Examinations - Law Students

Policies Related to Final Examinations

  1. The examination schedule is specified by the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs.
  2. All students should arrive and be settled in the examination room 15 minutes prior to the scheduled beginning of the examination.
  3. Arrivals after the examination begins should report immediately to Room 203 Hulston Hall.
  4. The Cover Page for examinations should include the following information:
    1. ​Start of the Exam: Do not start reading (other than the cover page) or writing on scrap paper until the proctor starts the exam.
    2. ​Exam Number: Write your exam number on the Cover Page (not your Student Id or your pawprint)
    3. Length of Exam 
    4. Exam Mode 
    5. Materials
    6. Number of Pages
    7. Special Instructions
  5. The "Instructions" page of any examination is reserved for all additional special instructions for the examination, and may include:
    1. the length of the examination;
    2. any special instructions for collaboration or material to be used during the examination;
    3. any special instructions for turning in the examination or parts thereof; and
    4. any other general instructions not a substantive part of the exam itself
  6. Each student will have a different number on each examination, unless emergency circumstances require an alternative process. A three-part, perforated slip printed with a number on each of the three parts MUST be picked up from Room 203 Hulston Hall prior to the examination. The student will complete each portion of the exam number slip and tear off the bottom part for his/her records. (If a student elects to write their examination and more than one bluebook is used or a computer failure requires the use of a blubebook to complete the examination, the student will carefully number the bluebooks with the assigned number.) At the end of the examination, students will turn in either their exams or their bluebooks with the remaining two portions attached, and all other exam materials distributed including scrap paper. The proctor collecting the examinations will remove the identifying second part to be retained in the office and the professor will receive the bluebook bearing only the examination number.
  7. It is important for students to retain their portion of the number slip in order to review an examination. 
  8. There must be an accounting of all copies of an examination. As a result, the person administering the exam will:
    1. notify students to complete the exam slip on the front of the exam or the bluebook;
    2. check the exam slips against the class roster at the conclusion of the exam (any portion of the exam slip that contains the student's name is removed by the law school staff before the exam is given to a faculty member); and
    3. collect all copies of the examination and other exam materials distributed -- all copies of the exam must be turned in with the exam answer.
  9. Examinations are scheduled in rooms that accommodate the taking of that examination. A list of the examination rooms is on the law school website and posted in various places in the law school prior to the last day of classes. 
  10. Examinations are distributed in the rooms scheduled and in no other rooms unless the exams are take-home exams, or a professor has made special arrangements for the administration of the exam. 
  11. Students may work on their examinations in assigned rooms only and in other designated areas in the law school.  It is the responsibility of the student to return the completed examination to the place where it is to be picked up, at or before the time scheduled for the end of the examination.
  12. A student who chooses to leave a designated examination room is responsible for returning their examination to the designated place at or prior to the end of the examination period.
  13. Earplugs are permitted in any exam room.
  14. The items below are NOT permitted in any examination room, unless SPECIFICALLY authorized by the instructions at the beginning of the written examination, or specifically permitted pursuant to the law school policy relative to exams on computer. The devices below should not be brought into the examination room. If they are, they MUST be turned in to the proctor PRIOR TO THE START OF THE EXAMINATION. The proctor will collect and keep any such device while the exam is being taken. The following items are prohibited: 
    1. Noise cancelling headphones;
    2. Cellular phones or other communication devices;
    3. Personal Digital Assistants (PDA) or any device having the characteristics of a PDA;
    4. I-pads or other similar devices;
    5. Laser Pointers;
    6. Any device that allows for the recording of data, or the playing of recorded data, including, but not limited to iPods, MP3 players, CD players, DVD players, cassette players or recorders;
    7. Smart watches and other similar devices;
    8. Digital recording pens and other devices
  15. Smoking is NEVER permitted in any examination room or on university property.
  16. Examinations are distributed by the proctor unless the professor elects to do so. Upon receipt of an examination, each student places his or her initials beside his or her name on the class roll. The proctor writes the time the examination begins and ends on the board in the room.
  17. Students in the authorized examination rooms are given a 10-minute warning prior to the end of the examination period. The warning is given by the proctor unless the instructor elects to do so. Once the 10-minute warning is given, no student may leave the examination room. Students shall remain seated quietly.
  18. The examination ends at the earliest of the following:
    1. The time written on the board by the proctor or at the conclusion of the time designated on the examination. In some rooms, a law school staff member may say "Stop," but the failure to so indicate does not allow a student to continue to write after the time limit has expired. No writing whatsoever is permitted after the exam ends.
    2. The time a student submits a written examination to the proctor collecting exams and leaves the immediate line of sight of that proctor. Whether such a student has left the immediate line of sight of the proctor is a question left to the discretion of the proctor, it being recognized that as more students turn in exams, the sight line of the proctor will be decreased.
    3. The time a student taking an exam on computer submits an exam and exits from the exam-writing software.
  19. When the examination period ends, students who have not completed the examination early shall go to the place announced for examination pickup and hand to the proctor the examination, bluebooks and/or answer sheet and all scratch paper, used and unused. The material is checked at that time to be sure exam numbers are on each examination, bluebook and/or answer sheet and then placed in receptacles provided for that purpose. Students should not walk away until the proctor has confirmed they have all materials.
  20. At the conclusion of each examination, each student again places his or her initials by his or her name on the class roll. The proctor checks to be sure all examinations and materials that should be returned are returned.