Exam4 FAQs

• What is Exam4?
• How do I install and test the software?
• I download Exam4 once, and then I'm done, right?
• Do I have to complete a practice exam?

• What should I do to start Exam4 on exam day?
• What if Exam4 does not start?
• What if I have a problem with my laptop during exams?
• How do I submit my exam on Exam4?
• May I leave campus after I submit my exam?

• Is there spell check?
  
• What if my professor has a word limit for exam answers?
• Do I have to double-space type my answers?
• Is there a maximum file size for exams?
• If I exit and save an exam, can I go back and reopen it?
• Will I have wireless network connections during the exam?
• Should I use the exam timer in the software or the screen shield?

Exam4 is a word processing program that you will use to write your law school exams. You will have to download the software each semester for it to work. You will still receive a hard copy of the exam questions to use – only your answer gets typed into Exam4.

You are responsible for knowing how Exam4 works. The Registrar’s Office and IT staff will be available to deal with unforeseen technical difficulties that may arise during an exam, but the primary responsibility for using and understanding Exam4 belongs to the student.

The software is available for downloading at www.Exam4.com.  To download, you should:

• Click on “Law schools.”
• Scroll down to Ohio and click on the University of Cincinnati link.
• Complete and submit the registration form.
• Download and save the software to your computer.
• Click on the file you saved to begin the installation process.

No. You have to download a new version each semester. 

For Windows users, the new version will automatically overwrite the old version.

Mac users will have to run the most recently downloaded version and we strongly suggest that you uninstall older versions of the software manually. Once done with exams for a semester, Mac users can uninstall their software, to make sure that when they download the newest version, they will be using the correct version.

Yes.  You should familiarize yourself with the program and to make sure your computer passes the Security Check by taking a practice exam.  Taking a practice exam will take no more than 10 minutes of your time.  It is your responsibility to be familiar with how the software works.

Open the Exam4 software and choose “Practice Exam.”  Enter your Practice Exam ID emailed to you by the Registrar's Office for the practice exam. Follow the prompts until you arrive at the essay portion of the exam. Type out 25-50 words to make sure you are familiar with the essay portion of the exam. Then, click on Multiple Choice at the top and randomly select two multiple choice options. Click "Hide" to exit the multiple choice section and return to the essay portion where you can continue working on the essay and/or submit the exam. 

You should also practice submitting your exam. Click the “submit electronically” button and watch for acknowledgement that the file was submitted successfully.  If you have any technical problems or questions that arise during your practice test, please contact Michael Tadele at 513.556.1332 / uclawit@ucmail.uc.edu.  

• Reboot the computer before starting the exam software.  The exam software should be the first, and only, program you run.
• Make sure you enter your exam number twice and select the exam name twice.
• Do not go beyond the Wait screen by pressing the Start Exam button until the proctor tells you to begin.

You may always take your computer to the Registrar’s Office and they will contact an IT professional to assist you.  Some easy troubleshooting steps you may try:

• Make sure your computer is plugged in and the power lights are on.
• If your computer has passed the security check before but fails this time, exit the software, reboot your computer and restart the software before running anything else.

If your computer locks up or crashes during the exam, you may seek technical assistance through the Registrar’s Office.  We will have IT staff available to assist you, and, in some cases, we will have loaner laptops for you to borrow on a first-come, first-served basis. In the alternative, you can try to restart the exam or start writing in blue books. The exam software enables us to retrieve everything you have done up to that point.

Commencement of the exam will not be delayed due to any hardware or software problems, and you will not be given additional time if hardware or software problems arise.

On Windows computers, after you end the exam, wait about 30 seconds for the network connection to restart before clicking on the wireless submission button.  If you are unable to submit wirelessly, wait about a minute and try again.  If the exam still will not submit wirelessly, seek assistance or save your exam to a USB flash drive, which will available from the proctor.

On Macs, after you end the exam, it might be necessary to click on the Airport icon, select “Securewireless” and after the network connection has been reestablished, go back to the exam software and submit the exam.  Do not use the UC Guest wireless option, which may be checked, as this connection is not able to send the exam to our server.

Yes. You must provide a telephone number where you can be reached up to six hours after the exam has ended in case there is a problem uploading and/or printing your exam answer.  If there is a problem, we will contact you and ask you to bring your computer back to campus so that one of our IT professionals can retrieve the encrypted exam.  When all exams have been printed and accounted for, students will receive an email notifying them that the exam is “All Clear.”

Yes. Exam4 spell check is located in the Tools menu. You may use it at any time, although it will not check the spelling as you type.

Some essay questions have word limits.  When answering questions with a length limitation, you should turn on document statistics, under Tools, which shows word count and use an answer separator (also under Tools) that resets the word count with each new answer.  The onscreen word count is what shows up on the cover page when the exam is printed. 

No. We can double-space exam answers when we print them. 

Yes. Exam4 accommodates about 25 single spaced pages. If you get a message that you have reached that limit, you will need to end the exam, start a new one and then submit both exams.  Please inform the proctors that you have submitted two exams. (This hardly ever happens!)

No. Do not exit and save the exam unless you are finished. Once the exam is saved, it is encrypted and cannot be reopened. If you end an exam prematurely, you can start a second exam and then submit both. Let the proctors know your exam is being submitted in two parts.

No.  For security reasons, once you start an exam, your wireless network access is turned off by exam software.  The network card should turn on again automatically when you end an exam.  If you find for any reason that you are unable to access the internet, please contact a member of the IT staff for assistance. 

No. The exam timer has caused problems in some computers, so we strongly recommend that you not use the exam timer or the screen shield.