The presence of the v-notch has tended to be the focus of stress analyses performed in conjunction with the Iosipescu shear test. However, load placement and distribution relative to the notch cross section can have an effect on the shear stress distribution. In addition, the axial normal and transverse normal stresses do not necessarily vanish between the notches. Loading effects are examined in the present paper by considering an exact elasticity solution for a straight beam (no v-notch) with Iosipescu type loading. Numerical results indicate that load placement and distribution effects depend on material properties.