Exam Information

General Information

  • Exam IDs and Anonymous Grading
    • A unique exam ID will be assigned for each class that requires an examination. A student with four exams in a semester will have four exam IDs. Access your Exam ID via Exam Admin.
    • ALL Law School exams are kept anonymous via the use of Exam IDs. NEVER provide the following information on your exam materials:
      • NO!-Name
      • NO!-UMID number
      • NO!-Class level
      • NO!-Signature
      • NO!-Personally identifiable comments
      • NO!-Self-identifying marks or images of any kind
    • Disclosing identifying information in your exam submission is a violation of the Student Code of Conduct and is subject to disciplinary action.

    Once the exam period has begun you are expected to maintain your anonymity until the professor submits the grades for that class. Therefore, until grades have been posted, do not contact the professor with specific questions or comments about an exam. Instead, direct all questions and concerns about your exams to the Office of Student Records.

  • Rescheduling Exams
    • The Office of Student Records (OSR) schedules all law school exams, including those posted in the official exam schedule as well as “special exams”. Do not consult with your professors on the subject of exam rescheduling.
    • Definition of “special exam” - Special exams are exams that are being given outside of the regularly scheduled exam room and/or time - whether it be due to conflictemergency, or accommodations
    • Exam rescheduling for conflicts will be granted only under the allowed circumstances:
      • Conflicting Exams: Two (2) exams scheduled at the same time
      • Back-to-Back Exams: Two (2) or more exams in consecutive exam time slots (e.g., Monday morning and Monday afternoon; Tuesday morning, Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning, etc.)
      • Credit Overload: Ten (10) credit hours of exams on two consecutive calendar days during regular office hours (e.g., between 8am on Monday and 5pm on Tuesday)
      • Family or Personal Emergency: These situations may merit a special exam. For more information, see below.
    • The Exam Conflict Rescheduling Request form must be completed by the deadline announced by OSR via MLaw Live. The earlier these requests are made, the better.
      • The form will be open for rescheduling requests after the drop/add deadline posted in the Academic Calendar. If approved, the special exam will be scheduled on a date to be determined by the Registrar. The exam will be rescheduled as close as possible to the original exam date for the class without creating further conflicts. Requests for additional days between or "spacing out" exams will not be approved.
    • A student experiencing an emergency that will prevent them from taking their exam at the scheduled time must immediately submit the Exam Emergency Rescheduling Request form to the Office of Student Life (OSL) for review. If approved OSR will contact the student regarding rescheduling.
      • Emergencies include illness, injury, university-affiliated academic or athletic engagements, and/or family caregiving.
      • Students should contact lawstudentlife@umich.edu if the nature of their emergency is not listed above.
    • Students with approved accommodations ((from OSL) and the university’s Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD)) do not need to contact OSR nor complete the rescheduling request form (unless the student has an exam conflict or an emergency arises that prevents the student from taking their exam at the time scheduled) - special exams will be scheduled automatically and notification will be sent when the scheduling is complete.
    • Please note that special exams may be scheduled up to 2 days after the original exam date depending on availability.
    • When a special exam has been scheduled, the student can view the exam details in the “My Special Exams” section of Exam Admin.

    Information with special exam details (day/time/location) will be available approximately 2 weeks prior to the Last Class Day. If there are errors or omissions, please contact the Office of Student Records (lawrecords@umich.edu) immediately.

In-Class Exams

  • Exam Arrival Time

    You may arrive in your exam room up to 25 minutes ahead of the scheduled start time listed in the Final Exam Schedule.

    The proctor will begin exam instructions promptly. Instructions will not be restarted for students who arrive after instructions have begun.

    Late Arrival (After Exam Starts). A student who arrives at the exam room after the proctor has finished instructions will be directed to the Office of Student Records (300 Hutchins Hall). Late arrivals are subject to a penalty of up to 30 minutes.

