Exam Regulations Policy

Learn more about the Law School's Exam Regulation Policies.

General Rules for all Exams

  1. All students are subject to Suffolk University Law School’s Examination Regulations.
  2. All students are responsible for ensuring they have the adequate exam-taking technology and the up-to-date version of all required exam-taking software. All instructions for new and returning Examsoft users must be followed.
  3. Any attempt to bypass or disable the security features of the Examsoft software will subject the student to disciplinary action as described in Rule XI. Suffolk University Law School Rules and Regulations. In addition, any attempt to launch, copy, move, or delete a download exam file prior to starting the exam will cause the file to be disabled.
  4. The Law School is not responsible for any computer hardware/software problems that may arise, or any damage which may occur to student property, by downloading and using the exam-taking software.
  5. Students are expected to be on time for examinations. Any student who is unable to start an exam on time, due to transportation problems or other extenuating circumstances should contact the Dean of Students. Only the Dean of Students may permit the student to begin the examination at a later time with the full time allocation.
  6. There shall be no materials of any kind in the examination area during CLOSED BOOK examinations. Students taking LIMITED OPEN BOOK examinations will be allowed to bring in only those materials specifically authorized by the professor. For LIMITED OPEN BOOK and OPEN BOOK examinations, only printed, hard-copy materials and/or texts are permissible. Digital texts, digital materials, or e-books—stored on a student’s laptop or any other device—will not be permitted;  therefore students who have purchased digital texts should plan accordingly. This may include printing out any desired material prior to the examination.
  7. During exams, students should not wear caps, hats or hoods, except for religious or medical need.
  8. No student is permitted to bring any non-medical electronic devices in to the examination room or to have such devices within the area of a remote-proctored exam. This includes cell phones, smartphones, smartwatches, tablets, iPads, E-Readers, handheld devices, calculators (unless permitted in a specific exam), cameras, radios, tape recorders, headphones/headsets, wireless email devices or any other non-medical electronic device.
  9. Since the examination process is anonymous, students shall not identify themselves to the professor in any manner whatsoever in their exam answers or via any other exam material.
  10. Until grades are posted, students shall refrain from contacting their professor with any information that could identify their exam to the professor (this includes alerting a professor that the student will be taking a rescheduled exam.)
  11. When a student completes the examination, the student must sign the Academic Integrity Statement.
  12. In the unlikely and rare circumstance that a student believes that all or a portion of an exam answer that the student believes to have properly typed during the examination while using Examsoft is missing or the student believes that a technology matter caused the Examsoft program to cease working during a remote-proctored exam, the law school will investigate and resolve the matter in accordance with the Process For Investigating and Resolving Claims of Missing Exam Text or Technology Failure During Remote Exam. In other rare circumstances where a student is unable to complete an exam they have started, the Exam Interruption Policy will apply.

Rules for Remote-proctored Exams

  1. All students must complete a Mock Exam at least two days before their first scheduled exam of the exam period. This is the opportunity to ensure that ExamSoft is operating correctly in the remote environment. By completing the mock exam process, there will be time to identify and resolve issues prior to the date of the actual midterm or final examination.
  2. Students may have access to beverages in clear containers only. For remote proctored exams taken in private locations, food or food related products (i.e. gum, candy, mints) are permitted but must not be in packaging (or should be in a clear container.
  3. Students in remote-proctored exams may take quick breaks as necessary. Students taking a quick break, must say out loud that this is what they are doing. This will help in excluding the quick break from any consideration of irregularities.
  4. Remote exam takers who experience a technical problem with Examsoft, should contact the ExamTaker Support Line: 866-429-8889 or 954-429-8889. If the issue is not resolved by contacting Examsoft, remote exam takers should contact the Assistant Dean of Academic Services ([email protected], 617-573-8160) or the Dean of Students Office ([email protected], 617-573-8157)
  5. Scrap paper is not permitted unless specifically allowed by the professor in the course examination instructions.
  6. For LIMITED OPEN BOOK and OPEN BOOK remote examinations, students may, if permitted by their professor, have access to digital materials they have downloaded onto their device. Students will not have access to the internet during remote examinations.

