EXAM NUMBERS -- EXAMSOFT -- SELF-SCHEDULED EXAMS -- VARIANCES
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 (SSN or 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
Registration & Installation Instructions -- Password Retrieval -- Tips & Features
ExamSoft is HUSL's supplier of exam taking software.
ExamSoft Worldwide, Inc. is a software developer specializing in computerized assessment and assessment administration programs.
SofTest is a high stakes assessment program developed and licensed by ExamSoft that enables exam takers to securely take examinations downloaded to their own laptop computers by blocking access to files, programs and the Internet during an exam.
SofTest operates on any PC running Windows 2000, XP & Vista. SofTest also operates on Mac OSX running Windows XP or Vista. SofTest is not compatible with any virtual machine software. The minimum recommended system requirements are:
* CPU = 1 GHz Pentium III or Industry Equivalent
* RAM = 1 GB
* Drives = 50 MB of free space
* Operating System = 32-bit Versions of Windows XP or Vista or 64-bit Versions of Windows Vista
* Software = Internet Explorer 6.0 or greater
* Internet Access for SofTest Installation, Exam Download and Upload
* AOL Users - Version 6.0 or higher required
* Screen Resolution must be 1024x768 or higherÂ
Microsoft Office 2000 Users:
Although you are never required to have a copy of Microsoft Office installed to use SofTest, if you are running Microsoft Office 2000, you must have Microsoft's SR-1a Service Pack installed.
Vista Users:
Please note that your computer must meet the minimum requirements for the specific edition of Vista you are using. Please check the documentation that came with Vista to find these requirements.
Apple Macintosh Users:
Users with Apple's Mac OSX v.10.4.4 (Tiger) or Mac OSX v.10.5 (Leopard) laptops can run SofTest in Windows XP or Vista installed via Apple's Boot Camp.
SofTest has a considerable number of safety features to ensure that answers typed into SofTest cannot be lost. They include:
- An AutoSave feature that automatically saves your exam every sixty seconds.
- Multiple encrypted backup copies of the exam answer file are saved.
- The ability to undo up to 50 of the previous actions per essay question window.
If you are a visiting student, and would like use SofTest for your exams, you must contact the Assistant Registrar well in advance of your exam to have your account set up properly. If your home school uses SofTest for exams, please read this.
IF YOU DO NOT TAKE THE MOCK EXAM BY APRIL 30, YOUR EXAMSOFT/SOFTEST ACCOUNT WILL BE DELETED, AND YOU WILL BE UNABLE TO USE SOFTEST FOR FINALS.
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.
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 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.
Prior to Exam Day
IF YOU DO NOT TAKE THE MOCK EXAM BY MIDNIGHT, APRIL 30, 2009, YOUR EXAMSOFT/SOFTEST ACCOUNT WILL BE DELETED, AND YOU WILL BE UNABLE TO USE SOFTEST FOR FINALS.
- Register SofTest and take a mock exam on the computer you intend to use on exam day by midnight April 30, 2009. You should familiarize yourself with the software before your exams, and verify that it works well on the computer you intend to use for your exam.
- Ensure: (1) that your PC meets the specifications listed above, (2) that there is plenty of free hard drive space, (3) that your PC is virus free, and (4) that your PC is free of disk errors by running SCANDISK (click Start Button, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Scandisk or Disk Cleanup).
- Once you have installed and registered SofTest, you must familiarize yourself with the software by downloading, taking, and uploading a mock exam by midnight, April 30, 2009. You must take a Spring 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. To verify downloading and uploading of the Mock Exam (and all exams), open SofTest and click on Download History. 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. If records show that you have not downloaded the Mock Exam, return to the SofTest main menu and click on "Download Exam Files." From here, you can download the mock exam, and any other exams that may be available. Once you have downloaded the Mock Exam (or if you have done so previously), close all applications, launch SofTest, and take the mock exam.
- SofTest's opening screen asks for an ID number. Use your student ID number in this ID field. Be sure to acquire this number prior to exam day.
- Locate your A/C - battery power indicator light on your laptop to determine which light indicates you are running on A/C power (i.e. power from a wall outlet).
- Ensure that your battery has at least 20 minutes of charge in it prior to the exam in the event there is a temporary power outage.
- If you encounter issues in your use of SofTest, visit www.examsoft.com/faq
On Exam Day
Bring your power cord and battery (in the event of power loss). If you normally use an external keyboard and mouse or if you need earplugs, you may bring those as well.
