Exam4 In-class & Take-Home Instructions

Takehome Exams

These instructions cover how to get your takehome exam question and then start the exam.

Takehome exam questions do NOT automatically appear in the software.  They can be downloaded from www.exam4.com.  They clock starts when you download the questions.

All exams will print in Times New Roman, double-spaced font, even though that is not what you see when you type.  Use TAKEHOME mode for all takehome exams.  This will give you access to both your hard drive and the Internet, and allow you to pause your exam-taking for breaks.

Exam4 Takehome Instructions

  • ONE-DAY and SHORT-FORMAT Takehome Exams:

    ONE-DAY Takehome (ODTH) exams must be taken on their scheduled day.

    For Fall 2022, the timing for the takehome downloads and deadlines referenced in the instructions below has been adjusted to accommodate circumstances related to remote exam administration. For exams designated as “ODTH”, you must download the questions between 8:00 and 8:30am EDT. Your completed exam must be uploaded the specified number of hours from the time you download the questions, or by 4:30pm on the exam day, whichever time is earlier. Please see the Fall 2022 Exam Schedule for timing related to your exams.

    Standard Instructions (Not applicable to Fall 2022): Most one-day takehome exams are due 8 hours after you download the questions, or by 4:30PM on the scheduled exam day, whichever time is earlier. The exam question is available for download starting at 7:30am. Exams which are downloaded between 7:30am-8:30am will have 8-hours, except when noted otherwise on the exam instructions, from the time they download to submit their answer (ex. an exam downloaded at 7:45am is due by 3:45pm). Please Note: Exams downloaded after 8:30am will not have the full 8-hours to complete and submit since the final deadline for the exam is 4:30pm.  Some exams may be given less than 8 hours.  See the exam schedule for timing specific to your exam.

    SHORT-FORMAT Takehome (ICTH) exams must be completed on their scheduled day. This is a specific exam format for the Fall 2022 term.

    For exams designated as “ICTH”, you must download your exam questions between 9:00 and 9:30am EDT. Your completed exam must be uploaded according to the times below:

    • 3-hour exams — due 3 hours after download, or by 12:30pm EDT, whichever time is earlier
    • 4-hour exams — due 4 hours after download, or by 1:30pm EDT, whichever time is earlier
  • ANY-DAY Takehome Exams:

    ANY-DAY Takehome exams may be taken in any x-hour period during the scheduled exam period.

    For Fall 2022, the timing for the takehome downloads and deadlines referenced in the instructions below has been adjusted to accommodate circumstances related to remote exam administration. For any-day takehomes, your completed exam must be uploaded the specified number of hours from the time you download the questions, or by 4:30pm on the final day of the exam period, whichever time is earlier. Please note that some faculty may restrict these times and dates further.  Please see the Fall 2022 Exam Schedule for timing related to your exams.

    Standard Instructions (Not applicable to Fall 2022): Most any-day takehome exams must be submitted within 8-hours from downloading the exam question, or by 4:30pm on the last day of exams, whichever is earlier. Note: Some exams may be given more or less than 8 hours.  See the exam schedule for timing specific to your exam.

  • LAST-CLASS Takehome Exams:

    LAST-CLASS takehome exams are distributed by the faculty at the end of the term.   There is no restriction on the amount of time you can spend working on the exam. Most are due by 4:30pm on the last day of the exam period.  Note: Some exams may be due on an earlier date.  See the Fall 2022 Exam Schedule for timing specific to your exam.

  • To view your exam question:

    1. Go to www.exam4.com. The exam question DOES NOT appear when you open up the software.

    2. Select Law Schools from the left menu.

    3. Select Harvard Law School from the list.

    4. Select the correct course from the list.

    5. Read the instructions, click the confirmation box and click “View exam question.” You will need your Anonymous ID in order to view the question.

    6. Once you view the exam question, the clock has started.

    7. The .pdf file will not be emailed to you. Once you download the question, you can save it and / or print it from any computer.

    8. You are now ready to start typing your exam answer. See immediately below for Exam4 set-up instructions.

  • To set up your exam:

    1. Launch Exam4 from your desktop.

    2. Select “Prepare to start a new exam.”

    3. Enter your Anonymous ID in the proper boxes, and select the correct course from the course list. We recommend that you enter your HUID into the Protected Info box, though this is not mandatory.

