Laptop Exams (Electronic Bluebook)

To run EBB effectively, your laptop must meet or exceed the following minimum  specifications:

• Microsoft Windows 10 or 11, macOS 12 - 14.x configured for English-United States language and region
• At least 2 GB of RAM (memory)
• Wireless network card recommended (to save your exam(s) to the network)
• A minimum 1024 x 768 screen resolution

Your spelling is not being checked as you type, but you are able to use this function to check the spelling of words you have already typed at any time during your exam. 

EBB automatically saves backup copies of your exam answer(s) to a file on your laptop’s hard drive every 30 seconds and also saves on the network approximately every three (3) minutes (if you are connected to a network and not in an unblocked, no internet allowed exam). These backup files can be recovered from your computer later if necessary.

EBB automatically inserts your exam identifier and course information on each page of your exam, so you do not need to type this information on each page.

EBB provides a timer, page counter, line counter, character counter, and word counter.  There are no hard limits or cutoffs with any of the counters or timers.  They are there so that you can keep track of your time and place in the exam.  

EBB allows you to cut, copy, and paste portions of your answer within EBB (not into or out of EBB) using shortcut keys or the cut, copy, and paste formatting buttons located at the top of the typing screen. EBB does not allow you to drag and drop blocks of text using your mouse. New: there is now a copy function in EBB.

EBB allows you to underline, bold, and italicize text using the buttons at the top of the typing screen or listed shortcut keys. In addition, the standard keys on your keyboard for punctuation will work as normal. EBB will not, however, allow you to use any function keys, macros, templates, or keyboard shortcuts available in Word or other word-processing programs (other than the ones specifically designated as included in EBB).

• Blocked EBB does not allow you to switch to other programs or review any files or folders on your computer while you are typing in EBB. If you exit the program to review other files, you will not be allowed to return to the previously typed exam answer.
• Unblocked EBB does allow you to view other files on your computer while you are in EBB.
• Unblocked exams that are setup as no Internet allowed will disable your computer’s network functionality while EBB is running.  You may view other files on your computer, but any applications that require the Internet will not function properly.  Additionally, when you finish your exam, you might get a yellow screen indicating that your exam file was not saved to the network.  You might need to wait a little while before EBB automatically restores your network access before retrying your exam upload.

EBB provides Undo and Redo functions, using buttons located at the top of the typing screen or listed shortcut keys, to restore accidental deletions. The Undo and Redo functions will restore up to 20 prior actions or keystrokes.

Each page allows 24 lines of text. You can start a new answer on a new page (in the same section) by clicking on the New Page button located at the top of the typing screen, or by pressing Ctrl (or Command)+N.

Your typed answer will print out in a double-spaced Courier font even though it appears in a single-spaced format on your screen as you type. You do not need to manually double-space your exam answer(s). Additionally, you should not hit a hard return at the end of each line. Instead, let EBB wrap on the screen for you, because when EBB prints it will interpret a hard return as a new paragraph. Display zoom settings also have no effect on the printed version of your exam.

EBB has two different word counting functions. 

• Word Count
  This is a count that automatically keeps track of your words as you type.  This is a per-section word count. 
• Selected Words Count 
  This is only active when you highlight words.  You can use this to get a static, on the fly count of whatever you select.

This is useful if you need to leave the room during a blocked exam and want to obscure your answers.

The exam questions are not contained in EBB. You will be given a paper copy of the exam. Unless instructed otherwise, you must return the exam questions to the proctor when you finish your exam. You do not need to retype the exam questions into your exam unless your professor has specifically requested that you do so.

During the exam, you will follow the step-by-step instructions given by the proctor.

When you are done with your exam, click the Finish Exam button, or press Ctrl+Q (Windows) or Command+Q (Mac). These are the only ways to exit the program (don’t worry if you accidentally click the Finish button during your exam because you will be given a chance to return to your exam on the next screen). Once you have exited the program, you will not be allowed to return to your answer to modify it because the files are encrypted for security purposes.

When you exit the program, EBB automatically saves your final exam in an encrypted format in your Documents/Bluebook/Exams folder. EBB will upload the final version of your exam to the network (if your wireless connection is working properly). You no longer need to manually upload your exam file to a webpage unless you get a yellow screen.

You will get either a green or yellow screen after you exit EBB. The green screen indicates that your exam was saved to the network and disk successfully. A yellow screen will appear if there has been any problem saving to the network or to your hard drive. If your final screen color is yellow, read the message on the screen.