  • Proctor Instructions
    • The proctor in the exam room will provide both standard exam procedures and specific instructions in accordance with your professor's requirements. Deviating from these instructions may result in a grade reduction. Pay special attention to these announcements.
    • Exam Session Behavior
      • DO NOT converse in the exam room.
      • DO NOT communicate with any other students during the exam by any means.
      • DO NOT use any mobile devices, except a laptop/calculator, if permitted.
      • DO NOT wear a smartwatch.
      • DO NOT use your phone or any other smart device as a calculator.
      • TURN OFF all sound notifications on all personal devices.
      • STORE all non-permitted devices out of sight.
      • STORE all carrying cases (backpacks, bags, purses, etc.) on the floor under the seat or table.
      • DO NOT bring or use any headphones, earbuds, or ear plugs. Ear plugs are provided.
      • DO NOT listen to music.
      • DO NOT rely on wall clocks as timekeepers, rely only on the proctors.
    • Examination
      • Keep all materials in clear sight of the proctor.
      • DO NOT turn over your exam until instructed to do so.
      • A 30-minute and 10-minute warning will be given prior to the exam end time.
      • You may leave the exam room during the exam, but exam materials MUST remain in the room.
      • Communicating with other students about the exam during the exam is considered cheating.
    • Problems
      • Report problems (general or personal) to the proctor.
      • Report cheating or other significant complaints to the proctor.
      • Report to the proctor immediately if you become ill during the exam.
    • Exiting the Exam Room
      • Unless specifically stated, you must return your exam copy to the proctor before exiting the exam room. Removing the exam copy without permission is a violation of the Student Code of Conduct and is subject to disciplinary action and/or grade penalty.
      • After returning your exam materials to the proctor, quietly collect your belongings and exit the exam room. Leave the exam area or hallway immediately. Be quiet and considerate of fellow students who are taking exams in nearby rooms.

Laptop Exams

  • Electronic Bluebook (EBB)
    • Most Law School's exams are taken on laptops using the Electronic Bluebook (EBB) software.

    Electronic Bluebook

    • Students must bring their own laptops. Only one (1) laptop is allowed per student. No additional peripheral devices are allowed except for a mouse, an external keyboard, a power cord, and/or laptop stand.
    • If you are borrowing a laptop from a friend or renting one, see a LawIT staff member to ensure all of your exam files have been uploaded to the network before returning it.
    • EBB software is required. Review all the technical information concerning EBB installation, setup, and functions when you download the EBB software from the LawIT website.
    • Before your first EBB exam of each exam period, make sure that the latest version of EBB is installed on your laptop. 
  • Internet Access
    • For EBB. Students will need to connect to the internet to allow EBB to auto-save their work during the exam and to submit their answers to the Law School network at the end of the exam. Log in to one of the following networks to allow EBB internet access: MWireless or MGuest. Even if the exam is listed as "no internet allowed," connect to the internet to maintain these back-ups.
    • For students. Students are not permitted to access the internet during any exam unless the exam instructions explicitly state that it is allowed. If internet access is not permitted, students are on their honor to not access information on the internet during the exam, except for EBB submission.
  • Using EBB

    To avoid potential issues with EBB while taking an exam, restart your laptop on the morning of the exam (but, before you enter the exam room). Doing this will avoid the majority of the laptop issues that occur each exam period.

    Login information: You will need your Exam ID number, the class number (the proctor will write this on the board), the type of exam (Blocked / Unblocked), and the number of EBB sections. Be sure to enter all of this information carefully. Once you start the exam, this information cannot be edited. [Note: Access to the rest of your laptop is blocked in an EBB Blocked exam, which means that you will only be able to type in EBB during a Blocked exam. Access to the rest of your laptop is available to you in an Unblocked exam. Professors may choose whether or not you may access the internet. See the final exam schedule for this information.]

    EBB Exam Modes

    BLOCKED mode exams prevent the student from accessing anything on their computer except for EBB while the software is running. The professor may allow printed notes/materials. 

    UNBLOCKED-INTERNET PROHIBITED mode exam means students can access applications and files saved on their hard drives, however they are not permitted to access resources on the internet. This includes textbooks that are accessed via web browser. They are on the honor system where accessing the internet is concerned.

