EXAM NUMBERS -- EXAMSOFT/SOFTEST -- SELF-SCHEDULED EXAMS -- TAKE HOME EXAMS -- PAPERS -- VARIANCES
Exam Numbers
Never put your name on an exam or any exam materials. All exams given at Hamline University School of Law are graded anonymously. Each semester you are assigned midterm and final exam numbers to be used. These numbers are only available on the web. Make sure to look up your exam number before the exams begin. To locate your exam number, go to http://www.hamline.edu/ and follow the steps below:
- Click on Logins just below the header.
- Go to Piperline
- Log in to the secure area
- Enter your User ID (Student ID#) and PIN
- Click Student Services
- Click Registration
- Click Student Detail Schedule
- Select the appropriate term from the drop down menu
- Exam Numbers are listed below Total Credit Hours at the top of the page
You will use the four digit midterm exam number for all of your midterms, and the five digit final exam number for all of your finals. If you have forgotten your exam number, you may not leave to get your exam number until after all of the instructions have been read and the exam has started. Do not wait until the exam is over to get your exam number. Remember, you need to write your exam number on your exam before starting.
ExamSoft/SofTest
Forgotten password -- How to change password
Take home exams will be distributed through SofTest. If you have a take home exam, follow the instructions below to register the software and upload a mock exam. Please see the Take Home section below for details on using SofTest for take home exams.
IF YOU DO NOT TAKE THE MOCK EXAM BY NOVEMBER 30, YOUR EXAMSOFT/SOFTEST ACCOUNT WILL BE DELETED, AND YOU WILL BE UNABLE TO USE SOFTEST FOR FINALS. Exams may be handwritten.
The Registration Process involves the 3-steps needed to acquire SofTest. They begin on our ExamSoft Custom Home Page located at www.examsoft.com/hamlinelaw and are as follows:
Step 1: Log In - (30 seconds) Enter your Student ID number and
password. The password was emailed to you with the subject heading
"SofTest Installation & Registration Instructions." If you have not
received this email, contact the Assistant Registrar immediately. If you have lost or forgotten your password, follow these instructions.
Step 2: Download SofTest - Downloading SofTest takes minutes on
high-speed Internet connections and 30 - 60 minutes on dial-up
connections
Step 3: Register SofTest - (30 seconds) Once registered, you
will be notified on-screen that you have completed the process and you
will also receive email confirmation. You can change your password by logging in to www.examsoft.com/hamlinelaw,
and selecting "Change Account Information." If you have any questions
or issues with registration, contact ExamSoft technical support by email or call toll-free 866.429.8889.
Download and take a mock exam to verify that the software works well on your computer.
To download the Mock Exam:
1. Double-click the SofTest icon on your Windows Desktop
2. Click Download Exam Files
3. Enter your ID & Password (included at the bottom of this email)
4. Select exam file 'Mock-Exam-Fall-2009.xmz' and click the Download button.
To take the Mock Exam:
1. Double-click the SofTest icon on your desktop.
2. Click the Launch SofTest (Take an Exam or Practice) button.
3. Select the Mock Exam from the Exam file drop down list.
4. Click
Begin Exam. The computer will reboot into SofTest’s
secure mode.
You must take a Fall 2009 mock exam--midterms or any exams taken in previous semesters do not satisfy this requirement--or you will be locked out of the program. You must do this every semester to verify that any changes or updates you have made to your computer do not interfere with the running of SofTest.
The ITS Helpdesk can help with installation problems, including Boot Camp issues, and run diagnostics to detect hidden malware that may be interfering with SofTest. You are responsible for ensuring your computer is in good working order before taking an exam with SofTest. The ITS Helpdesk, 651-523-2220, located in the basement of Bush Library, can help you.
You can verify the uploading of your mock exam (and all other exams) by clicking on Exam History on SofTest's main menu. Once you log in to your account, you'll be able to see what tests you have downloaded to your computer and what tests you have uploaded to ExamSoft. The Office of the Registrar and the IT Help Desk may not verify exam uploads.
