In an open-book or "suitcase" exam (Kofferklausur), you may only use the aids that have been explicitly approved in writing for that specific exam. First, clarify materials, devices, internet, communication, annotations, and citation rules. Afterward, reduce your documents, create a quick index, and practice typical transfer tasks using the same material under a time limit. Access to books or files does not replace professional understanding or the ability to apply a relevant source in time.
The name alone is not a complete rule. Two universities—or even two modules at the same university—can structure open-book exams very differently. The examination regulations, official announcement, and specific instructions from the examiners are what matter.
Which aids are permitted is determined by the rules of your specific exam. Review the examination regulations, the notification of permitted aids, and the exam instructions together. Clarify any uncertainties in writing in advance with the responsible department. Spickboy does not provide a universal authorization guarantee.
Distinguishing between Open Book, Open Note, and "Suitcase" Exams
The terms are not used consistently everywhere. They usually describe an exam with permitted study materials, but they do not yet specify which materials those are.
| Term | Commonly meant | Always check separately |
|---|---|---|
| Open Book | certain books, scripts, or other sources are permitted | Scope, edition, annotations, devices, and internet |
| Open Note | your own notes are permitted in a defined format | Page count, handwritten or digital, printouts, and sharing |
| "Suitcase" Exam | more extensive written materials may be brought along | technical aids, communication, and specific material limits |
These are reference points, not definitions binding across Germany. A take-home exam is also not automatically the same: location, supervision, time window, and submission process can differ significantly from a simultaneous open-book exam.
An official example shows why this distinction is necessary: An aid provision by the University of Hamburg for a specific joint law program permitted books and notes for the open-book exams covered there, but excluded technical aids. This is a local counter-evidence to the assumption that "open book" means everything digital is allowed—it is not a rule for other programs.
The 60-second rule check before any material planning
Answer these five questions using an official written source:
- Which content? Certain books, scripts, legal texts, formula collections, personal notes, or all course materials?
- Which format? Printed, handwritten, digital, or a precisely specified combination?
- Which technology? Computer, laptop, tablet, local PDF reader, internet access, or only the exam platform?
- Which editing? Are markings, index tabs, handwritten additions, copied pages, or personal files restricted?
- Which collaboration and documentation? Do declarations of independence, citation requirements, communication bans, or specific upload instructions apply?
If you cannot find a reliable answer to a question, do not derive the permission from the words "open book." Ask the responsible authority in writing and specify the exam, date, material or device, and the specific open function. The general decision-making process in the guide on permitted aids in exams helps with the comparison but does not replace the local requirements.
Why an open-book exam requires preparation
Open materials reduce the need to memorize every detail word-for-word. However, they do not eliminate three other tasks:
- recognizing which concept fits a new question,
- finding the right place quickly and classifying it correctly,
- formulating your own, comprehensible answer within the exam time.
Many open-book concepts therefore rely on application, analysis, or transfer. This does not mean that every such exam is automatically harder. It just means: A large amount of material is no substitute for practice. Anyone who gets to know their script only during the exam will waste time navigating and risks adopting a found passage without a suitable context.
Therefore, start your preparation with the learning objectives and typical tasks—not with colorful index tabs. Material organization follows professional understanding.
Building a streamlined material architecture
Level 1: Topic Map
Create a map of exam-relevant topics on one page. Per topic, the following is sufficient:
- central question or task type,
- most important terms or procedures,
- primary source reference,
- typical confusion.
This map is a navigation tool, not an additional full summary. It should lead you to the reliable original source and simultaneously show which topics you can explain without searching.
Level 2: Source Index
Organize books, script sections, or files according to the same topical logic. Use clear, short labels. "Prerequisites for Regression" is more helpful than "Important." For printed documents, page tabs or a table of contents may suffice, provided they are permitted. For digital documents, bookmarks and unambiguous file names can help.
Test every source: Can you get from the topic term to the correct passage within 20 to 40 seconds? This value is not an official requirement, but a practical stress test. If you take longer, the problem is often too many sources or ambiguous labels.
Level 3: Personal Quick Summary
Condense only what truly provides decision support:
- prerequisites and limits of a procedure,
- frequently confused terms,
- calculation steps with units,
- citation or answer structure,
- your own mistakes from practice exercises.
Whether you are allowed to bring this summary is a separate rule question. Even if it is not permitted, creating it can be a useful learning activity. Do not allow third-party materials to flow into your set unchecked; content, permission, and authorship may be unclear.
Preparing printed and digital materials
Printed documents
Check permitted editions, scope, and annotations. Sort sheets stably and in a way that nothing has to be reordered during the exam. Use a concise index instead of dozens of similar markings. Take only material whose role you know.
