EXAM POLICIES AND PROCEDURES – for IN-PERSON FINAL EXAMS

 GENERAL POLICIES

Proctors are in each of the exam rooms, as well as in the main hallway in the Law Classroom Building. Proctors are to supervise the exam process, enforce rules, and eliminate the opportunity to cheat. Each Proctor shall treat all students with respect at all times.

Students are responsible for providing their own writing materials for their exams, which include pencils and pens, as well as any highlighters, erasers, and pencil sharpeners; none of these items will be available in the exam room for student use. For bubble grader exams, pencil must be used to fill in the bubbles on the answer sheet. The Law School does provide bluebooks, if allowed by the professor to handwrite the exam answers

Each exam room will have assigned seat numbers prominently displayed in front of the seats in the room. A final exam will be placed by a seat number (the exam will be numbered and will generally correspond to the seat number) prior to the students entering the exam room, alongwith an Exam Pledge, ear plugs, two (2) sheets of scratch paper (if allowed by the professor), and a bubble grader sheet (if needed for the exam). Students may sit in any available numbered seat that has a corresponding exam and supporting materials.

Students arriving late to the exam will not be given any additional time to complete their exam.

CHECK-IN PROCEDURE

Students may not enter their exam room any earlier than fifteen (15) minutes (i.e., 7:45 a.m., 12:45 p.m., or 5:45 p.m.) before the scheduled start. No student will be allowed into the exam room until fifteen minutes before the scheduled exam time. Any student who is in the exam room before the official check-in time will be asked to leave the exam room by the proctor until the formal check-in process begins and will be required to take all their personal belongings with them.

Students may enter the exam room beginning at fifteen (15) minutes before the scheduled start time and will proceed to any numbered seat with an exam and supporting materials that is not already occupied by another student. Students may sit in any available numbered seat that has a corresponding exam and supporting materials.

Students must place their photo ID – either a University-issued student photo ID or government-issued photo ID – face-up on their desk top by their seat number throughout the exam. A student who fails to display a photo ID will be noted by the proctor on the Exam Roster and reported to the Administration.

Students who are handwriting a final exam that also allows ExamSoft laptopped answers will have an opportunity to pick-up one (1) blue book before the start of the exam. If a second blue book is needed once the exam is underway, the students will raise their hand and the proctor will bring a second blue book to the student.

Neither proctors nor IT staff have access to the students’ exam numbers at any time during the exam administration. It is the responsibility of the student to have her/his exam number prior to entering the exam room. AN INCORRECT EXAM NUMBER MAY INVALIDATE A STUDENT’S SCORE.

 Students arriving late to the exam will be checked in according to the above procedure in the regular exam room and will not be given any additional time to complete their exam.

Neither proctors nor University IT staff have access to the students’ exam numbers at any time during the exam administration. It is the responsibility of the students to have their exam number prior to entering the exam room.

Students can have only their photo ID, pencils, erasers, a pencil sharpener, pens, and highlighters at their seat if the final exam is closed book. Students are responsible for providing their own writing materials for their exams; none will be available in the exam room for student use. If a student is using a laptop computer with ExamSoft already loaded, the student may also have the laptop and its power cord at their seat.

Laptops or other electronic devices (i.e., tablets, phones, i-Pads, etc.) are NOT allowed for any exam that has been designated “Open Book” by a professor. All materials must be printed, hard copies unless the exam instructions specifically allow students to use a laptop or other electronic device.

ITEMS NOT ALLOWED IN THE EXAM ROOM

STUDENTS MAY NOT BRING ANY OF THE FOLLOWING BANNED DEVICES INTO THE EXAM ROOM:

• CELL PHONES
• SMART WATCHES
• NOISE CANCELLING EARBUDS OR HEADPHONES – Students are encouraged to use the ear plugs provided by the Law School in each exam room. If a student wants to bring their own, they must be made of foam or other soft material. No ear plugs made of any hard material will be
• TABLETS
• ANY OTHER ELECTRONIC DEVICE except for a laptop if the exam can be taken using ExamSoft or as otherwise approved by the individual professor
• DRINKS IN ANY SORT OF CONTAINER
• FOOD OR CANDY

Students are strongly urged not to bring any backpacks, purses, clutches, rolling bags, or the like into the exam room. If a student attempts to check in with any backpack, purse, laptop bag, rolling bag or the like, the student will be instructed to place all of these items ON THE FLOOR UNDERNEATH THE EMPTY SEAT next to them.