    UNBLOCKED-INTERNET ALLOWED grants access to both locally stored applications and files and the internet. The professor may set limits on what resources are allowed in their exam instructions. 

  • Computer Problems

    If you experience a problem before the exam: Bring your laptop to a LawIT Help Desk. 

    Help Desk Information

    If you experience a problem during the exam: If your laptop crashes during the exam, you must try the EBB Recovery Feature. Do this by restarting EBB. In Windows, you will see a message that says, "At least one exam has been detected with an open status." Select the exam you are taking from the dropdown menu, then click "Re-enter Exam." Mac users will see a message that says, "The last exam was not properly closed. Do you wish to make a recovery?" Click "Yes."

    If you still have issues, see the proctor immediately. If there are more than 30-minutes left on the exam you will be directed to the Office of Student records where a LawIT staff member will assist you. If there are less than 30-minutes left to the exam, the proctor will give you bluebooks to finish writing the exam in the exam room.

    If you experience a problem after the exam: LawIT staff members will be in the exam room, raise your hand for their assistance.

    Laptop Exam Information

Take-Home Exams

  • Availability

    Take-home exams are typically available for students to take throughout the exam period. However, some take-home exams may start earlier or end earlier, and some take-home exams may be available for only one day. See the final exam schedule for details.

  • Exam Download/Upload

    To download exam questions and upload exam answers:

    • Log in to the Exam Admin site.
    • Click on "My Exams/ExamIDs"
    • Find the Download/Upload links under "Current Exam Info."
  • Link Availability

    Each exam's download/upload link will be active during the exam's designated Start/End date and time. The exam must be downloaded, completed, and submitted within this timespan. However, the timespan of the link's availability is NOT the same as the time you are allotted for taking the exam.

  • Guidelines

    Do NOT put your name or any other identifying information on your exam. 

    Preparing for a Take-Home Exam 

    • Do not use Electronic Bluebook (EBB) exam software to write take-home exam answers.
    • The exam question packets are delivered in a ZIP file using the Web browser. Some browsers have security features that require users to confirm that a download is approved. Before initiating the download, make sure that you know how to download a ZIP file using your browser.
    • The password to open the files in the exam packet is your Exam ID number for that class.
    • Your allotted exam time may be reduced if the exam question packet is downloaded too close to the exam’s end date/time. Review the exam availability on the exam schedule.

    Downloading Questions & Uploading Answers 

    This is all done from the Take-Home Exams Login link found on the Exams’ webpage. The timing of a take-home exam begins when the download of the exam packet is initiated. Your answers must be uploaded within the exact length of time designated for the exam. When choosing a time to download the exam questions, be sure that there is enough time left to the exam to get your full time. For example, if the exam ends at 5pm on December 19th and the length of the exam is 8-hours, 9am on December 19th is the very latest you can download the questions and still receive the full 8-hours to take the exam. 