Digital documents
A digital open-book exam may allow local files, restrict internet access, or provide resources exclusively on a platform. Therefore, check:
- permitted devices and applications,
- file formats and maximum file sizes,
- search function and bookmarks,
- offline availability, if relevant,
- power supply and technical fallback rule,
- submission format, file name, and upload deadline.
Test the actual exam environment if a test run is offered. Do not practice with the internet, multiple monitors, or AI tools if these are not explicitly permitted in the exam. An allowed PDF is not an implicit permission for other programs.
Practicing under time pressure: finding is not enough
Select representative application questions or officially provided sample material. Prepare only the intended material and set a realistic time limit. First, work on the part you are sure about without searching. Use the index only for a specific gap.
Subsequently, evaluate four points:
- Did I choose the right method or source?
- How long did the navigation take?
- Did I explain and apply the source, or did I just copy it?
- Was my documentation complete?
Keep a small error log. An entry like "Definition on page 43 not found" leads to a better index. "Passage found, but overlooked exception" requires subject-matter repetition. This prevents you from mistakenly answering every problem with more material.
For multiple-choice questions, format and evaluation remain independently important. Use the strategy for multiple-choice exams for this; open book does not automatically change the grading system.
Citing, documenting, and working independently
Some open-book exams require source references, others expect only independent answers; still others define a specific documentation format. Clarify in advance:
- whether short references, page numbers, or a bibliography are necessary,
- how course materials or provided sources are to be identified,
- whether literal adoptions must be specially marked,
- how independence is confirmed.
Plan exam time for this. A professionally suitable passage does not become your own answer just because it is permitted and accessible. Formulate the context and answer the specific question. Communication with other people remains taboo without explicit authorization, even if the exam takes place outside a lecture hall.
The final check on exam day
- check current official exam information again,
- only have permitted documents and devices ready,
- check index tabs, pages, and files on a random basis,
- for digital formats, test login, power, and submission path,
- set time budget including source references and upload,
- do not add new material collections at the last minute,
- do not replace an open rule question with your own assumption.
If a calculator is part of the clearance, the specific device and function rule still decides. A "suitcase" exam does not automatically make a programmable calculator permissible.
Frequently asked questions about open-book and "suitcase" exams
Is an open-book exam easier than a closed exam?
Not automatically. The available documents change the task but do not allow for a reliable statement about difficulty or the probability of passing. Decisive are learning objectives, tasks, grading, time, and your ability to apply information appropriately.
May I use the internet or AI for an open-book exam?
Only if this has been explicitly approved for the specific exam. "Open book" alone does not permit the internet, AI, communication, or arbitrary programs. Check the written requirements and ask if anything is unclear.
Is a "suitcase" exam the same as open book?
The terms are often used similarly but are not regulated uniformly. "Suitcase exam" often points to extensive written materials. Which books, notes, devices, and supplements are actually permitted is stated only in the specific exam information.
How much material should I take with me?
As much as is explicitly allowed and as little as is practically necessary. Each source should have a clear task and be quickly navigable. An unorganized full collection increases search time and can hide professional uncertainty.
Must I cite sources in an open-book exam?
That depends on the task and requirements. Clarify citation style, independence, and the handling of literal or paraphrased adoptions in advance. If there is no clear information, ask the examiners in writing.
Conclusion: Secure the rules first, then reduce the material
Open the current exam announcement now and answer the five-point rule check. Afterward, build a one-page topic map and test three sources under a time limit. If you cannot document a permission in writing, ask before you gear your material toward it. You can find further guidance on safe examination decisions in the Spickboy guide.
Sources and status
Sources checked on August 24, 2026. The examples show different designs and apply exclusively within their specified institutional, temporal, and exam-related scope.
- Technical University of Munich / Bavarian Competence Center for Remote Examinations: Handout Open-Book Examination, Version 1.1 from October 22, 2021. Scope: Remote exams at Bavarian universities; no general permission list.
- University of Hamburg: Take-Home Exams, no visible update date. Scope: University-internal digital exam formats and the necessary announcement of concrete aids.
- University of Hamburg, Examination Board Joint Program Law Hamburg/Istanbul: Aid Provision, June 16, 2020. Scope: exclusively the exams designated there; example of permitted written and excluded technical aids.
- University of Leipzig, E-Learning: Digital Open-Book Exams, visible page note "2 years ago" without exact date. Scope: didactic recommendations for digital open-book formats; no nationwide examination rule.
- University of Paderborn: Digital Examination Formats, no visible update date; refers to an Online Examination Regulation from March 31, 2023. Scope: local digital exam formats and test runs.
- University of Vienna, Study Service Center Psychology: Digital Examinations, August 14, 2020. Scope: Austrian, psychology-specific context; proves only that specific clearances and independence rules also apply there.