Do's and Don'ts for Exams and Your Laptop

Do

  • Check minimum laptop requirements before purchasing a new machine or making changes to your old one!
  • Keep your laptop updated. It's never fun to have your laptop restart just before you're supposed to start an exam because it's installing updates!
  • Make sure you have the Law School printers installed!
  • Take at least one Mock Exam
    • Mock exams review key exam features and note important differences between possible exam types. It's recommended you complete each available mock exam to familiarize yourself with the key aspects of each exam type.
  • Read your exam instructions
    • Exam instructions are different for every exam.
  • Be prepared for your exam before your scheduled exam time:
    • For in-person exams, arrive early
    • For remote exams, know where you will take your exam
  • Leave time to review your exam answers before submitting.
    • If copy/pasting from another program to Examplify, formatting changes can occur.
    • Double check Word Count totals in Examplify. Word processing programs count total words differently.
  • Review additional resources available to you at Exam Central
  • Know how to contact ExamSoft Tech Support for any issues that may occur during a remote exam
  • Ask questions! Law Technology staff are available to answer questions, email [email protected].

Don't:

  • Re-install an operating system or upgrade to a new one, especially after downloading your exam files, without first:
  • Forget your laptop charger on exam day! Technology staff do not have extras.
  • Leave your laptop exposed to extreme temperatures. If it's too cold or hot for you, it's too cold or hot for your laptop!
  • Forget to review Exam Instructions.
    • Some exams require hard copies of materials to be able to access them.
    • Some exams allow phone use for contacting support or reporting issues. Make sure you know what's allowed for your exam!
    • Laptops, chargers, and a corded mouse/keyboard are the only tech items allowed for in-person exams. Do NOT bring other devices into the exam room.
  • Begin your exam early or submit late. You are responsible for managing your time.
    • Technology staff review all exam files for possible Honor Code issues including late exam submissions.
  • Include your name or other identifiers within your exam answer(s). 
    • The only place your name should appear is on in-person hard copy exam materials.