New Format Highlight / Strike Tool Issues
Has anyone also been having issues with the new exam format highlight/strike tools???? I noticed when I took the PPD exam a month ago that there seems to be something different about the NCARB exams where, when you select text to highlight or cross an answer item out, it also clicks the check mark for that item! This creates the issue where, if you are trying to evaluate the options, you may accidentally select items!!!! There does not seem to be a way around this in this new format. I do NOT remember this being the case on any of my previous exams, including PA, which I took last June 2025.
Anyone else with this issue???? Is NCARB working to fix this?!?!
-
Yes, I understand making the answers clickable as a box-style selection is nice to have and makes it easier to click on, but it also makes it clunkier/more awkward to use the highlight and strikethrough tools. You either have to slow down to mark up questions or click through an answer multiple times to mark it up or select it again as an answer.
-
If memory serves, in past exams you had to click exactly on the radio button to select your answer.
Not anymore, in this new version, like abruno168 said, they've increased the touch target. You'll select that answer if you click anywhere on the row.
I just went back to the demo exam (spent more time than I should have on this lol) and figured that if you first click outside of the click target and then highlight/strike out it won't select that option. I guess slowing down and carefully selecting is not a bad thing; especially if you're in a rush! Also, practicing the demo exams so we don't waste our time and brain power figuring out these little things while on the real exam.
Not ideal but for now (and while NCARB improves this) I'd say find the tiny gap to the left of the click target for the first click before selecting to highlight/strike out
-
kdegregorio166 as shown by ignaciomingo above, it takes some work around to get it to work. But it feels counterintuitive to the strikethrough and highlight tools provided, especially for those of us that mark up the exam while taking it to process information and retain the process while re-visiting questions/answers.
Do we have to adapt how we use the tools to get them to work as originally intended, or do we have to adapt to not using them and identifying new strategies (whiteboard notes?) to process questions and answers?
-
abruno168: Even if we've put up with worse (like no scrap paper, which is a whole other subject) I don't think we should have to adapt to faulty design
kdegregorio166: There's like 3 pixels (highlighted in pink) outside of the grey boxes. Do your first click there before dragging your mouse over the text you want to strike out or highlight, then release the click
Btw, I got a link to post-exam survey from NCARB. I'm mentioning this!!!
Please sign in to leave a comment.
Comments
11 comments