Final Exams

This page contains information, rules, and procedures for Drake Law School final exams. In order to provide the best possible exam environment for students and ensure the integrity of the exam process, the following administrative rules are in effect.  

View ExamSoft Instructions . 

Exam Schedule

Fall 2024 Exam Schedule

The date of 1L exams and some upper-division course exams are set and must be taken on that date.  

Unscheduled (flex) exams may be taken any day during the exam period. No advance notice is required. All flex exams are ready for students beginning on the first day of exams. 

All Exams (flex and set):  Students are expected to check in at the top of the stairs in Cartwright between 8:15 - 8:45 a.m. You need to be logged into Examplify and ready to begin the exam at 9:00 a.m. 

Take-home exam details will be communicated by your professor. Follow the professor's instructions for the exam. 

All law students are responsible for knowing and understanding the exam process rules and how they apply to their individual exam schedules.  

If You Need Assistance 

If you have forgotten your Examplify password it is always your 6-digit date of birth, MMDDYY.

If you have an illness, computer malfunction or other emergency the day of the exam that prevents you from taking the exam, call one of the numbers below. Do not call your professor.  

• Examplify’s 24/7 Helpline: 1-866-429-8889. press 1 for support after you first dial, then you will be provided additional options: 
  
  #1 for username and password 
  #2 to confirm exam upload 
  #3 for all other questions  
   
• Betty Straub 515-271-1850
• Dean Battles: 515-271-3184
  
• Drake ITS: 515-271-3001 

Exam Software 

Exams are administered through the ExamSoft product, Examplify. Examplify Instructions can be found here. Exam questions are embedded into Examplify and will be visible to you when you log in. Be sure to read the entire question, this may require you to scroll through the question. 

See our Exam Software page.  

Examplify users must be using a laptop configured to connect to a wireless network. Loaner laptops are not available for exams. A limited number of desktops may be available upon request. 

Chromebooks, Android tablets, and iPads cannot be used to take a test. Microsoft Surface Pro and Microsoft Surface Book are capable since they run Windows 10. Your keyboard MUST be attached. 

Accommodations and Illness 

• To preserve exam anonymity, at no time should a student inform a professor of a problem related to the taking of an exam. 
• Non-JD students who believe they may qualify for ESL (English as a second language) accommodations should contact Dean Battles. 

• ADA (American with Disabilities Act) accommodations require approval from the Student Disability Services Coordinator, Michelle Laughlin, michelle.laughlin@drake.edu, 515-271-1835.  Final arrangements for all accommodations must be made two weeks before the beginning of the final examination period or a midterm. 
• If you have a known illness that prevents you from taking your exams as scheduled, you must make arrangements with Dean Battles before exams begin.  
• If you receive a time accommodation, be sure to check each of your exams to confirm your exam is set for the appropriate time limit. If your accommodation has not been applied to the test, contact Betty Straub. To check your time limit look under Exam Settings in Examplify. 
• If you have an illness or other emergency the day of the exam that prevents you from taking the exam, call Dean Battles at 515-271-3184 or Betty Straub, 515-271-1850. Documentation from a medical professional will be required.  

 Exam Administration  

• Your exam number is provided to you via email. This is the only number you should place on your exams if you are hand-writing. All students receive a new exam number each semester. Do not guess your exam number. Do not use an exam number from a previous semester. 
• Students must fill out the exam survey in order to sit for exams. The survey requires you to acknowledge you are bound by the Code of Student Conduct, that you understand the newly implemented exam rules and to provide a cell phone number at which you can be reached during the exam period. 
• Students will not get exams in hard copy and there is not an option to print exams. 
• The exam administrator will leave the room after the exam has officially started. Roving proctors will frequently sweep the exam rooms during the exam administration. 
• Any student who has a question or problem during an exam should go to Cartwright 202 or the Gorsche Student Services Suite.
• Cameras in the exam areas will be running at all times.
• Students may go to the restroom or take a break during an exam; however, all exam materials must be left in the exam room. Laptop users should also click "View" and "Hide Screen" when leaving your seat. 
• The exam clock does not stop during breaks. There is no adjusted length of time for restroom breaks. 
• Students may not speak to one another during the administration of exam. 
• If you finish your exam before time is called, place your used scratch paper and any used Blue Books in the box located in the front of the room.  Blue book users should put their exam number on the blue book, do NOT write your name on the blue book.
• ExamSoft users must completely exit the exam and verify the upload before putting scratch paper in the designated box and exiting the exam space. 
• Examplify will automatically upload at the completion of the exam time. Do not close your laptop until you've received the green check mark with confirmation of upload. 
• After placing your used scratch paper in the designated box, leave the area quickly and quietly.  
• No device capable of recording, transmitting, or otherwise interfering with the exam may be used, including cell phones, iPods, cameras, digital or tape recorders, smart watches, or any similar devices. 
• You may only have in your possession what is allowed by your specific exam instructions. 
• If a student needs to write their exam, blue books will be provided. 
• All students are bound by the Code of Student Conduct. Because the student body polices itself, it is imperative that all students review the Drake Law School Code of Student Conduct. 

Inclement Weather Procedure 

Students can find out about weather delays and closures through one of the following: 

• Email  
• The Drake University cancellation line (515-271-4545) 
• Local television and radio stations 
• Drake Law School social media 

Make-up Exams 

Permission to take a final exam on a date or at a time other than scheduled shall be granted only in the following circumstances: 

1. Where illness to the student prevents taking the exam. 
2. Where the student has two exams scheduled at the same time or the same day.  
3. Where the student has final exams on two or more consecutive days* 
4. Where taking an exam on a particular day conflicts with a religious obligation of the student* 
5. In the discretion of the Assistant Dean's Office for extraordinary circumstances. 
6. Students shall apply for permission to make-up an exam by contacting Dean Lee Schneider. 

*Note: A student who elects to request a make-up exam under provisions (2), (3), or (4) above will be required to take the make-up exam on a scheduled make-up day selected by the assistant dean. If taking the exam on the make-up day causes the student to have exams on two or more consecutive days, provision (3) above will not be a valid basis for rescheduling one of those exams. 

Exemptions (1) and (5): 
When exemptions are granted under provisions (1) or (5) above, the assistant dean shall schedule make-up exams as soon as practicable after the regular exam session. 

Exemptions (2), (3), or (4): 
Exemption requests under provisions (2), (3) or (4) above shall be filed at least three weeks before the exam period starts each semester. 

Order of Make-up Exams 

Where two course exams are to be held the same day or at the same time, students who have a conflict will take the exam with the higher course number as their make-up exam at a date to be fixed by the assistant dean. Where the student has final exams scheduled on two or more consecutive days, the second exam in the series will be taken as the make-up exam. Every effort will be made to schedule all students taking the same make-up exam at the same time. 

No take home final exams may be distributed to a class prior to the first day of the final examination period. Students are not permitted to take a fixed exam prior to the scheduled exam date.