• If the message states there was a problem saving to the network, you should check your network connection.  Once you are reconnected, you can retry your network save.
• If EBB is unable to save your exam to the network automatically , it will open the manual exam submission page.  Follow the instructions to upload your exam on this page.
• If the message says there was a problem saving to the disk, ask a Law School Information Technology staff member in your classroom for assistance.

If you are renting or borrowing a laptop to take EBB exams, please see a Law School Information Technology staff member to move all exams taken on that laptop to the network before returning the laptop to its owner or vendor.

If there is a problem printing your exam, the Office of Student Records will notify you via email and/or phone the same day to bring your laptop in for exam recovery.

While we strongly encourage you to test EBB before you take an actual exam (see instructions above)

• do not type anything you want to read after you finish your test exam. EBB exam files are encrypted and you will not be able to decrypt them. 
• Do not select one of your actual exams in EBB for testing. Only choose one of the “0TEST” practice exams.  

To safely participate in laptop exams, it is critical that your computer be functioning well and virus free.

• If you are aware of any problems (hardware- and/or software-related), have them fixed before the start of exams.
• Make sure that your Windows or macOS updates are all current, and that your virus protection software is up to date. Do not wait until exam day to update your computer or antivirus software, as your computer may not be finished updating when the exam starts.
• We recommend that no active tasks be performed (like running a full disk check for viruses) while taking the exam. If you have any virus protection software that uses a lot of memory, or which caused problems in the past, you should also do a test run with EBB, leaving the program running in the background to see if it causes any problems.
• Follow the EBB installation and testing instructions (above) to ensure it works on your computer.

You should restart your laptop on exam day, particularly if you have not restarted or powered it off in several days. Like most programs, EBB can run sluggishly if your computer has been on for a long period of time without a restart.

It is recommended that you avoid allowing your laptop to enter “suspend” or “hibernation” mode during any period of inactivity while you are using EBB.

Although it is not likely that leaving other applications open while working in Blocked EBB will cause problems, we recommend that students close other applications before working in Blocked EBB, just to be safe.

Have your notes and outlines available in printed format and/or on a flash drive in case of memory overload or other computer problems during the exam.

If you use file sharing programs turn them off for the duration of the exam. File sharing programs such as BitTorrent may conflict with EBB during an exam, causing your computer to freeze or crash.

Use these functions to restore any part of your work that you accidentally delete. The Undo and Redo functions will restore up to 20 prior actions or keystrokes.

There is now a copy feature within EBB, but you cannot copy text into or out of EBB. If you type your exam in MS Word and try to copy the text into EBB, you will be prevented from doing so. You must type your entire exam directly in EBB and use the formatting features provided in that program.

If you use the macOS Notifications feature, you may want to either turn it off or schedule a “Do Not Disturb” time frame so that you will not receive any notifications during your exam. You can do this by going to System Settings (or System Preferences) | Notifications.

If you have more than one keyboard input source on your computer, you may have a shortcut to change between them enabled by default. This shortcut when activated in a Blocked exam can cause problems with EBB, and prevent you from typing. We recommend you either remove any additional input sources other than U.S. or disable the shortcut (Space + Control). You can do this by going to System Settings (or System Preferences)| Keyboard | Input Sources

Electronic Bluebook (EBB) is a secure test-taking program created by CompuTest that is downloaded onto a laptop computer configured for English language and regional settings and then used for typing in-class exams. Running EBB in Blocked mode essentially turns a laptop into a simple word processor while the program is running.

Yes.  In order for EBB to download your exam list and to save to the exam server, you need Internet connectivity when using EBB, regardless of what mode (blocked, unblocked, or unblocked/no Internet).
If you cannot upload your exam to the network, a Law School Information Technology staff member can upload it for you at the end of the exam.

The newest version of EBB (W24) requires you to be connected to the Internet so it can download your exam data.  If it cannot reach its servers, it may give you this error.  Make sure you are connected to the Internet, then close and reopen EBB to try again.

• English-language Windows 10, 11 
• macOS 12.x - 14.x (Monterey, Ventura, or Sonoma)

CompuTest has certified that macOS 14 Sonoma is compatible with EBB.

Yes, EBB for macOS is compatible with Apple Silicon (M1, M2, M3) chips.

