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Final Examinations

Note: This is the 20142015 edition of the eCalendar. Update the year in your browser's URL bar for the most recent version of this page, or click here to jump to the newest eCalendar.

Final Examinations

Formal final examinations are held during an examination period at the end of the course term. The dates of the examination periods are listed at www.mcgill.ca/importantdates.

Important Note: You are advised not to make travel plans prior to the release of the Final Exam Schedule. Vacation plans do not constitute grounds for the deferral or re-scheduling of final exams.
Note for Summer Studies: All information pertaining to final exam conflicts can be found at www.mcgill.ca/summer/finalexams.

In some courses there is no final examination; your standing in these courses is determined by term work and class tests.

Programs, Courses and University Regulations—2014-2015 (last updated Jan. 26, 2015) (disclaimer)

University Regulations Concerning Final Examinations for Continuing Studies Students

University Regulations Concerning Final Examinations Continuing Studies Students

Preamble

The objectives of these regulations are as follows:
  1. to protect students from excessive workloads;
  2. to use the full 15-week term to maximum advantage.
Regulations
  1. These regulations shall apply to undergraduate courses up to and including the 500 level that are evaluated by the use of written examinations. They shall not apply to clinical, field, laboratory, performance, and seminar courses, or to other courses that are evaluated solely by means of a design, paper, program, or project.

    Note for Continuing Studies: Regulation 1 also applies to graduate-level courses.

  2. Written examinations (including take-home examinations) shall not be held during the last two weeks of scheduled classes during the Fall and Winter terms, except where a pattern of continuous evaluation has been established, in which case the total value of examinations given in this period shall comprise no more than 10% of the final mark.
  3. If the written examinations in a course constitute 50% or more of the final mark, one of these shall be given as a final written examination; and it shall take place during the examination period after the last day of scheduled lectures in December or April.
  4. A final examination given during the examination period shall be worth at least 25% of the final mark.
  5. Students shall be informed of all course requirements by the end of the Course Change period. All term work shall be assigned early enough in the term for students to complete the assignment(s) by the last day of class.
  6. The due date for term work in courses to which these regulations apply shall be no later than the last day of classes.
  7. In courses that span the Fall and Winter terms (course pairs with numbers ending D1 and D2), instructors who wish to give a mid-year examination in December must schedule it in the formal examination period.
  8. The principles enunciated in these regulations shall be applied, appropriately modified, to courses given during the summer, to other courses of less than a 13-week duration, and to courses in the Faculties of Law, Medicine, Dentistry, and Education that do not follow the normal University Timetable.
  9. Individual faculties may propose variations in these regulations to the Academic Policy and Planning Committee in order to meet their special needs.

    Note for Continuing Studies: Regulation 9 is not applicable to Continuing Studies students.

  10. These regulations, and any variations to them, shall be made known to students by each faculty.

    Note for Continuing Studies: Regulation 10 is not applicable to Continuing Studies students.

Instructors are not permitted to grant any special treatment regarding examinations to any student. Students who believe there are circumstances that might justify making special examination arrangements for them or that might legitimately be taken into account in evaluating their performance should apply to the Associate Dean or Director of their faculty.

It is the responsibility of the student to confirm the date, time, and place of the examination by checking examination schedules posted on notice boards on campus and at www.mcgill.ca/students. This information is not available by telephone. No student will be allowed to enter an examination later than one hour after it has started.

Note for Continuing Studies: Students should consult www.mcgill.ca/continuingstudies/current-students/exams.
Programs, Courses and University Regulations—2014-2015 (last updated Apr. 15, 2014) (disclaimer)

Deferred Examinations for Continuing Studies Students

Deferred Examinations for Continuing Studies Students

If, for serious reasons such as illness or family affliction, you have not written one or more examinations, you may receive the permission of your Faculty Client Services Office upon providing supporting documentation to defer the examination to the next supplemental examination period, except in the Faculty of Engineering (where students write the examination the next time the course is given); see the eCalendar under University Regulations and Resources > Undergraduate > Examinations: General Information > Final Examinations > Deferred Examinations: Faculty of Engineering. You should be aware that the University will only defer examinations for compelling reasons, verified and accepted by the Client Services Office. You must provide supporting evidence such as an appropriate medical report, and you must inform the Client Services Office as soon as possible to explain why you missed the examination.

Note for Continuing Studies: There is no supplemental examination schedule.

You must apply for deferred examinations on Minerva if you are in one of the following faculties: Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Arts, Education, Engineering, Religious Studies, Science, School of Physical and Occupational Therapy, School of Social Work, and the School of Continuing Studies. If you do not belong to one of the above faculties, consult your faculty for application procedures.

The final application deadline in Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Arts, Science, Education, Engineering, Management, and the School of Continuing Studies for deferred examinations is January 15 (for Fall term courses), and May 15 (for Winter term courses and courses that span the Fall and Winter terms).

If your request is approved, an L will appear in place of a grade in those courses. The grade you obtain on the deferred examination will replace the grade of L on your official transcript.

If you receive a grade of D, F, J, or U in a course after a deferred examination, no supplemental examinations will be available. You must either re-register in the same course the following term or in an approved course substitute.