    • Take-home exam answers must:
      • be uploaded in either Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) or Microsoft Word (.doc, .docx) format. (Note: Some professors have specific requests for one format over another. Be sure to follow the professor’s instructions from class or the exam.)
      • be submitted as one file (not multiple files). New exam answers may be uploaded until the exam time has expired. Each file replaces the previously uploaded file.
      • include your assigned Exam ID number for the course ("E" followed by 5 digits) as a running header on each page.
      • include page numbers (unless specifically requested by the professor not to do so).
      • include word count(s), if required by the professor.
    • File(s) in the exam packet can be saved and printed only for the purpose of writing exam answers. As soon as the allotted exam time has expired, all exam-packet file(s) must be deleted and any printouts of the exam-packet file(s) must be disposed of by shredding or tearing into multiple pieces (so as to be unreadable by others).
    • Keep track of any printouts of the exam materials during the exam period in order to avoid the sharing of information.
    • Keep all exam answers indefinitely (or at least until the final grades for the course have been posted) – do not delete exam answers. If there is a problem with an exam submission, be prepared to provide exam answers to a Law School exam administrator.
    • Students are prohibited from sharing their exam answers from the current and previous terms.
    • Back-up exam answers frequently to an external device (ex., a flash drive) and/or print take-home exam answers.
    • If you encounter issues during the exam, use the "Report Problem" link in the lower-right corner of the take-home exam's download/upload page to notify the Law School's exam administrators. If the problem occurs outside normal business hours (8am-5pm, M-F), it is unlikely that you will receive a prompt response. Therefore, record the start time of the problem, when it was resolved (if it was resolved), and any additional details that could be relevant to the situation. On the next business day, the Office of Student Records will review your exam and all available documentation to determine how to provide the best possible solution.
    • Follow the professor’s formatting and other special instructions before uploading your exam answers. The Office of Student Records will not replace take-home exam answers that have already been submitted with a corrected version.
    • Remember, take-home exams are exams. You must do your own work, unless the professor specifically states otherwise in the exam instructions.
    • Students who use laptops, desktop computers, etc., to write take-home exams do so at their own risk of mechanical failures. Mechanical failures must be reported as soon as possible to: lawrecords@umich.edu (734.763.6499).
    • If you encounter a problem uploading your exam answers, immediately email a copy of your exam to lawrecords@umich.edu. If your upload is unsuccessful, the Office of Student Records will use the time stamp on the email as the exam submission time.
  • Exam Timing

    The timing of each student's take-home exam begins when the student starts the download of the exam question packet.

  • Time Reduction

    A student's allotted exam time may be reduced if the exam packet is downloaded too close to the exam's end date/time. For example, if you download the exam questions for a 4-hour exam 1-hour before the end date/time, you will have only 1-hour to complete and submit the exam.

  • Exam Packet Download

    Your exam materials are accessed via a download of a ZIP file. This may trigger security features in your web browser requiring additional download steps. Before initiating the download, make sure you are familiar with your browser's download behavior.

  • Password

    The password to access the exam materials will be displayed on the screen immediately after the download is initiated. The password can be accessed more than once by initiating a new download.

  • Answer Requirements and Upload
    • Do NOT use Electronic Bluebook (EBB) software to write your answers.
    • Upload your exam answers as an Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) or Microsoft Word (.doc, .docx) file. Some professors have specific requirements, so be sure to follow the individual professor's instructions.
    • Your professors may require a word count. Be sure to include one, if needed.
    • Your professors may require special formatting, follow their instructions.
    • Submit your exam answers as a single file.
    • During your allotted exam time, you may update your uploaded exam answers. Note that each new file submission replaces the previous submission. No updates will be accepted after your allotted exam time.
    • Keep a copy of your exam answers in a secure and private area until your grade for the class has been posted.
  • Test-Taking Equipment

    Students who use laptops, desktop computers, etc. to write take-home exams do so at their own risk of equipment or software failure. If you have such failures, immediately contact one of the following: the Office of Student Records or Office of Student Life.

  • Answer Backups

    It is strongly recommended that students frequently backup their exam answers to an external device (e.g., flash drive) during a take-home examination. It is also recommended to print hard copies to a secure and private printer. After the exam, keep a copy of your exam answers until you have received a grade for the course. Protect your answers and keep them private. Sharing answers from current and past exams is prohibited.

  • Exam Material Possession

    Students are allowed to physically or digitally maintain possession of the exam question packet for the duration of the examination only. The exam materials may be used only for the purposes of completing the exam. Upon expiration of your allotted exam time, the exam question packet and all of its associated files, copies of files, and physical printouts MUST be permanently deleted or destroyed.

  • Problems

    Use the "Report Problem" link on the take-home exam's download/upload page if you have any problems during a take-home exam. Problems reported outside of normal business hours will be reviewed the following business day. In these instances, record when the problem started, when it was resolved (if resolved), and any additional details that might be relevant.

    If you are unable to upload your exam answers for any reason, immediately email a copy of your answers to lawrecords@umich.edu. The timestamp of the email will serve as your upload time.