Exam Information

When you sit down to take your tests, you'll be asked to put aside whatever cultural norms you've grown accustomed to from your home countries and abide by the rules governing how we administer exams at BU Law. Your exams (as with all student exams) will be supervised by a proctor. The proctor will ask you to comply with the following. Please do so.

1. Sit every other seat during the exam (no sitting next to each other).
2. Only one person at a time (one male and one female) will be allowed to leave the exam room to use the restrooms. You must sign your name on the blackboard when you leave and erase it when you return. If there is an emergency, please discuss this with the proctor. You'll be allowed to leave the room only to use the restrooms—not to have a smoke, or do anything else.
3. No talking or communicating with others during the exam. You are not allowed to share any books or other materials—or otherwise communicate with each other in any way—during the exam. This means under no circumstances can you talk with each other, pass notes, etc. PLEASE DON'T EVEN THINK OF TALKING TO EACH OTHER DURING A TEST.
4. No cell phones are allowed in the exam room. You must leave your cell phones in your lockers or elsewhere.
5. You must stop writing when time is called.  It will be tempting to continue working, but PLEASE don't. This has been a problem in the past.
6. As for what you can bring into the exams, the proctor will tell you whether your exam is "closed book," "open book," or "restricted open book" and announce what materials are allowed if the exam is restricted open book. You should find out ahead of time whether your exams are open, closed, or restricted open book and what materials you can bring, if the latter. If your exam is “restricted” or “closed” book, you will be asked to move your backpacks and other items to either the front or side of the room.
7. You are allowed to bring in a regular (non-legal) English foreign language and regular English dictionary to all your exams, even to your closed book exams. YOU NEED TO BRING IN YOUR OWN DICTIONARY. DO NOT EXPECT TO USE A DICTIONARY THAT IS ON RESERVE IN THE LIBRARY. These books must not contain any handwritten notes if you bring them into a closed book exam. You cannot bring in an English/foreign law dictionary unless the exam is a restricted open book exam and the professor has allowed for this, or unless the exam is a completely open book exam. You cannot bring in any kind of electronic device, such as an electronic dictionary, even into open book exams.
8. If you have concerns during the exam, speak to the proctor.
9. If you have a question during the exam, ask the proctor. Do not simply leave the room. Do not ask a classmate. If you are not sure about how much time is remaining for your exam or cannot see what is written on the blackboard, ask the proctor.

Please understand that violation of these rules may subject you to disciplinary action, including possible expulsion. It goes without saying that this is something we all want to avoid. These rules, and the consequences of their violation, apply to all BU Law students, so please realize you're not being singled out or being treated differently. (The School's faculty Judicial Committee does not have great sympathy for culturally based defenses to alleged disciplinary violations, like "We're allowed to talk during our exams at home.")

1. During the exam period, the proctor will write the remaining time on the board at regular intervals. Because several different exams may be administered in the room at the same time, please pay close attention to the remaining time for YOUR exam—not one of the other exams being administered.
2. When your exam is over, you'll be required to turn in all exam materials, including the exam questions. DO NOT LEAVE THE EXAM ROOM WITH THE EXAM QUESTIONS. If you finish an exam early, please try to leave the room quietly out of courtesy to others who still might be working.
3. Because all exams are graded on an anonymous "blind" basis, it is improper for you to contact your professors after you've taken an exam and to communicate information that reveals the identity of your exam. For example, if you accidentally missed seeing three questions on the test, don't seek out the professor to tell him/her this. See Maureen Tracy Leo to discuss.
4. You need to bring your BU ID cards to your exams so you can write your ID number on your exam cards. Your proctor will instruct you on this. Do not write your ID number on the actual exam books.

Please note that exam relief is only offered under the following circumstances under our Academic Regulations:

Examination schedule. A student may reschedule an examination that is one of

(1) three examinations on three consecutive days during a calendar week of the examination period’ calendar week;

(2) two examinations on one day; or

(3) four examinations during a calendar week of the examination period. In circumstance (1), the middle examination will be rescheduled. In circumstance (2), either examination may be rescheduled. In circumstance (3), any of the exams may be rescheduled. The date of the rescheduled examination will be as close as possible to the originally scheduled date, and ordinarily it will be neither more than one day earlier nor more than five days later. Students may submit their requests directly to the Registrar, after notifying the OGIP.

All rescheduling must be coordinated with the Registrar's Office and will be subject to administrative considerations.

Excused absences due to illness or other compelling reasons will only be granted subject to the provisions of Article IV of the current Academic & Disciplinary Regulations and require approval by the Academic Standards Committee.

Arrangements for these types of deferrals for Fall/Spring semester exams must be made no later than the last day of classes.

Please contact Maureen Tracy Leo if you are facing an exam conflict or otherwise believe you're entitled to an exam schedule change. You can also make your arrangements directly through the Registrar's Office. If you are granted exam relief and take an exam on a different day, you'll be asked to sign a form certifying that you will not discuss the exam with others.

In the event you run into an emergency before an exam, contact Maureen Leo, or the Registrar's Office immediately. Please don't wait until after the exam is over to tell us that you missed it for some reason. If you are concerned about how you think you performed, see Maureen Leo—not the professor.  It's helpful to get perspective on the larger picture and we are happy to help.

If you are sick and are not feeling well enough to take an exam, you should contact Maureen Leo BEFORE THE EXAM. We will ask you to go to Student Health Services to see a doctor, who—with your permission—will be able to certify that your illness prevents you from taking the test. We can then reschedule the test. Life gets very complicated if the first time you tell us you are sick is after you take an exam. It’s almost impossible to help you out in that situation, so if you are not feeling well, it is better to not take the test at all.

Students whose native language is not English and whose prior education has been in another language qualify for additional time during mid-term and final examinations only for JD exams that are under five hours in length. Students who are native English speakers or have had two or more years of graduate education in English do not qualify for additional time. No student gets additional time for any exam conducted over five hours. Upon matriculation, the Office of Graduate and International Programs will determine whether students qualify for additional time and will notify students of their qualification prior to the mid-term and final examination periods. There shall be no additional time given for take home exams that are more than five hours in length.