The School of Law strives to create an environment that will prepare students to sit successfully for a bar examination. Proctored exams are administered by the Exam Coordinator, who is under the Academic Dean. The Exam Coordinator can be reached at lawexam@ggu.edu or 415-369-5201.
Standards of Conduct
Every student is required to act with honesty and integrity in regard to all academic matters in the School of Law. At a minimum, this means that a student shall not give, accept, or utilize any assistance in examinations or written work that has not been specifically authorized by the instructor for the particular course. Students must not attempt to contact instructors about the exam, grades, or their performance in the class, or in any other way influence grading between the administration of an exam and the posting of final grades for the course. Students also must not attempt to contact instructors regarding requests to reschedule their exams. All questions regarding reschedules for proctored exams must be directed to the Exam Coordinator. For more information, see “Standards of Student Conduct ”.
Failure to Take Exams
A student who fails to take an exam at the scheduled time without contacting the Exam Coordinator, Associate Dean or Director for Student Affairs, Law School in advance may receive a “WF” (Withdrew Failing) in that course, even if the student had elected to take the course Credit/No Credit.
A student who decides not to take some or all exams and chooses to withdraw from the School of Law should immediately contact the Associate Dean or Director for Student Affairs, Law School. Completion of the appropriate paperwork in a timely manner will keep a “WF” grade from appearing on a student’s law school transcript. For more information, see the “Fulfilling Course Requirements ” section of this Handbook.
Exam Accommodations
For information on exam accommodations for students with disabilities, see “Disability Services & Policy ” in this handbook. Students with approved exam accommodations requesting an exam reschedule should submit an Exam Reschedule Petition to the Exam Coordinator by the stated deadline.
LLM and SJD students who seek exam accommodations for language should consult their Program Director and submit the language accommodation form by the stated deadline.
Grading Anonymity
Exam numbers are the exclusive means of identification used on proctored exams and other anonymously graded work. Names, social security numbers, student ID numbers, or any other means of identification should not be written on exams or blue books under any circumstances. A student who attempts to identify him/herself by means of personal information, notes, or images in exams or blue books, or by contacting instructors before grades are recorded, will be considered in violation of the Standards of Student Conduct. Students may not write any personal notes (e.g., “Great class”) in their exams.
Exam Numbers
In order to provide anonymous grading of examinations and papers, every student attending the School of Law is assigned a different exam number each term. Students must remove or obscure their exam number from midterm exams prior to reviewing them with their instructors to ensure that the number remains confidential. Faculty members do not have access to student examination numbers at any time. In courses where exam numbers are not used, such as some writing courses, seminars, and clinics, work is to be submitted to the instructor by name.
Exam numbers are available on GGU4YOU within 24 hours following a student’s registration for a given term. Students also will need their exam numbers to claim graded exams and/or final papers after the end of the term.
Students are responsible for maintaining the anonymity of their exam numbers. Students are not to share their exam numbers with any faculty member or any other student for any reason. Students who are found to have disclosed their exam numbers to a faculty member before grades have been posted or who share their numbers with another student or students before the end of the term may be referred to the Assistant Director of Student Conduct and Professionalism for disciplinary action. A student who believes his or her anonymity has been compromised must promptly contact the Registrar’s Office to report the issue.
Examplify Policies and Procedures
Absent approved accommodations or documented mechanical failure, all students are required to take the multiple choice portion of an exam on their personal laptops, using Examplify software. Students are permitted to handwrite the essay portion of their exams.
Examplify information and communications will be sent to students at the email address on file with the Registrar’s Office. It is each student’s responsibility to confirm that this email address is working and correct. For questions or technical assistance, contact the Exam Coordinator at 415- 369-5201 or lawexam@ggu.edu.
Examplify is available and supported on most device types: Mac/PC laptops, iPads, and Surface Pros. Please refer to the Windows minimum system requirements page to see if your device will run Examplify effectively. For Mac users please refer to the MAC OS system requirements page to see if your device will run Examplify effectively. If you have questions regarding supported devices please contact Examplify support at (954) 429-8889.