 Cell phones are not allowed in the exam room. If a student accidentally brings a cell phone into the room, it must be TURNED OFF – not just silenced – and placed ON THE FLOOR UNDERNEATH THE EMPTY SEAT next to them. The professor will be notified of the breach of exam rules and there may be an associated grade penalty. No electronic devices are to be kept in a student’s pockets.

For a final exam that is modified closed (faculty may allow their students to bring in specific items such as a textbook, code book, printed notes, printed outlines, or non-wireless calculator, and this will be conveyed to the proctor prior to student check-in) the students must carry the items in their hands.

If a student attempts to check in with any backpack, purse, laptop bag, rolling bag or the like, the student will be instructed to place all of these items ON THE FLOOR UNDERNEATH THE EMPTY SEAT next to them.

Hats, caps, sunglasses, keys, etc. must also be placed ON THE FLOOR UNDERNEATH THE EMPTY SEAT next to the student. These items may NOT be on the desktop.

EXAM, EXAM PLEDGE, AND OTHER ITEMS AT NUMBERED EXAM SEAT

Students must not turn the exam over until instructed to do so by the proctor.

Students will be required to complete the School of Law Exam Pledge, placed by their assigned seat prior to check-in, for each exam in each course. By completing the Exam Pledge, the students certify that he/she does not have a cell phone or other banned electronic device, and acknowledges that the student will submit all required exam materials at the end of the exam. The Exam Pledge will be kept in the Office of the Associate Dean and will NOT be given to the professor.

Other material that may be placed at each assigned seat along with the exam and the Exam Pledge, depending on the type of exam and instructions by the professor, include ear plugs, a bubble grader sheet, and two sheets of scratch paper (if allowed by the professor). Students who are handwriting a final exam that also allows ExamSoft laptopped answers will have an opportunity to pick-up one (1) blue book before the start of the exam. If a second blue book is needed once the exam is underway, the students will raise their hand and the proctor will bring a second blue book to the student.

PREPARING TO START THE EXAM – HANDWRITING AND LAPTOPPING

Students must not turn the exam over until instructed by the proctor.

Students must place their 4-digit Law School PIN (exam number) on all exam materials, to include the exam questions, bubble grader sheet, blue book, or scratch paper. Student names must NEVER be written on any exam materials. INCLUDING YOUR NAME ON EXAM MATERIALS IS AN HONOR CODE VIOLATION.

 For exams using a bubble grader sheet, the student must write and bubble-in their 4-digit Law School PIN (exam number) once they are at their numbered seat.

All laptop users MUST bring and use a power adapter for their computer. If they do not bring it with them, they must write their exam in a blue book.

Students planning to type their exam must run the law school’s prescribed exam software regardless of whether the exam is open book or closed book. Students must download ExamSoft (for exams where allowed) prior to the start of the exam period.

Students who intend to use a laptop must immediately launch ExamSoft when they enter the exam room and shall not turn on their computers and pull up their notes, outline, etc. to study in the exam room. Students cannot connect to the internet except for the SoftTest website.

Students who are laptopping must get to the “Stop” (PC) or “I” (Mac) screen and wait for further instructions from the professor. The “Spell Check” feature is available for ExamSoft users.

Students planning to type using ExamSoft who are not able to successfully launch ExamSoft at the start of the exam must handwrite. Any lost time will NOT be given back to the student to complete the exam.

 The start of a final exam will not be delayed to wait for a laptop user to finish uploading or launching the exam. A laptopper MUST be ready and at the “STOP” (for PC) or “I” (for Mac) when all other students in the exam room are ready to begin. Any laptop user who is NOT ready MUST handwrite and will be handed a blue book by the proctor.

If a student arrives late to a final exam she/he will be allowed to laptop the test, with the proctor providing the passcode, or the student may handwrite the exam answers in a blue book. Any lost time will not be given back to the student to complete the test.