You can learn more about SofTest at ExamSoft's FAQ and Tips pages.
When taking an exam on SofTest, Activation Key is your exam number. Verify that your final number is auto-filled in this field if you are taking a final, or your midterm number if you are taking a midterm.
If you forget your password: go to www.examsoft.com/hamlinelaw and find the Exam Takers log in box at the top left of the screen. Click on the red exclamation point next to the password box. You will be prompted to enter an Exam #--which is your seven-digit Hamline ID number beginning with a 9--and your email address. Enter your Hamline email address. (If you use groupwise or netmail, enter it without the "netmail" or "gw" indicator, e.g., student01@hamline.edu. If you are a visiting student, enter the email address you entered on your visiting application.) Your password will be emailed to you. Be sure to follow the steps above to change your password to something memorable.
Self-scheduled Exams
HUSL is one of the few law schools in the country that offers students the ability to self-schedule exams.
The concept behind self-scheduled exams is very simple: within the exam period, you create your own exam schedule. The exam period extends from Mon., Dec. 7th to Sun., Dec 20th.
You may take your exams either in the morning or in the afternoon session, at 9 a.m. or 1:30 p.m. You do not need to reserve your exam times in advance.
You collect all examination materials (exam questions, plastic bags, Scantron forms, etc.) from the Office of the Registrar, 30 to 10 minutes before the selected start time. You must complete, time-stamp, and sign an exam checked out/receipt form. Do not leave your laptop or other valuables unattended in an exam room while you collect your examination materials.
You must report directly to an exam room after collecting the examination materials. You may not remove your exam from its bag until it is time to start.
Three to four rooms are allocated each morning and afternoon for self-scheduled exams. There will be separate rooms assigned for open and closed book exams, and for students typing and handwriting. The list of rooms assigned to each group on each day is prominently displayed next to the Office of the Registrar's door. Students taking different examinations share rooms. You may not take a self-scheduled exam in a space other than the designated rooms. You must leave an empty seat between you and other students taking an exam in the same room.
Once seated, you may not remove your exam from its bag until the room clock turns to 9 a.m. or 1:30 p.m. You are bound by honor to abide by the guidelines stipulated on the examination instructions. There is no proctoring. If you are taking a closed book exam you should set all your belongings on the side or front of the room to avoid the appearance of impropriety. You may not leave the room during the exam except to contact a proctor in the Office of the Registrar or to go to the bathroom without tarrying in the atrium.
You may not start your exam before the designated start time. If you arrive late (past 9:00 a.m. or 1:30 p.m.) you will lose time. For example, if your exam is a 2-hour exam and you arrive at 9:30, you will have 1-1/2 hours to complete the exam. You can, of course, take the exam during the following exam session.
While taking an exam, you keep track of time. The room clocks govern. There is no five-minute warning. You may use the alarm feature in SofTest.
When you are done, immediately bring all examination materials (including scratch paper) back to the Office of the Registrar. You will receive a signed copy of your exam checkout/receipt form.
Not all exams are self-scheduled. Please refer to the online exam schedule for details. You may not self-schedule a scheduled exam.
Take Home Exams
Take home exams may be taken any time during the exam period. All exams must be completed, however, by 5 PM on Sunday, Dec. 20, the last day of the exam period. Plan accordingly.
Take home exams will be distributed through SofTest. Be sure to follow the instructions above to register your copy of SofTest, and upload the Fall 2009 mock exam. The exam password, plus instructions specific to take home exams, will be emailed to you in advance of the exam period. Do not start your exam before 8 AM on Monday, Dec. 7, the first day of exams.
When taking a take home exam on SofTest, print the questions immediately after opening the exam to use as a back up. You can print to PDF or to Microsoft Document Image Writer to save an electronic copy of the questions. SofTest saves your work every minute to your hard drive. (You only need an Internet connection while downloading and uploading the exam.) If SofTest fails, or if you choose to compose your answer in a word processing program, you must hand deliver a hard copy of your answer during Office of the Registrar hours and upload your SofTest answer file. Remember: it is a violation of the Honor Code to share the exam questions. Shred or delete the questions immediately upon completion of the exam.
