Skip to main content
LSU Law Logo

Exam Software

Law students take exams on a personal computer using the Exam4 software. Shortly before each exam period, students will receive an email letting them know that the software is available. There is an updated version of Exam4 every exam period with the current course list. All prior versions of the software from past exam periods are expired and will not function.

Ensure that your laptop is running a supported operating system and that your Windows Updates and Apple Software Updates are current (excluding any unsupported operating systems). Please take note of the operating systems supported by Exam4. Replace any faulty power cords or batteries well before exams begin as Law ITS does not have spares available.

Once you have downloaded the software, take a practice test all the way through the exam submission process to verify the software is working properly. Be sure to choose “Practice Exam” for the course and use your correct exam number issued by the Law Registrar for the current exam period. Exam numbers from past exam periods will not work. Do not type any material in your practice exam that you wish to review later because it cannot be retrieved from the software.

The Exam4 website has an page containing best practices and things to know for a smooth experience with Exam4. If you encounter any problems with Exam4, please contact Law ITS at lawits@lsu.edu.

Exam4 - Practice Test

Exam4 – Practice Test

Once you have downloaded the software, take a practice test all the way through the exam submission process to verify the software is working properly. Be sure to choose “Practice Exam” for the course and use your correct exam number issued by the Law Registrar for the current exam period. Exam numbers from past exam periods will not work. Do not type any material in your practice exam that you wish to review later because it cannot be retrieved from the software.

Things To Do Before An Exam:

  • Verify your operating system is compatible with Exam4 and ensure that your Windows Updates and Apple Software Updates are current (excluding any unsupported operating systems).
  • Verify your power cord and battery function properly. Replace any faulty laptop power cords or batteries well before exams begin as the Law Center does not have spares available.
  • Verify your laptop is connected to the Internet (eduroam wireless network on campus) and disable any third-party firewall software to avoid problems submitting your exams electronically.

Running a Practice Test

  1. The first thing you need to do is download the software. Once installed, Open Exam4 and you will see the welcome screen below. Read the instructions here and click the “OK” button to proceed.
    Exam4 Welcome Screen
  2. The “Start or save” screen is displayed next. To start a new exam, leave “Prepare to start new exam” marked and click the “Next” button. To submit an exam that has already been taken or to “View Exam Submittal Receipt,” mark the “Select existing exam option” and click the “Next” button.
    Exam4 Starting or Selecting an Existing Exam
  3. The “Exam # and Course” screen is displayed next. Enter the Exam ID number issued to you by the Registrar’s office and click the drop down menus and choose the exam you are taking. To successfully begin an exam in Exam4, you must enter the correct exam number and choose the correct course. You are required to enter the Exam ID and select the course twice to verify the exam is started with the correct information.
    Exam4 Course or Exam Title Screen
  4. Verify the Exam ID (Exam ID issued to your by the Registrar’s Office) and Course are correct, check the box labeled “Check box to re-confirm” and then click the “OK” button. Please note the 9999 Exam # pictured below is only an example. You MUST use your Exam # issued by the Law Registrar for the current exam period.
  5. The “Preparations” screen is displayed next. This is where any necessary preparations that need to be done before beginning the exam will be listed. Click the “Continue” button.
    Exam4 Preparations Screen
  6. The “Exam time/Font size and contrast” screen is displayed next. The optional countdown timer and accompanying alerts have been disabled and cannot be used. However, you can set your preferred font size and the number of answer separators you would like automatically entered. Entering answer separators will allow you to get word counts on each answer in addition to a total word count. Click the “Next” button.
  7. The “Notice of Instructions” screen is displayed next. Take note of the instructions shown and click the “Got it?” checkbox and then click the “Next” button.
    Exam4 Notice of Instructions Screen
  8. The “Exam Mode” screen is displayed next. The Exam Mode will likely be prefilled for you and not be editable. If it is not prefilled, please type the Exam mode you are instructed to use. Click the “Next” button.
    Exam4 Exam Mode Screen
  9. The “Almost ready to begin exam…” screen is displayed next. Verify that all of your settings are correct and click the “Begin Exam” button when you are ready to start the exam. After clicking the “Begin Exam” button, the software will go full screen and a security check will start. The security check only happens in CLOSED mode exams. The security check shuts off Internet access and blocks access to files and programs on your computer. If this security check runs longer than 5 minutes or fails, notify Law ITS.
    Exam4 Almost Ready Screen
  10. After the security check passes (CLOSED exam mode), the software will begin the exam and display the “Exam Information” screen (screenshots below). Two tabs labeled “Instructions” and “Resources” which contain important information are displayed here.

