Examination Policies

The UNM School of Law uses an anonymous grading system. Every semester each student receives a unique number that is used in lieu of the student’s name on exams.

Students will take their exams in designated classrooms with the option to write their exams or use the approved exam taking software on their laptops. The Student Code of Conduct governs all aspects of this process.

Exams are administered by the law school Assistant Dean for Registration and Records.  Students are prohibited to contact a professor regarding the scheduling of their exams or any difficulties related to taking the exam at the scheduled time. Instead, they should contact the Assistant Dean for Registration and Records.

Scheduling of Final Exams

Final examination schedules are normally finalized after the add deadline for each semester. The Assistant Dean for Registration and Records will send a tentative examination schedule to students and faculty by e-mail. An official examination schedule will then be sent to students.

First-Year Practice Exams

First-year practice exams in the fall semester exams are designed to familiarize new law students with testing procedures and give first-year course instructors the opportunity to provide students feedback on their classroom performance to date. These exams are typically scheduled in mid-October and do not count toward final course grades unless so designated by the professor.

Mid-Term Examinations

Occasionally a faculty member may structure a course such that interim or mid-term examinations are administered and those exam grades are included in the calculation of the final course grade. If such mid-terms are given, regular examination procedures will be followed. It is recommended that faculty make sure that mid-terms do not conflict with other student obligations or courses.

Students are responsible for reading, understanding and following the procedures for take-home exams and in-house exams as detailed in the Bulletin and Handbook of Policies.

Release and Reuse of Examination Questions

1. Release of examination questions: Examinations, following their administration, shall be released by the faculty member to the Law Library where they shall be compiled and made available for inspection. The faculty member; however, may decline to release their exam and in particular any multiple-choice questions.
2. Reuse of examination questions: No faculty member may use on any subsequent examination any question released pursuant to paragraph 1.
3. Unauthorized possession of examination questions: No student shall be in possession of or have access to any examination question that has not been released pursuant to paragraph 1.
4. Unauthorized disclosure of examination questions: No student shall disclose the contents of any examination question to any other person without the express consent of the instructor.

Retention of Examinations and Student Access

The School of Law retains all student examination materials for a period of one-and-one-half years. Students are encouraged to review their own exams and may review them in the Registrar’s Office. Students should note that each individual professor determines the conditions under which the examinations for their courses are made available to students (e.g., some exams may be checked out only if the student has made an appointment with the professor to go over his/her exam).

In addition, some professors make prior semesters’ “A” answers available for student review for a limited time before the final examination period. “A” answers released by a professor are posted on the law school Intranet prior to the examination period. This process is administered by the UNM Law Library.