Final Exam Information
Examplify and ExamSoft
NUSL uses ExamSoft and the Examplify software for all in-class, self-scheduled/timed final exams and final papers and take home exams collected by Academic and Student Affairs.
Install Examplify
First time users, follow these steps to install and register Examplify:
• Visit https://examsoft.com/nusl
• Log in under ‘Exam Takers’ using your assigned Student ID (NUID) and password and follow the on-screen instructions.
• Download and take a practice test, including uploading the answer file to ensure that your laptop is working properly.
If you have problems installing or running the software, please contact Brad Whitmarsh or Jacob Bouvier in Computer Services by emailing slaw_ocs@northeastern.edu.
Installation support for exam takers is also available to students 24/7 via the ExamSoft website, including a chat option, or by calling 866-429-8889 ext. 1.
Note: iPads do not meet the student laptop agreement. Contact Computer Services for minimum spec requirements for laptops.
Log into the ExamSoft Website and Examplify Software
You will receive an email with your login credentials (username and password) from Academic and Student Affairs at least one week before the final exam period begins. The log in information is the same for both the ExamSoft website and the Examplify software. If you do not see this email before the start of exams, please check your junk and spam folders. If the email is not found in your junk or spam folders, then contact LawExamHelp@northeastern.edu for assistance.
Exam ID Number (aka Student ID or Assessment Number)
The terms “exam number,” “exam ID” and “assessment number” are used in different places within Examplify and ExamSoft but all refer to the anonymous number assigned to you each term. Your exam number is not your Student ID (aka your NUID) or your Husky Card ID.
An exam ID number is randomly generated and assigned to students every term they are in law school. Using exam numbers instead of names preserves student anonymity, which allows for fair and unbiased grading.
Students can find their exam number on the ExamSoft website by clicking on the gear icon in the upper right corner of the screen, under “My Account.”
The Examplify software will automatically save student exam files using the exam ID number. Students should save any files to be uploaded to the ExamSoft web portal using the exam ID number instead of their name.
Examplify Instructions for In-Person and Self-Scheduled Timed Exams
Before the exam:
- Open Examplify by double clicking the Examplify icon on the desktop or find it in your apps list or folder.
- If you are asked for your Institution ID, enter nusl (case-sensitive, no punctuation).
- Log in using the Student ID (NUID) and Examplify password emailed to you by Academic and Student Affairs.
- Once the registration check is complete, you will see the Examplify home page where you can download and start exams.
- Click on the name of the exam that you wish to download in the ‘My Exam’ section, under the ‘Ready for Download’ heading (you may have to click the refresh button more than once).
- Click the blue ‘Download Exam’ button in the middle of the screen directly underneath the name of the exam.
- Once downloaded the exam will move from the ‘Ready for Download’ heading to the ‘Downloaded’ heading.
The Exam:
- Proceed to the screen with a stop sign (with a hand in the middle).
- For in-person exams, check the box indicated to start only when instructed to by the proctor.
- If you are taking a self-scheduled timed test, proceed only when you are ready to begin your exam as you must complete the exam in one session.
- Write your Exam ID on all paper materials before you do anything else.
- Examplify saves your work automatically and continuously to ensure your exam answers and content are safe.
- Examplify provides a word count for essay questions below the answer area. To find the word count, click on the paper symbol next to the character count. This window provides the total number of words for the essay response. If text is selected in the current question, Examplify provides the same information for the text that is selected.
- If spell check is enabled, words that are misspelled will have a red underline. Right-click on the underlined word and you will see a list of possible correct spellings. Select the correct spelling to update your exam response.
When you finish the exam:
- When you have finished, click on the ‘Exam Controls’ tab at the top and select ‘Submit Exam.’
- Once an upload has been completed, an “Upload Complete” screen will appear. This means that the file has successfully uploaded to the server and is awaiting processing.
- It may take several minutes for the confirmations such as the email and text notifications as well as the exam history to reflect your upload, but rest assured, the answer file has been uploaded and your content is safe once the green confirmation screen appears.
- Log out of the Examplify program only after you receive confirmation your exam was successfully uploaded.
- Turn in all paper materials in your possession, making sure your Exam ID is clearly printed on all of them.
Types of Exams
In-class timed and scheduled exam. This is a traditional exam, which will take place in a proctored classroom environment and is administered via the Examplify application on students’ laptops. The typical expectation for a 2-4 credit course is that timed exams take at least the same number of hours as the number of credits for a course (e.g., 3 hours – 180 minutes – for a 3-credit class). Security measures can be enabled to prohibit access to hard drives or access to the internet. Student identities will not be revealed for exam grading purposes.
Self-scheduled timed exam. This exam differs from the in-class scheduled timed exam in two ways: (a) it will not be proctored, and (b) students are free to take the exam on any day during the exam period (unless the instructor chooses otherwise). For example, if it is a 3-hour exam, a student could download it at 2pm on a Tuesday and would be expected to upload at 5pm, or they could download it at 9am on a Friday and would be expected to upload at noon. Self-scheduled timed exams are administered via the Examplify application on students’ laptops and can therefore have security measures enabled (e.g., no access to hard drives, no access to internet, etc.). Student identities will not be revealed for exam grading purposes.
Take-home exam. This exam is neither scheduled nor timed and security measures are not enabled. Students download the take-home exam and upload their completed exam via the ExamSoft web portal. Available to students for the entirety of the exam period (unless the instructor chooses otherwise), students choose when to work on a take-home exam and how much time to devote. Typically, the time spent in preparing for and writing up a take-home exam would at least be equivalent to the time spent studying for and taking a timed exam. Faculty may choose to grade take-home exams with student identities revealed or masked.
Final paper. In some courses, faculty assign students a final paper rather than an exam that Academic and Student Affairs will collect. As is the case with take-home exams, student may work throughout the exam period on the final paper (again, unless the instructor chooses otherwise). In seminar courses, students will often begin the paper part way through the term and finish it at the end of the finals period. The length and complexity of the required paper will depend on the other work required for the course; as with exam-based and other courses, students should be devoting at least 42.5 hours/credit for the coursework, including class preparation, class meeting time, the final paper, and any other assigned work. Students will upload their final paper via the ExamSoft web portal and faculty may choose to grade final papers with student identities revealed or masked.
Final project. Some courses culminate in final presentations or other kinds of projects submitted directly to the faculty; Academic and Student Affairs is not involved in the distribution or collection of these projects so student identities are known to faculty.