl

e/View/347/59/supported-functions

Alternatively, you can print out the guide containing all the functions or while in the

spreadsheet, click on “Formulas” on the menu bar. A drop-down will list all the

available functions.

WWW.CICBV.CA

21

You can copy from this dropdown menu the formula syntax you want to use, by

highlighting the syntax and pressing CTRL- C (copy). You can then paste the formula

into the spreadsheet editing bar using CTRL-V. You will then need to add “=” to the

beginning of the formula and replace the syntax placeholders with the appropriate

values/addresses to allow the function to work properly.

5. Some numbers in my spreadsheet are in scientific format (e.g. 3.43E+17). Even if I

expand the width of the column, the number does not change.

You need to manually change the format of the cell. Select “Format” on the menu

bar, then Number format and choose the format you want. Select the format

category you want (number, currency, etc.) and then select the format from the

available options.

You should note that in the “General” format there is a limit of 10 digits, after which

the format switches to scientific notation or starts to cut off the least significant

decimal places. Switching to a “Number” format corrects this problem however the

only options for the number of decimal places in the number format are “0” or “2”.

If you need to use more than 2 decimal places you will have to use the General

format option.

6. Password to enter the practice exam

The password to enter the practice exam is: password

If the computer reboots in the middle of the exam the proctor code is: password

WWW.CICBV.CA

22

Appendix A – Functionality of the “Word” Answer Tab

To the left of the screen, students will see the following menus which they can open

or remain close as they wish:

o Question time remaining (Not Applicable)

o Limits on maximum words or pages (Not Applicable)

o Current Question Statistics (when opened will track word and page count)

o Exam clock (Time in the exam)

Answer/Word functionalities include font size, bolding, italic, underline, alignment,

bullets, adjustable view mode, and tab placement. At the very top of the screen, the

icons are the save, cut, paste, find, search and replace, undo, and redo.

To double space select format, paragraph.

The body of the report, including qualitative analysis, must be done in the Answer

pane.

The system automatically saves the candidate’s work every 60 seconds; however,

candidates have the option to save using the “File” menu located at the top of the

screen.

Appendix B – Functionality of the Spreadsheet

Please see the following link from Software Secure for a comprehensive list of the

functions available in the spreadsheet:

http://clientportal.softwaresecure.com/support/index.php?/Knowledgebase/Articl

e/View/347/59/supported-functions

One of the spreadsheet functionalities is “show printable area”. By checking the

box, the candidate can see what will be printed. This is critical if a candidate

enlarges or adds a column.

Similar to Excel, the cell reference will be highlighted wherever the cursor is placed

and cell formulas will be displayed in the viewing window.

WWW.CICBV.CA

23

Exam Day Instructions

Getting Securexam help during an exam session

You may require assistance during the exam. Please use the following hand signals to

get the proper assistance.

1. Computer Issues – Raised Hand & Closed Fist.

2. Others – Raised Hand & Open Palm.

As soon as you get seated in the exam room

1. Plug in external mouse/keyboard, A/C Adaptor, power-up computer, and log into

Windows. Do not plug in the USB key that has been provided to you. You will be

prompted to plug it in once entering the exam.

2. Close down ALL software applications, leaving only your Desktop.

3. Check the system Date & Time on your computer and confirm that it says that it is

for today’s date and time.

Functions and formatting

1. Securexam will automatically create all necessary headers, page numbers, and

margins.

2. DO NOT DOUBLE SPACE YOUR ANSWERS – THAT WILL HAPPEN AUTOMATICALLY

WHEN PRINTED.

3. Compose your answer for each question in the corresponding Question sections.

For example, type your answer to Question 1 under the section entitled Question 1,

and do your calculations for Question 1 on the worksheet tab entitled Question 1.

4. Proceed to the next question section by using the “Question List” tab on the bottom

left corner of the window.

Starting the exam session

1. Double-click on the “Securexam Student v7.0.4” icon from the Windows Desktop.

2. Click the button labeled “Login and take an exam” in the Securexam window.

3. Enter your username the next window. Verify that your email address is listed

under the “Available Exam Licenses” label. Click OK.

4. Securexam will then launch the USB Backup Drive Wizard.

5. Follow the instructions and once completed, click the “Next” button.

WWW.CICBV.CA

24

6. Once the USB key has been detected, click the “Finish” button.

7. Place a check mark next to the exam name associated with your exam. If you do

not see this file, raise your hand with a closed fist.

8. THE INVIGILATOR WILL PROVIDE THE ACCESS PASSWORD for the next screen.

9. After the exam document appears, DO NOT TYPE “START”.

10. If you do not see the exam document behind the Start window, please raise your

hand with a closed fist and a technical invigilator will assist you.

11. Wait for the invigilator to instruct you to type “START”.Securexam will automatically

create all necessary headers, page numbers, and margins.

Ending the exam session

1. Exit the test by clicking on the “End Exam / Session” command in the “File” menu.

2. At the following screen, click on the button labeled “Yes, I am done taking this

exam”. Then click OK to confirm that you wish to end this exam. Your desktop will

reappear which depending on the speed and age of the computer, can take up to 5

minutes.

3. Do not shut down your computer during this time. Your exam will save

automatically to the USB key. Until instructed to do so, leave your USB key plugged

in. Double-click on the “Securexam Student v7.0.4” icon from the Windows

Desktop.

WWW.CICBV.CA

25

Instructions to Upload Your Exam

You are required to upload the exam file on your desktop that contains your final exam

files to the PlanetSSI website no later than 4:00PM EST on the day following your

exam. If you have problems uploading the exam, you must contact Software Secure at

1-844-267-1014, before the deadline.

1. Go to http://www.planetssi.com and log in with your username (your CICBV

Preferred email address) and your password (Student ID). If necessary, you may

use a different computer, but you will need to copy the exam file from your desktop

to that computer beforehand.

2. From your account home page, click the “Exam Center” link on the left side of the

window:

3. Click the Upload button next the corresponding to your Exam. Please click the

upload button next to your exam as illustrated below. Click the choose File button

and navigate to your desktop, and choose the Exam file that you have just taken.

Click the “Upload” button to upload the exam file. NOTE: Ensure you are uploading

the correct file.

4. You will receive on screen confirmation of your upload and an email stating your file

has been uploaded.