- To download exams users must have the Student ID and password used to register SofTest. The password can be changed on ExamSoft's website.
- Arrive to the exam room at least 15 minutes early, plug your computer into a power outlet, turn on the computer and follow the instructions provided. ExamSoft will automatically fill your final exam number in the ID (Activation Key) field. If you are taking a midterm, you must type your four-digit midterm exam number over your final exam number.
• Immediately before SofTest launches the exam, you will be provided a warning screen with RED STOP SIGNS indicating that you should not begin the exam until instructed to do so. Heed this warning. - Exams will not be delayed or suspended due to computer problems.
- During the exam, use care when highlighting and deleting.
- Students who do not take the time to become familiar with their laptop computer or with word processing functions should consider handwriting their exams. No administrative relief will be granted for incorrect use of the software.
- Do not uninstall SofTest until you receive your exam scores at the end of the academic year.
SofTest has many features to help you, including an alarm to let you know when your time is almost up, and a question navigator you can use to skip between questions and verify you have answered them all. You can learn about these features and more at Examsoft's tips page.
To Upload Answer Files
SofTest will auto-upload your answer file(s) when you exit if you have an Internet connection. You may need to log in to the Hamline wireless before SofTest can detect your Internet connection. If your exam did not upload automatically, establish an Internet connection as soon as possible, and relaunch SofTest. Your answer file will upload automatically then.
Upload Confirmation
ExamSoft provides three methods of verifying that your answer file uploaded:
Option 1: Launch SofTest, click Exam History and enter your log in information. This will display your Exam Download/Upload History on your web browser.
Option 2: Go to www.examsoft.com/hamlinelaw and enter your log in information on the Exam Taker page. Once logged in, click the Exam History button. Both options will display the Exam Download/Upload History page, which is a detailed report of your account activity; it includes the date and time every exam is downloaded and uploaded. You may print a copy of this page if you need a confirmation of the upload.
Option 3: You will be emailed confirmation that your answer file uploaded.
If you have a take-home exam deployed via SofTest, you will download the exam onto your computer. When you are ready to take the exam, you will launch SofTest and enter the exam password that was emailed to you. You will be able to access other programs and functions on your computer, however, you will not be able to paste any text into your answer file. You also cannot take another exam using SofTest while running a take home on SofTest.
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 Sat., May 9th to Thu., May 21st.
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, study or speak to anyone else after collecting your examination materials even if it is an open book exam.
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 on 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.
Examination variances fall into three categories:
I. Students with Disabilities (HUSL "Policy Manual" Section XI. J.1).
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 diagnosis. Thereafter, the Director will make a recommendation to the Assistant Dean for Student and Multicultural Affairs for a reasonable accommodation. Please refer to the Exam Section of the Student Policy Manual for further details on the University's Disability Policy and the procedure for requesting a disability examination variance.
II. English as a Second Language (ESL) (HUSL "Policy Manual" Section XI.J.2).
If English is not your native language, then you may be eligible for an examination variance. Your request must be made directly to the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs. Please refer to the Exam Section of the Student Policy Manual 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 the Assistant Dean for Student and Multicultural Affairs, not to your professor or instructor. Please refer to the Academic Rule 105 for further details and the procedure for requesting an "extremely exigent circumstances" variance.
With any of the above variances you must request approval as outlined in the respective policies. You can obtain the appropriate variance form from the Registrar at http://law.hamline.edu/files/Exam%20Variance%20Form.pdf. If your variance request is approved, the Registrar will contact you to arrange for implementation of the variance.
DEADLINES FOR REQUESTING VARIANCES:
FOR FINAL EXAMINATIONS - April 11, 2009
If you have any questions or if you wish to discuss a personal situation, please contact Dean Davis by email or by phone, 651-523-2966.
Out of Metro Students
If you live outside of the seven metro county areas, you may have your take-home exams not deployed via SofTest emailed
to you. The seven metro county areas are
You must notify the Assistant Registrar by 4:30 p.m. May 3rd via your Hamline issued email account if you would like your take-home exam emailed to you. In your email, you must include the course, professor, section and date you would like to receive the exam. We will then email the exam to your Hamline email address on the specified date between 4-6 p.m. Because emails work differently for everyone, it is not the Office of the Registrar's responsibility if the exam was sent but not received by your email. The time of your exam will start when the exam is sent to you. Remember, all take-home exams must be returned to the Office of the Registrar by 5:00 p.m. May 21st. Please plan accordingly. You must return your answers in MS Word or PDF format. We will not format your submission for printing.