Certain computers may not be compatible with Examplify. Students should review the Minimum System Requirements at www.examsoftcom/ggulaw. In addition to these minimum requirements, a student’s laptop also MUST be able to connect to the Golden Gate University’s wireless network. All Examplify technical questions should be directed to Examplify Technical Support at (866) 429-8889. Questions regarding network connectivity should be directed to the Information Technology Services (ITS) at help@ggu.edu.
Students must download, install, register, and complete a mock exam on Examplify software prior to arrival in the examination room. Each student using Examplify is responsible for ensuring that Examplify functions properly on his or her computer. Students who have not successfully installed Examplify on their laptops or who are unable to reach the yellow “Please Wait” screen five minutes price to the commencement of the exam may be required to handwrite. A student found to have deliberately prevented the successful installation and use of Examplify for the purpose of being allowed to handwrite their exam may be considered in violation of the Student Code of Conduct.
If for any reason, Examplify or a student’s computer malfunctions during an exam, the student will be required to handwrite the remainder of the exam using blue books. The student should write “continued from Examplify” on the first page of the first blue book. No extra time will be given for computer and/or software related problems.
If Examplify experiences a catastrophic error that results in the loss of exam files, the affected student(s), at the discretion of the instructor and/or the Associate Dean for Student Affairs, Law School, must re-take an exam for the course.
Students are responsible for downloading the exam file prior to the start of the exam and uploading their exam file after the exam has ended. Students are strongly encouraged to upload the exam file before leaving the exam room. Students are required to upload their exam file within 24 hours after the exam start time. The status of upload and confirmation of successful upload can be viewed at www.examsoft.com/ggulaw. Students who fail to upload their exam file within 24 hours may receive a “WF” (Withdrew/Failing) for the course. Any attempt to disable or tamper with SofTest’s security features will be considered a violation of the Standards of Student Conduct.
Students must not delete the exam file from their laptops until grades have been posted. Students who delete exam files without ensuring that the University has received the exam may receive a “WF” in that course. It is the responsibility of students to ensure that the exam has been received by the University.
Exam Dates and Rooms
The initial exam schedule is published in the Course Schedule section of the website for that term. Exam dates may subsequently change. If so, notice will be given in Law School News. Because exam dates may change, students are advised to plan to be available for the full examination period as indicated on the Academic Calendar.
The exam schedule for each semester is available on the Registrar’s Office webpage under “Exam Procedures” throughout the semester. Please note that the posted exam schedule is the official schedule and it may differ from what was posted at the start of the semester. Students are advised to double-check their exam dates and times just before the exam period begins.
Generally, exams during the final exam period begin at 9 am, 2 pm, or 6:30 pm, and can be scheduled during the week and/or on Saturday and Sunday. Exams are usually three hours in duration, but may be shorter or longer, as determined by the professor.
Exam rooms will not be listed on the exam schedule. On the date of the exam, room locations will be posted in the second and third floor lobbies. Exams are often not in the same room where the class was held. Students may be combined with other sections or courses within one exam room.
Exam Dates and Times for Accommodated and Rescheduled Exams
The School of Law reserves the right to set rescheduled exams to begin at any time during the exam period. A makeup exam originally scheduled to start in the evening may be rescheduled during the day, and vice versa.
An accommodated exam for disability or language is usually scheduled on the same day as the regular exam, but may be scheduled on another date and may begin or end at any time the building is open. An accommodated exam may begin earlier or later than the normally scheduled exam.
Exam Rescheduling
- Rescheduling Proctored Exams in Advance
Students who need an advance rescheduling of examinations must submit an Exam Reschedule Petition with appropriate documentation to the Exam Coordinator by the deadline stated on the form. A reschedule will be approved under the following circumstances only:
- A student has two School of Law examinations that are scheduled to start within a 23-hour period (not including take home exams, midterms, or final projects/presentations);
- A student has three School of Law examinations on three consecutive days (not including take home exams or final projects/presentations);
- A student’s religious beliefs prohibit the taking of an examination at the scheduled time; or
- A student’s participation in a Law School competition or course work for which the student is receiving academic credit directly conflicts with the examination.