 Blue book writers and laptop users will begin their exams at the same time.

STUDENTS ARE NOT PERMITTED THE FOLLOWING ONCE A FINAL EXAM BEGINS

Once the time has called to begin a final exam, students are NOT PERMITTED any of the following actions. All of these restrictions apply whether a student is in the exam room, in the hallway, or in the restroom.

• NOT PERMITTED access to a phone, smartwatch, or other banned electronic devices
• NOT PERMITTED access to personal backpacks, purses, bags,
• NOT PERMITTED to talk or communicate in any way to any other student or individual other than the exam 

DURING THE EXAM

Proctors will use the on-screen stopwatch to post the exam time for the room; it will provide a countdown of the time remaining on the exam that all students can see.

Proctors are required to QUIETLY walk around during the examination at unpredictable intervals every hour of the exam. In rooms where there are two proctors, one proctor will be at the back of the room and one proctor at the front throughout the exam.

Students who are handwriting a final exam that also allows ExamSoft laptopped answers will have an opportunity to pick-up one (1) blue book before the start of the exam. If a second blue book is needed once the exam is underway, the students will raise their hand and the proctor will bring a second blue book to the student. A student should not rip pages from the blue book.

Students who are laptopping will not have IT support once the exam begins. If a laptop crashes or freezes during a final exam, the students must raise their hand and the proctor will bring a blue book and allow the student to complete the exam by handwriting the remainder of the exam. Any lost time will NOT be given back to the student to complete the test. The Administration will ensure the professor receives both the portion of the exam completed on ExamSoft and the portion completed in a blue book.

Proctors cannot answer any student questions after the exam begins. If a problem arises with a final exam question, please note your question or issue on the exam for your professor to consider. If a non-substantive exam issue arises, such as a technological issue, a student should obtain a blue book and continue the exam by handwriting it. All other questions should be reserved until after the exam and communicated by email to Ms. Yvonne Olfers and/or Associate Dean Fajardo.

Students are permitted to use the restrooms only in the building where they are taking the exam; only one student is allowed to be out of the exam room for a restroom break at a time. Students must leave their student ID and all exam materials with the proctor in the front of the room and may not take any materials with them during a final exam break. Students will write their exam number OR name on the sign-out sheet, noting their departure and return time.

Students should return within a reasonable amount of time, usually less than five minutes. Students will not receive additional time on their exam.

Students are not permitted to leave the building where they are taking a final exam for any reason until they have completed their exam.

Students are NOT permitted to leave their seats during the last 5 minutes of the exam.

EXAM CONCLUSION

No student is allowed to leave the room during the last 5 minutes of the exam. The proctor will announce when 5 minutes are remaining and that all students are to remain in their seats until time is called and the proctor announces “STOP WORK” at the end of the exam time. Any student who continues to write or type will be noted on the Exam Roster by the proctor and reported to the Administration, with the exact amount of time the student continued to write or type.

Students using ExamSoft must upload their completed exam at the end of the exam administration once time has been called by the proctor. A green “Congratulations” screen will appear after a successful upload. A student SHALL NOT LEAVE the classroom until she/he has received this notice. If a student fails to upload their exam immediately after the exam has ended and before leaving the exam room, the professor will be notified of the delay and the extent of the delay by the law school administration. The professor may lower the student’s grade based on the reported upload delay.

 When a student has completed the exam, or when time is called, the student will take all of their exam materials and place them on the table in the front of the room, using the posted signs to place the material in the appropriate stack.

Students are to quietly leave the room once they have completed their exam, and to exit the building. Students are not allowed to remain in the hallways once the exam is over and must exit the building when they are done with their exam. 

AFTER THE EXAM

Do not contact your professor about your exam – doing so breaches the anonymous exam policy and is an Honor Code violation.

No grades are posted during the exam period or while the University is closed for the Christmas holidays. If a faculty member enters any grades prior to the last exam day, the Director of Student Records will process and post those grades in December.

An exam review period will be opened for 30 days once all the semester grades are entered and finalized. You will receive an email announcing the exam review period dates. Dean’s List and other academic honors will be announced by email.