Exams

All exams administered by the Registrar’s Office will use ExamSoft Examplify for the full administration of each exam (distribution of questions and collection of answers). To access your exam, you will log in to ExamSoft Examplify and download the exam file for your exam.

• For a scheduled exam, you will be able to download your exam file the afternoon prior to the day of the exam. The exam password will also be distributed the afternoon prior to the day of the exam.
• For self-scheduled exams, the download will be available and the password distributed the afternoon prior to the start of the self-scheduled exam period.

If you do not receive the download and password by 5:00 p.m. ET the day before your exam, contact lawregistrar@wfu.edu immediately for assistance.

You must complete the exam within the allotted time and no later than 6:00 p.m. ET on the day you take the exam. Thus, you must calculate your access time accordingly, especially if you receive the special accommodation of extra time.

During the startup steps for your exam, you will be presented with a screen indicating the amount of time allocated for the exam. If you have any questions about the amount of time you are allowed, you must verify that time with the Registrar’s Office prior to commencing the exam.

Students receiving extra time accommodations will have the appropriate amount of time allocated by the exam software.

The exam software will automatically shut down the exam when the time limit is reached and there is no way to extend the time once the exam has been started. So it is imperative that you verify the exam time limit before commencing the exam.

Students remain bound by the Honor Code and should not discuss the content of any exam during the exam period with or near students who will take that exam at a later time.

If you think there is an error, including a typographical error, that affects the nature of the examination question, please answer the question based on the most reasonable resolution of the error, and state explicitly the error and your resolution in the exam answer unless the problem is with a multiple-choice question. If in a multiple-choice question, state the error and your resolution on the first page of the examination answer.

The only items students are allowed to bring into any exam room are those specified in advance by the instructor or those outlined below.

Noise Management

The law school will provide basic earplugs for in-person examinations. Students are allowed to use their own noise management device, provided it is approved by Student Affairs. Students must visit Student Affairs (Worrell 2325D) before the final exam period for review and approval of a personal noise management device.

To be eligible for approval, the device:

• Can be in-ear or over-the-ear
• Can have noise cancellation technology
• Cannot have Bluetooth or another connecting capability to other devices

Once the device is approved by Student Affairs, the student will receive a removable sticker to affix to the device (for over-the-ear devices) or a card (for in-ear devices), which should be visible during all exams. If a student does not have the sticker visible or cannot produce the sticker to verify approval, a proctor may ask that the device not be used during the examination.

Technology

In addition to a laptop, students are allowed to use the following technology items during exams:

• Laptop charger
• External keyboard
• External mouse
• Laptop riser

The use of external peripherals should not create noise beyond that of the use of a regular laptop alone. Other than the devices listed above, students should not bring any other electronic device, or device with an on/off switch, into the exam room. The only exception is for ESL students who have permission to use a handheld language dictionary.

Snacks and Beverages

Students may bring and consume snacks and beverages during examinations, provided that they will not cause undue distraction for fellow test takers. Snacks or beverages should not produce odors and should not produce noise while opening packaging or while being consumed.

Examples of allowable snacks and beverages:

• Banana
• Grapes in container
• Cheese stick
• Water in plastic bottle
• Juice in paper cup with a lid

Examples of distracting snacks and beverages:

• Bag of chips
• Bowl of ramen
• Popcorn
• Unopened can of carbonated beverage

Students are encouraged to exercise discretion when considering the use of any allowable item during exams. You are asked to help minimize distractions during examinations, ensuring the best possible assessment environment for all.

All in-person examinations will be monitored by the faculty member or by a staff person assigned by the Dean. The monitor is the professor’s representative in the class and should be treated with the same respect and authority. Monitors for scheduled exams are present to enforce the rules set by the professors.

Failure to follow the procedures and rules for all exams – and the rules of your individual professors – could result in an incident report to the Executive Associate Dean, Academic Affairs, who will determine if the matter should be forwarded to the grading faculty member and/or the Honor Council for resolution. It is imperative that you adhere to the rules set by your professor for all exams, including these exam policies.

If you are still in the exam room with 10 minutes left, stay in your seat, even if you are finished. The constant shuffling of students leaving during the last 10 minutes distracts students still working. Unless you finish before the last 10 minutes, stay in your seat until the exam is over.

No final exams may be given or handed out to a class (take-home exams) prior to the last day of classes of any semester. Also, no hardship examination may be scheduled prior to the regularly scheduled examination.

In the course of an exam period, it is possible that there will be some exam scheduling conflicts. Below, you’ll find the rules that govern if and when an exam may be rescheduled, and other details related to rescheduled exams.

Standard Hardships

Scheduled final exams in close proximity to one another do not constitute hardship unless:

• The student is scheduled for two examinations on the same day or beginning fewer than 24 hours apart
• A student is scheduled for three examinations on three consecutive days

For example, a student scheduled to take an examination at 9:00 a.m. ET on day 1 and 9:00 a.m. ET on the following day is ​not​ a hardship. In addition, hardships will ordinarily not be granted with respect to the five classes with the highest enrollments for the semester.

In the event of standard hardship, the student will be required to re-schedule the exam for the next available exam day that would not create a new standard hardship.

If you would like to request to have an exam rescheduled due to a Standard Hardship, please email the Registrar’s Office (lawregistrar@wfu.edu) and indicate which exams you are scheduled to take that constitute a Standard Hardship. Only after a request has been completely evaluated and approved will a student be notified and exempted from taking an exam on the scheduled day. Professors may be informed of the number of students who have been granted permission to reschedule an exam, but the identity of these students will NOT be disclosed to the professor.

Last Minute/Exceptional Hardships

If you have a last-minute emergency that interferes with your ability to take an exam, please contact the Dean of Students as soon as possible. In order to preserve grading anonymity, you should not contact your professor in these situations.

Exam Make-up Days

Only where special circumstances warrant will a rescheduled exam be taken on a day other than the next available exam day.

Anonymous Grading – All exams must be graded anonymously, as required in the Student Handbook.

Anonymous Grading by Exam Numbers

At the start of each semester an anonymous exam number will be assigned to each student for that semester’s exams. Students should be sure to obtain their exam number via the law school Intranet.

Each number will be different for each student and will be confidential as no professor will be able to link a student’s exam number to their name until after final grades are submitted for the semester. The number will be used by students to identify their exam answer. Students should not sign their names or otherwise identify themselves on their exams except by their exam number. If they do so, an Honor Code violation may be found.