Rules for Live-proctored Exams

  1. All examination rooms must be completely vacated one half hour prior to the scheduled time for the examination. Thereafter, students may only enter the examination room when the proctor so indicates.
  2. Students who enter the room prior to the proctor’s arrival to the examination will be asked to vacate the room. All students must be checked into the examination room.
  3. Upon entering the examination room, each student must present his or her student identification card to the proctor in order to receive his or her academic integrity card and handwriting book (if the student will not be using ExamSoft).
  4. Students in live-proctored exams should arrive 30 minutes before the starting time of the exam.
  5. All students must be checked in with the proctor at the assigned examination room at least 15 minutes prior to the scheduled start of the examination. (For example a student must be checked in at 9:15 a.m. for a 9:30 a.m. examination). Students who are not checked in at this time must handwrite the examination. This includes students who receive exam accommodations. Once a student checks in to the exam room, the student may not leave the room until after the examination has begun.
  6. No technical support is available to students prior to the start of the exam.
  7. The proctor may impose seating arrangements in the examination room to facilitate the examination process.
  8. Any student who arrives to the examination room after the starting time of the examination (without approval of the Dean of Students) will not be permitted any additional time to complete the examination. Examinees who arrive late to an examination will be required to handwrite the examination.
  9. Students must come to the examination room with their laptop, power cord and Ethernet cable. Students without a power cord will be required to handwrite the examination.
  10. Students may not return to their personal belongings while the examination is in process, except under the direct supervision of the proctor.
  11. Students are strongly encouraged not to bring any non-examination materials (other than personal items) into the examination room for a closed book/limited open book examination. Students who remove articles of clothing like sweaters or jackets during the examination must place these items under the desk. Students will not be permitted to leave these articles on writing surfaces or on the backs or seats of chairs.
  12. Students must leave their personal belongings including hats, caps or hoods in the front of the room in the area designated by the proctor.
  13. All non-medical electronic devices must be brought to the proctor. All audio alarms on watches must be disabled.
  14. The proctor must be notified immediately when a laptop freezes or crashes. Students may not attempt to reboot or otherwise trouble shoot computer problems during the examination.
  15. Should any hardware/software problems occur during the examination that cannot be immediately remedied, it will be necessary for the student to handwrite the examination. No adjustment to grades or additional time will be given to students for laptop failure or the unavailability of Examsoft, even if such a failure or unavailability is unexpected or occurs shortly before or during the examination.
  16. Each student's identification card must be visible during the course of the examination.
  17. Students will receive only one examination answer book, and will be required to fully complete the assigned book before requesting supplemental writing material. Students will not be allowed additional writing material for outlining purposes. Students should use the available space on the examination or in the examination answer book for outlining. The proctor must determine that all available space has been used in the assigned examination book before additional material will be issued.
  18. Students shall not remove pages or portions thereof from the examination questions, the examination answer book, or from any supplemental materials handed out by the proctor.
  19. Students are requested to consider and respect the rights of others and to avoid any actions which would be distracting to others during the examinations.
  20. Students may bring in beverages in covered containers only. No food or food related products (i.e. gum, candy, mints) are permitted in the examination room unless authorization has been received from the Dean of Students.
  21. When the proctor announces the commencement of the examination, no student shall speak or communicate in any way with another student. Students shall not communicate with each other until after they have left the examination room at the conclusion of the examination.
  22. Students may not share textbooks or any other materials with one another nor provide assistance to another student.
  23. Students shall not leave the room during the examination without prior permission of the proctor. Only ONE student is permitted to leave the examination room at a time and must sign out and in. The student must give all of his or her materials to the proctor upon leaving the room. The materials will be returned by the proctor to the student upon reentering the examination room.
  24. Students may leave the examination room, with proctor permission, only to use the restroom on the same floor as the examination room in which the student is taking the examination. Students are not permitted to visit any other areas for any other reason during the examination.
  25. When a student completes his or her examination, the student must sign the Academic Integrity Statement on the back of the examination card and return the examination card along with the examination questions, the examination answer book and supplementary writing materials, handouts, answer sheets, and all materials distributed during the examination.
  26. Student Examination Numbers must appear on the front cover of each examination test booklet in the space provided.
  27. Upon completion of the examination and recording by the proctor, the student shall immediately depart the examination area and shall not return until the examination process has been completed by the proctor and the room is cleared of all examinees.
  28. No student, including those who have completed the examination, will be allowed to leave the room during the last ten minutes of the examination.
  29. Once the proctor announces that the examination has ended, all remaining students must stop writing and remain seated. The proctor will then inform the students when they may approach the desk to submit their examination materials.
  30. All students must remain in the classroom until the successful upload of the file is completed.
  31. It is the student's responsibility to see that the aforementioned materials are recorded by the proctor.
  32. If after the examination is complete, a student believes that all or a portion of an exam answer that the student believes to have properly typed during the examination while using Examsoft is missing, the Process For Investigating and Resolving Claims of Missing Exam Text or Technology Failure During Remote Exam will be followed.

Hand-written Exams

  1. In the event that a student elects to hand-write a live-proctored exam or must do so due to the unavailability of Examsoft in a live-proctored exam, all above provisions relating to non-technology matters will apply.