    In-Class Exams With Paper Copies of the Exam Questions:
    Click the “Hide” button on this screen, enter your essay and/or multiple choice exam responses into Exam4, and proceed to step 11.

    Take Home Exams:
    The “Instructions” tab will display any exam instructions that the faculty member has provided. The “Resources” tab will contain a PDF with the exam questions and any other resource files that faculty member has included. You can open the exam questions by clicking on the “Resources” tab, clicking on the exam questions file, and then clicking the “Open” button. If you close the exam questions but need to reopen them later, you can do so by clicking the “Exam Info” menu at the top and choosing “Remote Exam Info” option. This will reopen the “Exam Information” screen and the exam questions are in the “Resources” tab.Exam4 Resources Screen

  11. When you are completely done typing your exam and are ready to submit it, click “End Exam” and then click “End exam now” in the menu bar. Check the box labeled “Confirm” and then click the “OK” button. In the box that shows up, select “Submit Electronically” which will submit the exam file to the Law Center Exam4 server. You will receive a confirmation box indicating your exam has been saved. A copy is also kept on your hard drive. Check the “I understand” box and then click the “OK” button. Click the “Exit Exam4” menu and then “Exit Exam4 Now.” On the box that pops up, select the “I’m sure” box and then click “Exit Exam4.”

    Take Home Exams:
    Once you have ended AND submitted a take home exam, you may not reopen it to make changes and submit it again. Doing so will create a duplicate exam file and will cause problems with exam processing. Before submitting your exam, please ensure that you are completely finished entering responses and that the exam is a complete and final version.
    Exam4 Practice Exam End NowExam4 Practice Exam End Now Confirmation ScreenExam4 Practice Exam Submit Electronically ScreenExam4 Practice Exam Exam Submittal SuccessfulExam4 Practice Exam ExitExam4 Practice Exam Exit Are You Sure Screen

If you have any questions or problems with using Exam4, please contact Law ITS at lawits@lsu.edu.

Exam4 - Take Home Exams

Exam4 – Take Home Exams

For take home exams, you will start Exam4 the same way as an in-class exam except for the exam mode which will be “TAKEHOME” instead of another Exam4 mode. The exam questions are obtained directly within the Exam4 software as shown in step 10 of the practice test instructions.

IT support is only available during normal business hours which are Monday – Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. Students with take home exams are advised to take their exam during these hours.

The key differences between a take home exam and an in-class exam are:

  • Exam4 will allow access to the Internet and files on your computer such as class notes in “TAKEHOME” mode.
  • You have the ability to start an exam and reopen it later if you prefer. To reopen a take home exam that you have already started but took a break by using the “Suspend” option, choose “Select existing exam” when you open the software. If you need to reopen the exam questions, you can do so by clicking the “Exam Info” menu at the top and choosing “Remote Exam Info” option. This will reopen the “Exam Information” screen and the exam questions are in the “Resources” tab.
  • Do not use Microsoft Word or any other word processor to type your exam. You must type your answers in the Exam4 software in “TAKEHOME” mode.

For more information, please see the take home exam FAQ. If you have any questions or problems with using Exam4, please contact Law ITS at lawits@lsu.edu.

Exam4 - Multiple Choice

Exam4 – Multiple Choice

This page contains information taking a multiple choice exam in Exam4. Each of the screenshots below can be enlarged by clicking on the image. Please note that the Exam4 multiple choice feature is limited to 300 entries for multiple choice responses. Faculty members should be aware of this limit when preparing any exam that has multiple choice questions.

To access the multiple choice menu in Exam4, just start the software as you normally would and click the “Multiple Choice” menu near the top of the screen after launching an exam.

Once you click the “Multiple Choice” menu, you will see the interface where you can input your answers.

After initially marking your answer to a question, the selected letter (A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J) will be highlighted. You can change it by clicking “Clear” to the right of the answer choices. You can also click “Mark” to mark the question for review before ending the exam.

If you wish to change an answer once you have left the question and have come back to it, you can do so by clicking “Unlock” to the right of the answer choices. When you are finished entering your multiple choice answers, click the “Hide” button in the bottom right portion of the multiple choice interface and you will be returned to the essay screen. You can switch back and forth between the essay and multiple choice portions of the exam as needed. The multiple choice answers will be included with the exam submission when you end the exam and submit the essay portion.