Spring 2021 Exam Information
Below is information related to the spring 2021 Final Examinations at GW Law. Please read this information carefully as you will be held accountable for failure to comply with the exam policies and procedures described below. If you have any questions, contact the Dean of Students Office at [email protected].
Exam Dates and Times
The spring 2021 Exam period begins Monday, April 19 at 9:00 am EDT and ends Friday, April 30 at 11:59 pm EDT. Please note that a few exams beginning on April 30 will have a 24-hour window that will end the following day. Please see the Spring Exam Schedule for information on your exam(s).
While you might be in a different time zone, please note the exams are administered using American Eastern daylight time (EDT).
Exam Types
This spring, there will be three types of exams administered during the examination period.
- Timed Exams within a 24-hour period – students have a limited amount of time within a set 24-hour period to complete the exam. The time limits can range from 2 to 24 hours. The clock begins as soon as you click “start exam.”
- Timed Exams within Full Exam Period – students must complete their exam during a specified amount of time (24 hours, 8 hours, 6 hours, etc.) at any point during the exam period. Please note the specific end time of these exams on your MyLaw page as they vary by course. The clock begins as soon as you click “start exam.”
- Full Period Exams - students have the entire exam period to complete their exams. The exam may be downloaded at the beginning of the exam period (9:00 am on April 19) and must be uploaded and submitted no later than April 30. Please note the specific end time of these exams on your MyLaw page as they vary by course (i.e. 5 pm, 6 pm or 11:59 pm).
MyLaw
Your take-home exam will be administered via MyLaw. Please review the MyLaw tutorial in advance of your final exam. Your exam will be located on the right-hand side of your portal page under "UPCOMING EXAMS." You may download the exam and work on it using your own word processing software such as Microsoft Word, Google Docs, or Pages. Consider saving your work to the cloud and regularly saving updates if your software does not do so automatically. If you cannot download the exam, contact the Records Office immediately at [email protected]. MyLaw does not preclude you from accessing other programs or files on your computer. It is simply a means of downloading your exam questions and uploading your answers. MyLaw will prevent students from uploading or modifying submissions after the date and time the exam is scheduled to end so be sure to confirm when your exam must be submitted.
Submitting Your Exam
When you have finished your exam, you will be asked to upload and submit your answers through the MyLaw program. You may save your answers with any file name you choose. All metadata from the file (including file name) will be removed before it is given to your professor. Give yourself plenty of time to review the MyLaw protocol and to complete the upload. If you are unable to upload your answers using MyLaw, send a copy of your answer to Records at [email protected].
- Do not reopen or modify the document once it is submitted. The Records Office will note the time of receipt and forward the exam answers to your professor.
- Do not delete your exam answers from your laptop computer and/or cloud drive until after your grade has posted.
Grace Period
All students will have a 10-minute grace period for uploading their exams to allow time to ensure you 1) convert your exam to PDF format, 2) upload the correct file, and 3) press submit. Please note this 10-minutes is not incorporated in the time limit. As such, should the MyLaw system indicate that you exceeded your exam time limit by 10 minutes or fewer, your exam will nonetheless be deemed timely submitted. You do not need to e-mail Records or the Dean of Students to confirm.
Technical Support
Technical support for MyLaw will be provided by the IT Help Desk. Please email [email protected] or call 202-994-5772 for technical support between 7 am and 10 pm EDT Monday-Friday and between 9 am and 5 pm EDT Saturday-Sunday of the exam period.
Please note the law school is not responsible for any equipment failure during an exam and will not allot extra time to enable students to address equipment failure. Students who experience equipment failure will simply continue by using another available device to access their answer, or, if need be, by creating a handwritten answer for uploading.
Questions
Under no circumstances should you contact your professor until after the exam is graded. Additionally, under no circumstances should you ask for assistance from another student taking the exam. Should you have a question about your exam, contact the Dean of Students Office at [email protected].
Emergencies Before the Exam
If you experience an illness or emergency (such as a death in the family) that could prevent you from taking an exam, you must immediately contact the Dean of Students Office by email at [email protected]. Do not contact your professor as it may compromise anonymity which could be deemed a violation of the academic integrity code.
Documentation will be required to support any request for excusal. Students who fail to take an exam without being officially excused by the Dean of Students Office will receive a failing grade. Students who download the exam and do not thereafter submit answers will receive a failing grade. Misunderstanding the date or time of an exam is not a valid excuse for missing an exam.
Emergencies During the Exam
Should you experience an emergency such as a severe illness during an exam that prevents you from being able to complete your exam, seek treatment and email the Dean of Students Office as soon as you are able at [email protected]. Do not contact your professor with respect to any exam issues until after exams are graded.
Rescheduling Exams
Professors cannot reschedule exams for individual students under any circumstances. All questions regarding exam rescheduling must be addressed to the Dean of Students Office at [email protected].
Academic Integrity
As always, students are bound by the law school’s policy on academic integrity. While your professors may have specific instructions regarding your exams, the general expectation is you will not speak with, collaborate with, or otherwise communicate with another person regarding the substance of your exam.