Exams will not be rescheduled for vacations, airplane tickets, family events, business conflicts, or conferences. Exceptions to this policy might be granted (with timely and appropriate documentation) for the wedding of an immediate family member (parent, sibling, or child) if the student has a role in the ceremony and the student has a direct time conflict. Exceptions may also be considered for documented, unavoidable work conflicts for part-time JD or LLM students.
If an exam reschedule is approved, the Exam Coordinator will determine which exam to move. If more than one exam is rescheduled, the exams normally are kept in the same order. Students will not be allowed to choose which exams are rescheduled or when the rescheduled exam will take place.
Students are prohibited from discussing exam reschedule requests with their instructors or fellow students. All exam reschedule requests or questions must be directed to the Exam Coordinator.
- Rescheduling Proctored Exams Due to Emergencies
A student who becomes ill, injured, or is otherwise suddenly unable to take an exam on the scheduled date must notify the Exam Coordinator by phone at 415-369-5201 or email to lawexam@ggu.edu before the start of the exam and must provide a detailed message. Students are prohibited from discussing emergency exam reschedule requests with their instructors. All emergency exam rescheduling requests or questions must be directed to the Exam Coordinator.
Rescheduled exams must be completed by the end of the exam period at a time determined by the Exam Coordinator.
A student whose exam is rescheduled due to an emergency must submit appropriate, contemporaneous supporting documentation prior to the rescheduled exam. If an exam is rescheduled due to a medical emergency, documentation from a licensed health care provider qualified to diagnose the medical issue must be submitted. The documentation must specify that the student was seen by the health care provider on or just before the original exam date and that the student was physically unable to take the exam at the scheduled time. The health care provider providing the documentation cannot be a relative of the student or the student him/herself. A student who fails to provide documentation or whose documentation proves unsatisfactory or untimely will be considered to have failed to take the exam and may be awarded a grade of “WF.”
All students are bound by the Standards of Student Conduct in this Handbook, which includes provisions regarding exams. Once an exam has been rescheduled, the new exam date will not be changed except in extraordinary circumstances. In extraordinary circumstances, the Associate Dean for Law Student Affairs has the discretion to require that a rescheduled examination be graded on a credit/no credit basis, or that the student’s grade be lowered by up to three grade levels (e.g., “B” to “C”).
Exceptions to this emergency rescheduling policy might be granted under the following circumstances:
- Funeral of an immediate family member (spouse/partner, parent, sibling, child) AND the student has a direct time conflict; or
- Life threatening emergency of a spouse/partner, parent, sibling, or child.
- Rescheduling Anonymously Graded Take-Home Exams Due to Emergencies.
A student who becomes ill, injured, or is otherwise suddenly unable to turn in an anonymously graded take-home exam by the deadline must notify the Associate Dean or Director for Student Affairs, Law School by phone at 415-442-6615 or by email at lawstudentsupport@ggu.edu before the deadline and must provide a detailed message. Students are prohibited from discussing emergency exam reschedule requests with their instructors or other students.
The Associate Dean or Director will contact the instructor without revealing the identity of the student to determine if an extended deadline is possible and, if so, what the new deadline should be. If granted, the Associate Dean or Director will work with the student and Faculty Assistant to arrange for submission of the exam in a way that protects the student’s anonymity. The student will be required to submit appropriate, contemporaneous supporting documentation to the Associate Dean or Director prior to the rescheduled deadline.
All exams must be completed by the end of the exam period as set forth in the Academic Calendar. If the extended deadline is denied or the emergency situation won’t allow the student to complete the exam before the end of the exam period, the Associate Dean or Director may allow the student to withdraw or take an incomplete in the course pursuant to the relevant policies on withdrawals and incomplete course attempts above.
- Failure to Sit for an Exam
Failure to sit for an exam without advance approval may result in a “WF” grade for the course.
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Exam Interruptions
This policy applies to situations when, due to exigent circumstances, a student is unable to complete an exam that has been started.
You are expected to attend and complete your final examinations at their scheduled times. The Law School encourages students who are ill or experiencing a difficult personal situation to contact Law Student Affairs before an examination begins. In addition, students with pre-existing conditions, illnesses, or situations that could cause an absence or unexpected interruption during examinations should discuss the situation with Law Student Affairs prior to the start of the exam period. The Associate Dean of Law Students Affairs may ask for documentation.