• Avira, Avast!, Trend, Webroot, Kaspersky Antivirus suites (and others)  You must add an exception to these antivirus suites to allow Electronic Bluebook to run.  The procedure for doing this varies depending on the security program you are running. Please see a Law School Information Technology staff member for assistance.
  Note, there may be other third-party security suites that could interfere with EBB.

As long as a non-English language operating system (OS) can run using the English language.

Students with non-English language operating systems MUST take a test exam using EBB and prove to us that they have successfully passed the EBB test. We MUST see the printed test file.

The Law School ordinarily does not provide laptop computers. Students are responsible for providing their own equipment. If necessary, you can either borrow a laptop from a friend or hand write your exam in a paper bluebook.

ITS has a loaner laptop program, but it is typically very limited.   More Information

Warning: If you borrow a laptop to take EBB exams, please see a Law School Information Technology staff member to move all exams taken on that laptop to the network before returning the laptop to its owner.

No. Currently the EBB software is provided free of charge to Michigan Law students.

Yes.

No.  You must type your entire exam directly into EBB and use the formatting features provided in that application.

If EBB won’t open, or if the laptop crashes prior to the start of the exam, notify the proctor.  You will be directed to the Office of Student Records for assistance.

You should:

• return all paper exam materials that you received to the proctor.
• obtain a completed Computer-Problem Form from the proctor who will place your exam materials in a tamper evident envelope that you may not open until instructed to do so.
• Retrieve your personal belongings (including laptop) and go directly to the Law School’s Office of Student Records (300HH) with the sealed exam materials and the completed Computer-Problem Form for Law School Information Technology assistance.

You may choose to hand write your exam in bluebooks instead of taking advantage of the opportunity to type your exam in EBB. Bluebooks are available from the proctor for this purpose.

You only have the option to type the remainder of your exam in EBB if you have more than 30 minutes remaining in your exam. If computer problems occur when there is LESS THAN 30 minutes left in the exam, you must obtain bluebooks from the proctor and continue hand writing your exam (Law School Information Technology assistance will be provided after the exam has ended).

In order to be eligible for the opportunity to type the remainder of your exam in EBB, you MUST try the EBB Recovery feature at least once. The EBB Recovery feature allows students to restart their laptop, re-open EBB, and continue typing from where they left off. If the EBB Recovery feature does not work (i.e. laptop will not restart, EBB will not re-open, OR the previously typed text does not reappear [YOUR WORK IS PROBABLY NOT LOST]), then you may elect to obtain a Computer-Problem Form from the proctor that you will take to the Office of Student Records for assistance. Law School Information Technology staff will recover and print the previously typed portion of the exam and best efforts will be made to provide you with the opportunity to type the remainder of your exam in EBB. You should not leave the exam room with any paper exam materials.  You should:

• return all paper exam materials that you received to the proctor.
• obtain a completed Computer-Problem Form from the proctor who will place your exam materials in a tamper evident envelope that you may not open until instructed to do so.
• Retrieve your personal belongings (including laptop) and go directly to the Law School’s Office of Student Records (300HH) with the sealed exam materials and the completed Computer-Problem Form for Law School Information Technology assistance.

In the event of laptop failure, you may choose to continue hand writing in bluebooks instead of taking advantage of the opportunity to type the remainder of your exam in EBB. Bluebooks will be available from the proctor for this purpose. You may obtain bluebooks from the proctor, return to your seat, and continue hand writing your exam.   If computer problems occur when there are 30 minutes or less left in the exam, you must obtain bluebooks from the proctor and continue hand writing your exam (Law School Information Technology assistance will be provided after the exam has ended).

Law School Information Technology staff will be available to assist you in the exam room after the exam has ended.

Caution

There is no guarantee that your exam answers will always be recoverable in every situation—this is true no matter what computer testing program you use. Any time you use a computer you take some risk of an error occurring that cannot be corrected regardless of the best efforts made.

Don’t worry. If you accidentally click the Finish button during your exam you will be given a chance to return to your exam on the next screen.

A yellow screen will appear if there has been any problem saving to the network or to your hard drive. If your final screen color is yellow, read the message on the screen. 

• If the message states there was a problem saving to the network, you should check your network connection.  Once you are reconnected, you can retry your network save.
• If EBB is unable to save your exam to the network automatically , it will open the manual exam submission page.  Follow the instructions to upload your exam on this page.
• If the message says there was a problem saving to the disk, ask a Law School Information Technology staff member in your classroom for assistance.

If you have any questions, we encourage you to contact LawIT:

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