Yeah I can confirm. In a good test for many classes (especially math, science, and engineering) all the open notes and textbooks won’t save you if you aren’t prepared. I had a 3 day take home test in one of my engineering classes where all resources except each other were permitted and despite preparing, I, like many of my classmates, was scribbling in it in the hallway to turn it in. Fucking brutal exam.

I’m not a teacher, but honestly I think that’s a fine way to do things. If you can create a resource to answer questions from and find answers using it in a timely manner, then the problem is solved. You’ve learned how to answer questions

Several of my coworkers cannot use resources already provided (Google) to find answers to common questions

Btw if anybody is still in school, this is still a great study method. I make cheat sheets for my exams and the challenge of streamlining the important information from a semester to a single page is the best study method I've found, because not only do you have to devise what is and isn't important, but by handwriting it you remember even more. The best part is, it doesn't take a ton of time to study this way, especially compared to rereading the text or going over notes.

Accept my teachers increased the difficulty for those test and if we had to use calculators oh man did they make it complicated. Total jerks.