College of Law

Exam Policies

Policies & Instructions for Using Laptop Computers on Exams

Students who elect to type their exams must use a Windows or Macintosh laptop computer. Students will be permitted to use their laptop computers on final exams IF the instructor giving the exam authorizes such use. The College of Law will administer "CLOSED" exams using the Extegrity Exam 4.0 software. This software operates like a simple word processor but prevents the student from accessing data on the computer's hard drive during the exam. Video tutorials on downloading and using Exam4 can be found here.

Following are policies and procedures that will govern use of computers on exams. If you have questions, visit the Exam4 support page.

1. Students may use their laptops for in-class exams according to the professor's instructions and these procedures.
   
2. Students must download the Extegrity Exam 4.0 software onto their hard drives well in advance of their first exams. To do so, students should go to the Extegrity website at http://www.exam4.com. Students then should follow the posted instructions to download and install the Exam4 software directly from that site. The University of Toledo School of Law has purchased an institutional license for the software, so there is no charge to the student. Video tutorials on downloading and using Exam4 can be found here. After selecting "Download" you may be prompted to either "open" the file or "save" it to your computer. If so, choose the "save" option and allow the program to save the software to the "Exam40-toledo" default location on your hard drive. When the downloading is complete, double-click on the "Exam40" icon that appears on your desktop to start the program.
   
3. Students must test the Exam4 software and become familiar with its operation BEFORE they arrive to take their exams. After installing the software, students should take a practice exam using the software to familiarize themselves with the program's operation. To do so, students should start the Exam4 program and follow the directions to begin a new exam. The program will prompt the student to progress through several screens, entering requested information. At the "Exam Number" prompt, students taking a practice exam should enter their assigned exam number found on the Law tab of the myUT website. For the course the students should choose the practice exam for both dropdown boxes. After entering and confirming the information, students may click the "Begin Exam" button to begin the practice session. Students may use these procedures to practice as often as they like. If the screen on which students type their answers is too small, the size can be increased by adjusting the screen resolution on the student's individual laptop.
   
4. On the day of their exams, students should make sure their computer and software are operating properly. As a precaution, students should make sure their laptop batteries are fully charged. There will be bluebooks provided and students should bring pens/pencils just in case they are needed. 
   
5. Once in the exam room, students will be given instructions about when to begin the exam using the Exam4 software. After opening the Exam4 software, each student will enter his/her anonymous exam number (twice), the name of the course, and the name of the instructor. After verifying the data entered, students will click "Next" to begin the exam.
   
6. Once a student begins an exam, the Exam4 program operates like a simple word processor. It saves the data automatically to the student's hard drive every 10 seconds, but the data is encrypted so that it can be accessed only with special codes and software. The program also records the elapsed time. 
   
7. When students finish the exam, the Exam4 program will prompt them to "save" their exam answers either electronically to the network or to a USB drive. Students should choose "send electronically."  After sending electronically or saving to disk, students should select "end exam" and exit the Exam4 program. Once students save the answer and exit the software, the program will not permit them to re-enter their answers. Although the answers will remain on the students' hard drives, they cannot be accessed without special codes and software to read the encrypted data. The law school can retrieve the answer from a student's hard drive if for some reason the answer cannot be printed from a student's electronic submission or USB.
   
   
8. If students save their answers on the USB drive, they should deliver it to the Administrative Suite.
   
9. NOTICE: The Law School is NOT responsible for any equipment failure during the exam, will not provide a back-up laptop, and will not allot extra time to enable students to address equipment failure. Students who experience equipment failure must continue the exam by writing in bluebooks in the laptop room. All other exam rules above and in the Code of Student Professional Conduct pertain to laptop users.