While you can cut and paste within your exam answer, you cannot paste into the exam from other documents or sources. You will be able to access other programs and documents on your computer, but you will not be able to take another SofTest exam on the same computer that is running your take home exam. (If you have crafted your exam schedule so that your take home exam will overlap another exam, use your printout of the questions, type and print your answer, and hand-deliver the hard copy of your answer to the Office of the Registrar within the stated time period for your exam. You must still upload your take home exam file--we will use that to determine what time you started the exam.)
Please refer to the online exam schedule to learn which courses have take home exams.
Papers
Final papers or other written submissions that require deadlines are submitted to the faculty via the course TWEN site. Students who have not logged onto the TWEN site for this particular course before submitting a final paper should log on in advance of the submission deadline to ensure that they know how to upload their papers. TWEN records and verifies the day and time of submission. Students are responsible for any late submissions caused by their failure to properly submit documents through TWEN.
If no TWEN site is available and if the instructor requires submission through the Office of the Registrar, such papers must be submitted to the Office of the Registrar in person during regular business hours. Students may designate a proxy via a signed written authorization to submit the paper on their behalf. Students, or their proxies, must complete, sign, and time-stamp an Exam & Paper Receipt to be submitted with the paper. A member of the Office of the Registrar will sign the Exam & Paper Receipt and issue a copy to the student or proxy, which the student should keep for at least one year in case there is any question about the timeliness of submission.
To ensure receipt, papers are not accepted in the Office of the Registrar by e-mail or fax.
Since the Office of the Registrar does not have additional information regarding additional faculty requirements for paper submissions (e.g., whether the paper should be time-stamped, or submitted in an envelope), students should consult the syllabus or faculty member to determine these specifications.
Examination Variances
I. Students with Disabilities. ("Policy Manual" HUSL, Appendix E).
If you are a student with a disability, as determined by the University Disability Services Director, reasonable examination accommodations will be provided to you by the Registrar. You must first consult with the University Disability Services for an assessment. Thereafter, the Director will make a recommendation to Assistant Dean of Student and Multicultural Affairs Darrell Davis for a reasonable accommodation. Please refer to the “Disability Accommodation Policy”, Appendix E, and page 141 for further details on the University's Disability Policy and the procedure for requesting a disability examination variance. See also, Section 11.35 “Examination Accommodations”
II. English as a Second Language (ESL). ("Policy Manual" HUSL, Section 11.37).
If English is not your native language, then you may be eligible for an examination variance. Your request must be made directly to me. Please refer to the Policy Manual, Section 11.37 for further details and the procedure for requesting an ESL examination variance.
III Other Variances. (AR-105.G)
If an emergency arises, you may be excused from taking a regularly scheduled examination. The standard for meeting this variance is "extremely exigent circumstances". Please see the referenced Academic Rule for examples of situations that do not constitute "extremely exigent circumstances". You must present your request for a variance under this category to Dean Davis, not to your professor or instructor. Please refer to the following link for further details and the procedure for requesting an "extremely exigent circumstances" variance: http://law.hamline.edu/registrar/hamline-university-school-law-academic-....
With any of the above variances you must submit your request to Dean Davis for prior approval as outlined in the respective policies. You can obtain the appropriate variance form here. If your variance request is approved, the Registrar will contact you concerning the logistics of the accommodation.
DEADLINES FOR REQUESTING VARIANCES:
FOR MID-TERM EXAMINATION VARIANCES - Two Weeks before Your Scheduled Mid-Term Exam
(Generally, only mid-term examinations that count toward your final grade are eligible for a variance)
FOR FINAL EXAMINATIONS - November 16, 2009
THESE DEADLINES WILL BE STRICTLY ENFORCED