If an incident occurs during the examination that causes the student to be unable to complete the exam, the student must notify the proctor immediately. The proctor will then notify the exam coordinator. In the case of a remote-proctored exam, the student must notify the exam coordinator before the end of the exam.
The decision to excuse a student who has not completed their exam will be made by the Associate Dean of Law Student Affairs.
Exam Day Procedures
- Items Required and Allowed in the Exam Room
Students must bring a photo ID (student ID card or a government ID) and their own writing instruments (pens, pencils, highlighters, etc.) to the exam room. Proctors will not have writing instruments to lend out. Students are also permitted to bring a beverage and a watch to the exam. If the watch is digital the student must ensure that no alarms will sound during the exam.
For “closed book” exams, students will be instructed to leave personal belongings, books, notes, etc. in their locker when possible. All personal belongings brought to the exam room will be directed to a location in the room designated by the exam proctor, usually the front of the room. For “open book” exams, students may keep specified materials to refer to at their desks; however, backpacks, etc., must be left in the student’s locker or at the front of the exam room, or in a location designated by the proctor. If books, notes, etc. are found in the hallway or other unauthorized locations, they will be destroyed, and students will be subject to discipline under the Standards of Student Conduct.
If the exam allows calculators, only simple five function calculators are acceptable. Programmable calculators, cell phone calculators, laptop calculators, etc. are not allowed in the exam room.
Scratch paper and blue books will be issued by the proctor; under no circumstances should students bring their own.
- Items Prohibited in the Exam Room
Students are prohibited from having cellular phones, pagers, or any other electronic devices, including smartwatches, Google Glass, or other “smart” devices on their person during an exam. All electronic devices brought into an exam room must be powered off and placed at the front of the exam room (or the location indicated by the proctor) for the duration of any exam. Any electronic devices found in the exam room that are not in the proper location and/or that are not powered off may be confiscated. Any student who keeps such a device in their possession or fails to turn off such a device during an exam will be subject to disciplinary action, including confiscation of the device, and/or their exam.
- Arrival
To ensure the smooth commencement of exams, students must arrive at least 20 minutes prior to the exam start time to set up their computers for use with Examplify. Students must be present and at the yellow “Please wait” screen (four letter code is entered here) of the software a minimum of 5 minutes prior to the start time of their exam. Any student who does not arrive in the room or whose computer is not at the yellow ‘Please wait” screen at least 14 minutes before the start of an exam (as determined by the proctor) may be required to handwrite the exam.
Upon arriving in the exam room, each student must check in with the proctor by showing his or her ID. Students should leave every other seat empty where possible.
Between arrival and the start of the exam instructions, students are free to leave the exam room to review notes, etc.
- Commencement of Exams
Students should write their exam numbers on the exam and scratch paper as soon as the exam begins. Exam number, course, instructor, and semester should be written on all blue books and multiple choice answer sheets, if applicable. Under no circumstances should students write their name or a message to the instructor on exams or blue books, as such an act could result in disciplinary action. No extra time will be given at the end of the exam to write exam numbers on any of the exam materials, and students who write after time is called, even if writing only their exam number, will be subject to discipline under the Standards of Student Conduct.
Before starting the exam, students should review the entire exam to make sure that all pages are in order and none are missing. In addition, students should check for two-sided copying. Students must notify the exam proctor immediately if there are any problems.
- Questions During an Exam
Students may not speak during an exam. If a question arises during an exam, students should give the exam proctor a note with the exact question written down. The Associate Dean for Student Affairs, Law School and, if necessary, the instructor will be contacted if needed. The response will either be communicated to the student with the question or, if the information affects all students, an announcement will be written on the whiteboard at the front of the room.
- Breaks During Exams
Students may take a brief break during the exam, but must turn their exam materials face down and/or cover their laptop screen before leaving the room. Students must sign out and back in on the check-out sheet on the exam room door. Students are not permitted to leave the building, go to a different floor, or access personal belongings during their exam.
- Official Time Keeping for Exam Rooms
Each exam room will have one designated official clock. The exam will begin at the start time shown on the official clock. Students should synchronize their watches with the official clock, in case the official clock is not visible to every student in the exam room.
