Exam Guide

Fixed-Time and Location (In-Class) Proctored Exams

Please Note: This page was updated on April 12, 2024.

Announcements

The Spring 2024 April/May exam schedule is now available.

Exam Requirements

Use the Newest Exam4 Software. For the Spring 2024 exam period you must use Exam4 Release 23.1.2 for Mac or Release 23.2 for Windows, both of which expire 1 June 2024.

Take a Practice Exam. You must take a Practice Exam before your first exam. See how to take a practice exam.

If You Need Exam Help

The fastest way to get help with exam-related issues is to open a ticket with our Exam Team. Your question will be sent to the right person. You can also visit our Exam Event page to find out about online and in-person help sessions. 

Open a Ticket

What to Expect: In-Class Exams

Watch: A Walk Through Exam Day Procedures

Prior to an exam, students should familiarize themselves with the full rules for in-class exams located in the Academic Policies Guide.

  • Please arrive 20 minutes early to set up your laptop and receive exam materials from the proctor. Exams begin promptly.
  • Students should sit in every other seat. If there are not enough seats, students may sit in every seat beginning with the first row.
  • You must fill out an Attendance Card and an Exam Receipt and place them next to you, along with your NYU ID card.
  • Headphones, earphones, or other devices (other than basic earplugs) are prohibited. Turn off all cell phones and other electronic equipment not approved for exam use. You may not use these anywhere in the building while you are taking an exam.
  • Once you are settled in the exam room, you should launch the Exam4 software. If you have not opened the Exam4 exam file before the proctor begins the exam, you will not be given additional time. 
  • Exam questions are not in Exam4. The proctor will distribute a hard-copy of the exam questions and instruct you when to start reading them. 
  • Students may, at their own discretion, leave the room without permission of the proctor. All examination papers, computers and all other materials must remain in the classroom at the students’ desks, but students may take a personal bag with them.  No additional time will be given to students who leave the room.

The proctor is required to:

  • Make announcements before the exam begins.
  • Write the start and end time on the blackboard.
  • Refuse admittance to any student who arrives late, according to the terms described in the Rules Governing Examinations.
  • Walk completely around the room every 15 minutes.
  • Write the current time on the blackboard every 30 minutes.
  • Allow students to leave the room without permission, but check to make sure students have not taken exam materials from the room. Students will not receive additional time. No one may leave the room during the last ten minutes of the exam. 
  • Ask students to stop typing when the exam is over, and check to make sure students have done so and exited out of the exam software.
  • Report any student who has not stopped typing when the exam is over.
  • Report any student suspected of cheating.
  • Maintain order of the classroom even in extenuating circumstances (ex. problem with an exam, fire drill, illness).
  • Sign examination receipts for every student, collecting all exam questions and scrap paper, and not permitting any student to leave the room without handing in such materials.

Exam Information You'll Need for Exam4

Before you take an exam, you should be sure to collect a few key pieces of your information from ExamReporter and the Exam Schedule.  

How to Find Your Exam Info

How to take a Fixed Time and Location Proctored Exam in Exam4

Getting Started

  • Close all open files and programs.
  • Open Exam4 by double-clicking on the red "e" icon on your desktop or in your dock.
  • Click "Ok" when it suggests you take a practice exam.

Screen 1: Start or Save

  • Select "Prepare to start new exam."
  • Click "Next."

Screen 2: Exam ID; Course or exam title

  • Enter your personal four-digit Exam ID in both Exam ID fields. (See Finding Your Exam Information for Exam4.) 
  • Enter your NYU NetID.
  • To select your course, use the dropdown menus to choose "Practice Exam." 
  • Click "Next."
  • Check the box in the bottom right corner of the screen to re-confirm your information is correct and then click "OK."

Screen 3: Exam time, font and contrast

  • (Optional) You can set a countdown timer and/or an alert. Please know that the timer only begins once you start your exam and it will not shut down your exam. The countdown timer is not recommended for Fixed Time Fixed Location exams, as a human proctor tells you when to begin and end your exam.
  • (Optional) You can also choose a preferred font size and contrast. However, exams print according to a format beyond your control. 
  • Click "Next."

Screen 4: Notice of Instructions

  • Acknowledge the honor code, security check, and crash recovery process by clicking "Got it" at the bottom right corner of screen. (Note: The Exam4 honor code is superseded by the Law School’s pledge of academic honesty.)
  • Click "Next."

Screen 5: Exam Mode

  • Confirm the correct Exam Mode for your real exam, found in your Course Description. 
    • To take a Fixed Time & Location Proctored Exam, your exam mode will be one of the following:
      • For no access to your computer's hard drive or the internet: CLOSED.
      • For access to your computer's hard drive but no access to the internet: OPEN LAPTOP.
      • For access to your computer's hard drive and access to the internet: OPEN LAPTOP + NETWORK.
  • Click "Next."

Note: The exam cover sheet provided by your faculty member establishes what materials and access are permissible for each exam. The Exam 4 software displays what is technically accessible, but the rules of your exam as set by your instructor may be more restrictive.

Screen 6: Almost ready to begin exam...

  • Confirm that the info you entered is correct.
  • Click "Begin Exam." 

Environment Monitoring System (EMS)

  • The built-in remote proctoring system may launch for Fixed Time exams depending on your faculty's request. It will tell you that our exams require photographic monitoring. Click "OK." Using a laptop camera, take these required photos:
    • Make sure Legible view of your Photo ID is selected. Align your NYU or government issued photo ID with the rectangle on the screen then click "Take Photo."
    • Choose "Clear view of your face," and then align your face with the oval on the screen. Briefly lower your face mask if necessary. Click on "Take Photo."
    • Select "Use Photos."

Note: Your ID and portrait need to be fully visible in the allotted spaces. If they are not, click “Clear” and take the picture again.

The Exam Answer Window

  • You are now in the exam answer window. Click the "Exam Info" dropdown and select "Exam Document."
  • A new window will appear. In the Document ID field, type in PracticeExamFinal and click "Fetch."
  • Take some time to familiarize yourself with Exam4, and when you're ready, submit your exam.

How to Submit a Proctored Exam

Note: Once you have submitted and exited an exam, you can no longer get back into it. Make sure you are ready to submit the final version of your exam before following these steps.

  1. Select "End Exam" in the top left-hand corner.
  2. Click "Confirm,"  then "OK," and then "Submit Electronically."
  3. You'll get a receipt with a green banner confirming your exam has been submitted successfully. Click the "I understand" box and then "OK."
  4. Click "Exit Exam4" and "Exit Exam4 Now."
  5. Check "I’m sure" and then "Exit Exam4."
  6. Proctored exam submissions may take up to 30 minutes to appear in ExamReporter. Although your receipt is your proof that you have submitted your exam, for a Practice Exam you must confirm that your Exam Readiness status shows as Ready in ExamReporter, which ensures that you correctly entered all information into Exam4 and successfully submitted the exam to the exam server.

Check Your Status in ExamReporter

Make sure your exam successfully loaded to ExamReporter. An exam can take up to 30 minutes to appear on ExamReporter. (If you still don't see your exam uploaded you must contact the Exam Team to get help.)

Congratulations! You've just completed your Practice Exam.