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The University of Texas at Austin School of Law

How to Take a Practice Exam

Download Latest Version of Exam4

If you have not already done so, download the latest version of Exam4. Each semester, there are separate Midterm and Final Exam versions of Exam4. Students are notified by email when the software is available. If you download Exam4 to take an early exam or midterm, you will need to re-download the final exam version of the software to take your finals.

Best Practices for Using Exam4

  • Confirm that your current operating system is supported by Exam4.
  • Turn off automatic updates for your computer’s operating system prior to downloading Exam4.
  • Register for, download and install the latest version of Exam4 at exam4.com at least 48 hours in advance of your exam. All previous software releases will not work.
  • Make sure the laptop you are using for exams can connect to the restricted UTEXAS wi-fi network.
  • Take and submit a practice exam! Run through the full set of instructions below at least once in advance of your first exam. The best way to ensure things go smoothly is to test everything prior to your scheduled exam time and let us know in advance of any issues. Please note you will not be able to access practice exam answers after you submit them. Practice exams should not contain content you wish to retrieve.
  • Close all other programs, browsers, etc. on your computer before your exam. Reboot your computer before each exam.
  • Contact the Tarlton Law Library Tech Desk with any questions about Exam4 in advance of your exam.

Follow the steps below to take a Practice Exam

You must take a practice exam prior to each exam period (early/midterm, if applicable, and again for finals). Once you have downloaded and installed Exam4 on your laptop, please complete the steps below to confirm that your installation was successful and ensure compatibility with your current operating system.

1. Find the Exam4 icon on your computer and open it as you would any software program.
2. Fall 2024 1L Midterms Early Finals: On the first screen, confirm that the expiration date in the upper left-hand corner is November 20, 2024 and University of Texas – Austin Law is displayed in the software. All previous releases will not work. The Midterm version of Exam4 is available now.
3. Choose “Prepare to start new exam” and proceed to the next screen.
4. Enter your assigned personal Exam Number twice. Midterm Exam Number (3 digits, only assigned if you have a midterm) and Final Exam Number (4 digits) can be found on your Student Dashboard. Your Exam Number will change each semester.
5. From the drop-down menu, choose Practice- Closed Mode, Practice- Open Laptop Mode, or Practice- Open Laptop and Network, depending on the mode(s) your in-room exam(s) will use. You can submit as many practice exams as needed under these options. Check your Student Dashboard for Exam4 mode information for each exam. Be sure you are testing under the correct mode as it will affect how your laptop operates during the exam. Do not select your actual course name and professor when testing the software.
6. For Take-home or Floating exams administered by Exam4*, follow these linked instructions to test and use the software. You will choose Practice – Takehome Mode to take a practice take-home or floating exam. Do not select your actual course name and professor when testing the software.
7. Proceed through the next few screens, reading everything carefully. You may choose to receive OPTIONAL alerts from Exam4’s timer. If you choose to receive alerts in Exam4, note that while alerts will momentarily interrupt your exam, they won’t prevent you from continuing to type and they won’t end your exam. If you plan to use Exam4 alerts during your exam, be sure to test them thoroughly with practice exams so you know exactly what to expect.
8. Check the box to confirm Exam Mode, then click NEXT to proceed to the final screen. Verify the information on that screen is correct.
9. Click BEGIN EXAM. Exam4 will now run a brief security check on your system. When your laptop passes the security check**, Exam4 will launch its secure word processor.
10. Thoroughly test all menu options to ensure that Exam4 will function properly on the computer you plan to use for your exams. Type, cut, copy and paste text within the exam window; insert special characters; perform a spell-check; insert answer separators and display statistics like word count by checking the appropriate box on the right side of the screen or selecting it from the Tools menu at the top.
11. When you are done testing, end and submit your practice exam. If you are on campus, you will need to be connected to the RESTRICTED UTEXAS wireless network to submit. You will not be able to submit from the guest network.
12. If you see a green Exam Submittal Successful message, we have received your test. You are now ready to take your midterms/final exams with Exam4. Reminder: you will not be able to access practice exam answers after you submit them. Practice exams should not contain any content you wish to retrieve.

* Take-home and Floating exams using Exam4 will be administered in TAKEHOME mode. This means you will be able to access materials on your computer’s hard drive while using Exam4, as well as the internet. To retrieve your Take-home exam questions, go to https://www.exam4.com/org/774. This is the same page where you registered for the software. Available exams will be listed on the right-hand side of the registration/download page in a box labeled *Remote exams are available.

** If you receive an error message during security check, please write down the error #, along with the exact wording of the error message, and contact Extegrity’s User Support.