PCMag editors select and review products independently. If you buy through affiliate links, we may earn commissions, which help support our testing.

Taking the Bar Exam? MacBook Pro With Touch Bar May Not Be Welcome

Depending on your state, you may have to disable the Touch Bar during the exam, or use a different computer.

 & Angela Moscaritolo Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

Our team tests, rates, and reviews more than 1,500 products each year to help you make better buying decisions and get more from technology.

Our Expert
LOOK INSIDE PC LABS HOW WE TEST
65 EXPERTS
43 YEARS
41,500+ REVIEWS

Are you taking the Bar Exam next month and have the 2016 Apple MacBook Pro with the Touch Bar? Don't plan on using that accessory to cheat on the test.

According to AppleInsider, test takers in North Carolina will have to disable the Touch Bar during the exam, while California has banned test takers from using the laptop altogether during the Feb. 2017 exam, as have New York, Colorado, Georgia, Oklahoma, Massachusetts, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania, Engadget notes.

Testing software company ExamSoft addressed this issue last week, noting that the Touch Bar "will show predictive text depending on what the student is typing, compromising exam integrity."

If you're in a state that requires you to disable the Touch Bar, you can do so in a few steps. From the Dock, open System Preferences, then double click Keyboard. From there, open the drop-down menu for "Touch Bar shows" and select "Expanded Control Strip." Then, open the drop-down menu for "Press Fn key to" and select "Show F1, F2, etc. Keys" After doing that, the Touch Bar will display the function keys just like you'd see on a normal keyboard.

If you're in a state where the laptop is not permitted during the exam and you already downloaded the testing software on your device, you'll need to re-install it on a different machine. You will not have to pay the re-installation fee.

"If you bring a MacBook Pro with Touch Bar to the examination, you will NOT be permitted to use it, it will be removed from your desk and you will be required to handwrite the answers to the essay questions," a note on the New York Bar Exam site reads.

About Our Expert

Angela Moscaritolo

Angela Moscaritolo

Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

My Experience

I'm PCMag's managing editor for consumer electronics, overseeing an experienced team of analysts covering smart home, home entertainment, wearables, fitness and health tech, and various other product categories. I have been with PCMag for more than 10 years, and in that time have written more than 6,000 articles and reviews for the site. I previously served as an analyst focused on smart home and wearable devices, and before that I was a reporter covering consumer tech news. I'm also a yoga instructor, and have been actively teaching group and private classes for nearly a decade. 

Prior to joining PCMag, I was a reporter for SC Magazine, focusing on hackers and computer security. I earned a BS in journalism from West Virginia University, and started my career writing for newspapers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

The Technology I Use

My little Florida beach bungalow is brimming with smart home tech. I have a smart speaker or display in every room, allowing me to control other connected devices by voice. The Nest Hub on my bedside table lets me set wake-up alarms, control my smart light bulbs, and set the temperature on my smart thermostat. I use the Amazon Echo Show 8 on my kitchen counter to browse recipes, reorder protein powder, check the weather, and watch the news while I do dishes. 

Because I suffer from allergies, air purifiers are essential. My favorite model is the Dyson Purifier Cool TP07, which doubles as a fan and continuously sends indoor pollution data to its companion mobile app. 

My pitbull Bradley sheds, so a good robot vacuum is a must. I currently use a premium Ecovacs Deebot that can both vacuum and mop, empty its own dustbin, and wash its own mop cloth. 

For fitness, I like to mix up my routine with cycling, indoor rowing, running, and strength training in addition to yoga. I take classes on the Tonal 2 smart strength training machine, I row indoors on an Aviron machine, and track my beach runs with an Apple Watch while listening to music on my Apple AirPods Pro. On the weekends, I love riding e-bikes like the rugged, beach-friendly Aventon Aventure for fun and fitness.

My job involves a lot of virtual meetings, so a quality webcam, microphone, and ring light are important. I use the Jabra PanaCast 20 webcam, the Elgato Wave: 3 microphone, and a Yesker tripod ring light. 

As for my preferred phone platform, I'm an iPhone person, but I've also extensively used Android for product testing.

Read full bio