/ Offices/ Law School Registrar/Exam Policy and Procedures

Exam Policy and Procedures

Exam Procedures

Scheduled Exam Procedure

Unscheduled Exam Procedure

Student Honor & Conduct Code

General Rules on Computer Usage

Authorized Exam Materials

Maintain Confidentiality

Exam Numbers

Exam Clock

Failure to Take Examination

Exam Procedures

Each instructor determines if a course will require a written examination at the end of the semester. An examination may be either scheduled or unscheduled. The Registrar’s Office, at the time of pre-registration, makes available information on examinations for all courses offered the next year. Because the examination schedule is available at the time students register, each student is responsible for his/her examination schedule. Students must make sure they are not scheduled for two exams at the same time, as the Registrar’s Office does not check this.

Scheduled Exams

Students must take exams in accordance with the designated classroom schedules. Scheduled exams will be available in the assigned classrooms on the date and time of the exam. The professor or proctor will deliver instructions, passwords, tell students when they may begin their exams, and where students should turn in their exam questions/envelopes.

Students are required to take their scheduled exams in the assigned rooms. Students may not use any other unassigned classrooms. This includes Boley Library, library study rooms or any other space on campus to take their exams. Doing so will be considered an Honor Code violation.

When students have finished the exam or the exam time has lapsed, the exam envelope/questions must be returned to the designated location and the exam responses uploaded using Examplify. Waiting for the exam to upload before returning the envelope/questions or exam access password to the Registrar’s office or designated location could make the return of the exam late. It is perfectly fine to upload the exam after submitting the exam envelope.

Unscheduled Exams

Unscheduled exams are available in the Registrar’s Office at the beginning of the exam period through the two-week exam period.

An instructor may make an unscheduled examination available before the examination period but no earlier than reading period. Professors may also limit the number of days an exam is available.

Unscheduled exams may be picked up at the Registrar’s Office between 8:30-9:00 a.m.; 1:00-1:30 p.m.; 6:00-6:30 p.m. each weekday of the fall and spring exam periods. If the exam is listed as a remote access exam, students in these courses will receive the exam access password through their L&C email account on the first day of the exam period. For 24 hour exams students will receive separate exam instructions.

Rooms for taking exams are designated by the Registrar’s Office and students are notified as to the rooms available. Students may not take exams in the library or any other place not specifically designated by the Registrar.

When picking up an unscheduled exam, students must provide their exam number, the name of the exam and professor, and leave their student ID. The Registrar’s office staff will date/time stamp the exam envelope or exam access password before handing it to the student. Once checked out the student must proceed immediately to one of the unscheduled exam rooms and begin the exam. Do not delay beginning the exam.

Student Honor & Conduct Code

You can find the STUDENT HONOR & CONDUCT CODE in the Student Handbook.

General Rules on Computer Usage

Use of Computers in Exams

Use of the law school owned computers, printers, or other hardware or software during an exam or in conjunction with an exam is not permitted except in extraordinary circumstances approved in advance by the Associate Dean for Student Affairs.

It is within the discretion of the individual professor to determine whether computers may be used in his or her exam, and to prescribe the manner and extent to which computers may be used in that exam.
It is within the discretion of the individual professor to determine what materials students may bring into an exam. In authorizing the use of computers in exams, the professor must specify what materials, if any, may be brought into and used in the exam;
It is a violation of the honor code for a student to bring into, use, or attempt to use in the exam any materials that are not authorized by the professor, or to violate any of the specifications made by the professor for the use of computers in exams.
Students taking an exam on a computer will use Examplify (ExamSoft), unless a specific exception is allowed by the Associate Dean for Student Affairs.
No student may use or access any form of generative artificial intelligence technology during an exam, unless expressly authorized by the professor teaching the class for which the exam is being taken.
An exam in Examplify may be either “secure,” “non-secure,” and “non-secure blocking internet.” A “secure” exam allows no access to the Internet or personal/academic files. Use of any type of electronic devices for internet access will be considered a violation of the Honor Code.
A student’s failure to follow the professor’s specifications about the retention of materials on the computer’s hard drive or other storage medium is a violation of the honor code.
These rules supplement, and do not detract from the general rules of the Honor Code.

Technical Support During Exams

Students assume the risk of all technical difficulties that may arise during an exam.
No additional time beyond the allotted time for taking the exam is allowed.
The Law School has limited technical resources and personnel, and may not be able to assist all students with technical problems or with needs for equipment during the exam period. To avoid problems and disputes over the fair allocation of resources during exams:

a) No student is permitted to use any Law School-owned computer other hardware, or software in an exam. The school may at its discretion ask students to use school-owned equipment in specific classes where non-use of computers by students hinders the evaluation process.

b) Computing Services will not provide technical assistance to any student while that student is taking an exam. Technical assistance may be provided in specific classes at the request of the professor or the registrar prior to the start of the exam.

The curriculum committee may review and change this policy at any time in the future.

Authorized Exam Materials

Students may bring the following into the exam room, including limited distraction and private rooms used by students with exam accommodations:

Their laptop computer or tablet that they will be taking the exam on, together with a keyboard and/or mouse or trackball for their laptop or tablet.
Food items, including coffee and water.
Pens, pencils, highlighters, erasers, and earplugs.
Personal care items: prescribed medications, pain relievers, menstrual products, kleenex in a clear bar or opaque paper bag.
Other items permitted by their professor in their written exam instructions.

Unless authorized by the professor in their written exam instructions, students are specifically on notice that they cannot bring the following into the exam room:

Written materials other than those expressly authorized by the professor in their written exam instructions.
Paper of any kind, including post-it notes (scrap paper is provided in the room).

Students are not allowed to bring in secondary devices (2nd laptop or tablet) other than a cell phone or smart watch, which are to be used only as a means of contact in case of emergency. The cell phone/smart watch can be used only to monitor time and receive emergency texts or calls. They cannot be used to access the internet, email, notes, or other resources.

Maintain Exam Confidentiality

Students must not discuss examinations with anyone, even other people who have taken the exam.

Exam Numbers

To maintain confidentiality and fairness in grading, students use exams numbers on exams. Each semester, a new and unique number is randomly assigned to each student registered. The exam numbers are available on WebAdvisor by mid-semester. Click here for instructions on how to obtain the exam number. Examplify will automatically show each student’s unique exam number on the printed exam that goes to the professor for grading.

Exam Clock

The Honor Code states that overstaying the time limit on an examination is a violation of the Honor Code. In order to maintain fairness when clocking in an exam, all blue books, exam instructions, questions and other material pertinent to the exam must be in the manila envelope before the envelope will be clocked in by the registrar staff. All students will be given ten (10) minute travel time in addition to the exam time. Be sure you have the test ready to turn in when you come to the Registrar’s Office.

Failure to Take Examination

Failure to take a final examination without either prior permission or the existence of exceptional, extenuating circumstances making it impossible to obtain such permission, will result in a grade of F for such course work. A student who finds himself or herself in extraordinary circumstances and potentially unable to take an examination when scheduled, must contact the Associate Dean Libby Davis at eadavis@lclark.edu, or 503-768-6610, to see if special arrangements are possible. Her office is across from the Registrar’s Office. Students should not approach the professor to ask for special accommodations or exam arrangements, in order to maintain exam anonymity.

Updated 11/15/23