- Late Arrivals to Exams
Students who arrive up to fifteen minutes late for an exam (as determined by the proctor) will be allowed to sign in and start the exam at that time. There will be no extension of time for students who arrive late. If the first portion of the exam is collected after a specified time, students who arrive late also will have to turn in that portion of the exam at that time. The exam will end at the same time for all students.
Students who arrive more than fifteen minutes after the start of an exam (as determined by the proctor) will not be seated for the exam. If this occurs, a student must contact the Exam Coordinator, who will alert the Associate Dean or Director for Student Affairs, Law School to determine when, if, and under what terms the exam is to be rescheduled. The Associate Dean may decide to reschedule the exam later the same day, move the exam to another day during the exam period, not allow the student to take the exam, allow the student to take the exam with the time remaining, or allow the student to take the exam but with a grade reduction.
Failure to contact the Exam Coordinator, lack of a valid reason for tardiness (as determined by the Associate Dean for Student Affairs, Law School, or inability to supply documentation may result in a “WF” grade for the course.
- Conclusion of Exams
Students must write their exam number, course name, and instructor on all blue book covers before the end of the exam is announced. When the exam proctor calls “time,” students must stop writing or typing and close their blue books or exit Examplify.
The proctor will approach each student and make sure all exam materials have been returned. The proctor will document the use of Examplify or record the number of blue books used, and will initial the sign-out sheet. Students should review the information recorded by the proctor to ensure it is correct before signing the sign-out sheet. In a large class, this process can take up to twenty minutes. Students are asked to be patient during the sign out process and remain seated; the proctors know the students are anxious to leave the exam room and will work as quickly as possible.
Students who complete the exam earlier than the ten minute warning may walk up to the proctor to check out. Students who complete the exam after the ten minute warning must remain seated and wait for time to be called and the proctor to check them out.
Post Exam Procedures
- Discussion of Exams
Since exams are rescheduled for a variety of reasons, and may be administered throughout the exam period, students must not discuss an exam with another student or group of students until they confirm that the other student(s) have already taken the exam. Students are advised to be mindful of this consideration when posting to social networking sites, texting, or otherwise addressing groups of their peers.
Students who are taking a rescheduled exam are forbidden to access information about the exam contents electronically or in person and must not discuss the exam or the course itself with any other student until they have completed the exam and confirmed that the other student also has taken the exam.
- Claiming Graded Exams, Final Papers, and Multiple Choice Score Reports Proctored essay exams may be picked up after the end of the term by submitting a Blue Book Claim Form to the Exam Coordinator. However, students in LLM Tax courses may only view those exams by contacting the Graduate Law department at 415-442-6604. Students may not keep LLM Tax exams, nor make copies. Take-home exams, final papers, and other non-proctored final projects, if available, may be collected from the course professor or faculty assistants after grades are posted for the term.
Graded exams, papers, etc., for a term will not be available until all of the grades have been recorded for that term. A date for the start of distribution of graded coursework will be announced when grades are in for the term. They will be available for pick up from an easily accessible location within the law school on the announced date, or one week after the form is submitted, whichever is later. Students will be asked to present a photo ID card before the graded course work or score reports will be released. Incomplete or illegible request forms may take longer to process.
Graded course work must be claimed in person by the student to whom they belong. They will not be mailed to students except under extraordinary circumstances and with the approval of Student Affairs. Blue books not claimed within one year of the completion of the term will be destroyed.
Multiple choice score reports provide information pertaining to the raw score and questions answered incorrectly. Students may view their multiple choice reports via the Examplify website upon notification from the Exam Coordinator that grades have been posted. The multiple choice questions and answers will not be available to students through this process. Students who wish to discuss multiple choice exam questions and answers should contact the professor directly after the grades for the course have been posted.
- Past Essay Questions and Sample Essays on Reserve
Most essay questions are put on reserve in the Library after grades are recorded and graded exams are made available to students. In addition, each instructor generally designates the best student essay to be placed on reserve along with the question. Rather than submit a student essay, the instructor may provide an outline or draft of his or her own essay. Students are encouraged to review the questions and answers for their course, both from their own and other instructors’ past exams. Multiple choice questions and short answer questions are not put on reserve.
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