    4. Choose your exam options, should you want them (large font size, white on black background). NOTE: The countdown timer has been disabled. This option is no longer available to HLS students.

    5. You do not need to enter a violation number, but you do need to check the “Got it” box.

    6. Enter in the correct exam mode. All take-home exams are in TAKEHOME mode. TAKEHOME mode is the only mode which allows cutting and pasting from a Word document. (We strongly recommend you write your exam directly in Exam4 as formatting and word counts will not be preserved when copying from an outside application into Exam4.  Additionally, Exam4 files are backed up every 2 minutes and are easily retrieved in the case of a computer malfunction).

    7. Verify that your exam information is correct.

    8. Click “Begin Exam.” REMEMBER that you need to go online to www.exam4.com to view your exam question. It will not appear when you open up the software!

    The Document Statistics Box will show your word, character and line count.

  • If you would like to exit your exam, and start it again later:

    1. This works only in TAKEHOMEmode.

    2. Go to the File menu and end your exam. Confirm that you are ending it.

    3. Do NOTsubmit it electronically. Save it to the specified file location and exit Exam4.

    4. When you want to get back into your exam, choose “Select existing exam” after launching Exam4 from your desktop.

    5. Select the correct exam and click “Begin Exam” and you will be able to continue working on your exam.

  • To end and submit your exam:

    1. Go to the File menu and select “End Exam.”

    2. Select “Submit Electronically.” You must submit your exam WITHIN the 8-hour window. Any exams submitted late will be referred to the Administrative Board.

    3. Once you see a screen that says “Electronic Submittal OK” you are all set and may exit out of the software, following the instructions in the confirmation boxes.

    4. Once you submit your exam, you may not then edit it and submit another copy. Electronic submittal is final similar to handing in your exam to a proctor. Please make sure you are finished with your exam before you electronically submit it. Multiple submissions of the exact same exam (for example, if you are not sure it went through the first time) are permissible.

In-Class Exams

These are quick instructions for how to start an exam using Exam4.

All exams will print in Times New Roman, double-spaced font, even though that is not what you see when you type.

All In-Class exams will be taken in one of the following three modes. The mode will be posted on the exam schedule, and announced by the proctor at the start of the exam. For all In-Class exam modes, you cannot copy text into Exam4 from external documents.

  • Closed Mode – No access to your hard drive or the Internet
  • Open Mode – Access to your hard drive, but not the Internet
  • Open + Network Mode – Access to both your hard drive and the Internet

Exam4 In-Class Instructions

  • To start your exam:

    1. Launch Exam4 from your desktop.

    2. Select “Prepare to start a new exam.”

    3. Enter your Anonymous ID in the proper boxes, and select the correct course from the course list. We recommend that you enter your HUID in the Protected Info box, though this is not required.

    4. Choose your exam options, should you want them (large font size, white on black background). Note that the faculty will receive all printed exams in Times New Roman 12-point font, no matter what type options you select here. NOTE: The optional countdown timer has been disabled and is no longer an option for HLS students.

    5. You do not need to enter a violation number, but you do need to check the “Got it” box.

    6. Enter in the correct exam mode. The proctors will read the correct exam mode, and it will be noted on the cover page of your exam. Click the confirmation box.

    7. Verify that your exam information is correct. Wait until the proctor tells you to begin. Please check over this information to make sure it is correct.

    8. Click “Begin Exam.”

    Note:

    • For all in-class exams, you must type your answer in the Exam4 window. You will not be able to type in Microsoft Word and paste your answer into Exam4.

    • The Document Statistics Box will show your word, character and line count. If you insert Answer Separators, please make sure not to edit them in any way. If you edit them, they will not count your words correctly.

  • To end and submit your exam:

    1. Go to the File menu and select “End Exam.”
    2. Once you click the confirmation box, you will not be able to get back into your exam.
    3. Select “Submit Electronically.”
    4. Once you see a screen that says “Electronic Submittal OK” you are all set and may exit out of the software, following the instructions in the confirmation boxes.

If you have any questions, please email the Registrar’s Office.