LAPTOP EXAMS – PROCESS FOR INVESTIGATING AND RESOLVING CLAIMS OF MISSING EXAM TEXT

The Examsoft program is designed with many safeguards (such as redundant data back-up and an extensive exam activity audit trail) to protect the integrity of the exam process and to ensure that even in the unlikely event of a malfunction, the student’s exam data is protected and accessible.  As with the numerous jurisdictions that use Examsoft for bar examinations, the law school believes this to be a very safe and reliable way for students to complete exams.  

In the unlikely and rare circumstance that a student believes that all or a portion of an exam answer that he or she believes to have properly typed during the examination while using Examsoft is missing, the law school will investigate and resolve the matter in accordance with the following process:

The Associate Dean/Registrar will conduct an investigation of the matter, including reviewing the Examsoft logs and available reports associated with the exam at issue.  The Associate Dean/registrar will notify the student of the results of the investigation within  2 business days.  If the Associate Dean/Registrar determines that further investigation of the matter is necessary, then the Associate Dean/Registrar will notify the student by e-mail that he/she must bring the laptop to Suffolk University Law School Computer Services.

Once notified by the Associate Dean/Registrar that the laptop must be brought to Computer Services, the student has 3 business days to bring the laptop used for the examination to Computer Services.   If the student fails to submit the laptop used for the examination to Computer Services within 3 business days, no further investigation will take place and the exam will be submitted to the instructor for grading.

Once it has access to the student’s laptop, Computer Services will work with Examsoft to retrieve any missing data from the laptop and/or to investigate the student’s claim.  If during the investigation, the missing text or exam is found to be accessible, then the exam will be submitted to the instructor.  

Upon the conclusion of the Computer Services investigation, the Associate Dean/Registrar, Dean of Students and an Academic Associate Dean will review the findings of the investigation, including the detailed reports provided by Examsoft regarding keystrokes and user initiated commands.  Absent indication of an Examsoft-caused or computer-caused malfunction out of the control of the student, no relief will be granted and the exam will be submitted to the instructor for grading.  

If, after conducting their review, the Associate Dean/Registrar, Dean of Students and an Academic Associate Dean believe by a preponderance of the evidence that:

1. there was a malfunction;
2. the malfunction was not a result of the student’s failure to follow the laptop exam rules; and
3. the malfunction caused the text to be missing,
   

then the Associate Dean/Registrar, Dean of Students and an Academic Associate Dean will determine what relief to offer the student.   

The decision of the Associate Dean/Registrar, Dean of Students and an Academic Associate Dean whether to grant relief and, if granted, the nature of any relief is final.