91

Computerized Exams

All Law Exams fall into the following categories:

A) Flexible Take-Home (Flex): Available for the entire exam period, due by 17:00 on the final day of the exam session. These exams have no time limit for how long a student can spend on the exam.

B) Fixed Date Take-Home (Fixed Date): Available during specified period within the exam session with a due date other than 17:00 on the final day of the exam session. E.g. Students have 6 hours to complete the exam on December 11th, or students have 6 hours to complete the exam between December 11-13th.

C) Fixed Time Take-Home (Fixed Time): Available for the entire exam period, due on the last day, but this type of exam is to be completed during a fixed period of time. E.g. a 3-hour exam taking place between 9:30-12:30 pm on December 9th.

D) In-person Exam: These exams occur in-person on a fixed date and for a fixed period of time, e.g. 9:30-12:30 on December 10th. In-person exams are proctored by invigilators and will take place at a location announced by the SAO in the Exam Schedule, unless a student is writing with the SAA, who will separately notify students of the exam’s location.


For the Fall 2024 exam session, all exams will be running via myCourses.The Faculty of Law has recently ended its contract with ExamSoft and it is no longer in use for any assessment. We hope this change means a more streamlined experience for you as an exam-taker and your instructors.

Please read the following carefully before the start of the exam session.


Preparing to Take an Exam via myCourses:

Accessing your Exam:

  • In myCourses, all timed exams use the Quizzes function.
  • Students can proceed to myCourses and navigate to the course for which they have a scheduled exam.
  • Navigate to 'Quizzes' (this may be nested under the 'More' tab). From here, you will be able to see the name of the exam you are taking.
  • When you click on the quiz, you will see the instructions appear for your exam. The time spent reading your instructions does not count towards your overall exam time. Once you select 'Start Quiz!', your timer will begin.
  • Make sure to have your Fall 2024 exam code (e.g. ABAB) before logging on as it will be requested on your exam.
    • Students can find their exam code in Minerva via the Student Menu. Undergraduate students will have a 4-letter final exam code (eg. ABAB), whereas Graduate students will have a 6-letter final exam code, starting with “GR-” (e.g. GR-ABAB).

Writing your Exam:

  • Students have the option to either submit exam responses via uploading a file or by typing in the text box that appears in myCourses. Your work will save automatically when you navigate between questions or once you click out of the current textbox.
    • Please be sure to periodically click out of the text box so that your work is saved.
  • You will be able to leave the myCourses tab with your active Quiz, especially for longer assessments. Note: The timer keeps counting down until your exam has been submitted.
  • You can easily pull up the exam instructions by clicking 'Quiz Information' when you have your quiz open.

Submitting your Exam:

  • Students should only submit one (1) file or quiz submission per exam. Exams are due promptly at the end of the timed period.
  • Late submissions without justification will remain subject to grade penalty as determined by the SAO.

What about my SAA accommodations?

  • Each exam will have exam instructions that list the time, in hours, of your exam duration (e.g. 3 hours). Once you choose to 'Start Quiz', you will see the timer in the top right corner. You can be sure that your SAA accommodations have been properly programmed by looking at your timer at the beginning of your exam; i.e. If you have more than 3 hours, your accommodations have been programmed!

Specific Instructions for In-Person Exams:

  • Students with In-Person exams must be at the Faculty (or SAA offices) early, with their Student ID. Students will not be allowed access to their exam without identification or special permission in lieu of ID by the SAO. We recommend you arrive 15-30 minutes early.
  • Students should prepare any materials which are permitted by your instructor to be brought into the exam with you.
    • This may include your course pack, course notes, Code Civil, etc., and will be clearly outlined by your instructor.
    • Students should save their notes as PDF copies before the start of an exam. Additional time will not be allowed during or as an extension to an ongoing exam if students’ materials are not prepared in advance.
  • Students are NOT PERMITTED to bring the following to exams of any type:
    • Secondary electronic devices (e.g. smart devices, screens, tablets, laptops, etc.);
    • Library materials, as there are insufficient copies of these materials to benefit all students.

Troubleshooting:

If you encounter any technical issues as we work through the first full exam session with this new software, please contact the following resources as appropriate:

  • The SAO: The SAO is responsible for programming all final exams and SAA accommodations. Especially during a timed exam (either in-person or at home), email the SAO via exams.law [at] mcgill.ca right away if you encounter tech issues that detract from your writing time.
  • IT Services: If you are unable to access myCourses or have general questions about the platform, 91's IT Services can be contacted for assistance in addition to what the SAO can do. Please see their if you are feeling stuck.
  • Please know that our goal is to help you successfully complete your exams. If you encounter technical issues, please take pictures or screenshots of your screen to help us troubleshoot with you.

Important Instructions Regarding Take-Home Examinations:

  • Flexible Take-Home Exams can be found under the ‘Assignments’ tab, but otherwise following the Instructions detailed under ‘Accessing your Exam’.
  • Take-home exams must be completed within the term's examination period.
  • The take-home examination period ends at 17:00 EST on the last scheduled exam day. Take-home examinations submitted late (outside of the exam designated duration or examination period) will be subject to late penalties. Exam durations and deadlines are rigorously enforced; instructors are notified of unapproved late submissions and grade penalties are applied.
  • Students must complete the take-home exam as per the exam’s designated duration (e.g. 6 hours, 8 hours, 24 hours etc.) or designated due date and time, as indicated on the examination cover page.
    • Be sure to check your exam's duration. If you are unsure, ask your professor or lecturer to clarify this in class. Students are encouraged to read 91's policy on Plagiarism and Cheating.
  • Students may submit at any time of the day or night, any day of the week, including weekends, as long as it is within the designated duration of the examination as specified on the examination cover page.
    • Students with SAA accommodations MUST ensure you are starting your exam with sufficient time to complete it before the assigned due date of your exam.
    • E.g. If your exam is due by 17:00 and SAA accommodations enable you to have 6 hours for an exam instead of 4 hours, you must start writing by 11:00 to have enough time to complete your exam.
  • Students are required to complete a mock take home exam at least 48 hours prior to the actual examination in order to familiarize themselves with the take home download and upload procedure and allow time to address any unforeseen issues.
    • It is strongly suggested students complete the mock during SAO office hours in case you need technical support.
  • Take-home examinations are to be individual exercises. The confidentiality of questions and answers must be maintained unless specific instructions are provided on the exam regarding student collaboration. Consultez le guide de 91 sur le plagiat.
  • Students should contact the SAO, not instructors, if experiencing issues with accessing their exam or have questions regarding the exam questionnaire. Students will bear any consequences for failing to follow the above instructions. Students found in violation of the above may be subject to disciplinary measures.
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