If you are not granted deferred status, you will receive a grade of J in the course, which will count as a failure in the TGPA and CGPA. You may, however, be allowed to write a supplemental examination. Please note there are no supplemental exams in Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Management courses, or for the School of Continuing Studies. For the Faculty of Engineering, supplemental exams are exceptionally offered for some Science, Humanities, and Social Sciences courses. For a list of these courses, see the Faculty of Engineering website (www.mcgill.ca/engineering).

For Summer term courses, check with your Client Services Office on the availability and restrictions on deferred and supplemental examinations.

If you have already written an examination, you cannot later request for the exam to be deferred. You should consult your Client Services Office regarding the availability of supplemental examinations.

Programs, Courses and University Regulations—2014-2015 (last updated Apr. 15, 2014) (disclaimer)

Examination Conflicts for Continuing Studies Students

Examination Conflicts for Continuing Studies Students

If you have an examination conflict, you must complete an “Examination Conflict Form” and return it to the Client Services Office for approval at least 20 days before the start of the examination schedule. The form must be accompanied by supporting documentation, and there is a $30 fee (non-refundable) for rescheduling an examination. Only under exceptional circumstances are examinations rescheduled. You can find the form at www.mcgill.ca/continuingstudies/current-students/exams/exam-conflicts-and-deferrals.

Programs, Courses and University Regulations—2014-2015 (last updated Apr. 15, 2014) (disclaimer)

Supplemental Examinations

Supplemental Examinations

To write a supplemental examination for a course, you must submit a request on Minerva (www.mcgill.ca/minerva) by going to Student Menu > Student Records Menu > Supplemental Exam Application.

The following rules and conditions apply:
  • You must be in Satisfactory or Probationary Standing;
  • You must have received a final grade of D, F, J, or U in the course;
  • A non-refundable fee for each supplemental exam application is assessed at the time of application and charged directly to your 91 account; consult the Student Accounts website for the fee at www.mcgill.ca/student-accounts/tuition-fees/non-tuition-charges/other;
  • Only one supplemental examination is allowed in a course;
  • Supplemental examinations are available for most courses given in the Faculties of Arts, Science, Education, Religious Studies, and Social Work;
  • Supplemental examinations are not available for courses administered by Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Management, Music, or Engineering;
  • Special permission is required if you want to write supplemental exams totalling more than 8 credits;
  • The format of the supplemental examination (e.g., multiple-choice or essay questions) will not necessarily be the same as the final examination, so you should consult the instructor about the format;
  • The supplemental result may or may not include the same proportion of class work as did the original grade; the instructor will announce the arrangements to be used for the course by the end of the Course Change period;
  • The supplemental grade will not replace the grade originally obtained, which is used in calculating the GPA; both the original mark and the supplemental result will be calculated in the CGPA;
  • For courses in which both a supplemental examination and additional work are available, you may choose the additional work, or the examination, or both; where both are written, only one supplemental mark will be submitted, reflecting marks for both the supplemental examination and the additional work;
  • There are no supplemental examinations for Summer courses;
  • Additional credit will not be given for a supplemental exam where the original grade for the course was a D and you already received credit for the course;
  • No supplemental examinations are available if you fail to achieve a satisfactory grade in a course with a deferred examination;
  • Supplemental examinations in courses outside your faculty are subject to the deadlines, rules, and regulations of the relevant faculty.

You must frequently verify the status of your supplemental exam application on Minerva for any additional information required by your Student Affairs Office. Once your application has been approved, you will receive a confirmation email at your 91 email address.

If you register for a supplemental examination but find yourself unprepared for it, you should not write the exam; except for the loss of the application fee, there is no penalty for missing a supplemental examination. You should consult your Student Affairs Office for further information. It is important that you also see a faculty adviser to talk about your options and the effects that your request may have on your studies. For more information, see www.mcgill.ca/students/advising.

You must verify the date and time of the supplemental examination, and make yourself available to write the exam. Dates can be found at www.mcgill.ca/students/exams/dates.

Note for Continuing Studies: Availability of supplemental exams and the conditions under which you will be permitted to take them are different in each academic area.
Note for the Faculties of Arts and Science (including B.A. & Sc.): It is important that you also see a Faculty adviser in Dawson Hall to talk about your options and the effects that your request may have on your studies. For more information, see www.mcgill.ca/students/advising.
Note for the Faculty of Engineering: Supplemental examinations are available for courses in the Faculty of Science (including Year 0 (freshman) math and science courses) and the Faculty of Arts. Supplemental examinations are not available for the following Engineering courses: CHEM 233, COMP 208, EPSC 221, MATH 262, MATH 263, MATH 264, MATH 270, MATH 271, MATH 363, MATH 381, and PHYS 271.
Note for the Faculty of Law: Regular supplemental examinations are available to a student who has failed a course, but who is not required to withdraw from the Faculty. Regular supplemental examinations may be written in up to two courses that do not exceed a total of seven credits together, or in any one course even if it exceeds seven credits. Supplemental examinations are written at the Law Faculty in the month of August. For more information, see Supplemental Examinations at www.mcgill.ca/law-studies/information/exams.
Programs, Courses and University Regulations—2014-2015 (last updated Apr. 15, 2014) (disclaimer)

Reassessments and Rereads for Continuing Studies Students

Reassessments and Rereads for Continuing Studies Students

In accordance with the Charter of Students' Rights, and subject to its stated conditions, you have the right to consult any written submission for which you have received a grade. You also have the right to discuss this submission with the examiner. If you want to have a formal final examination reread, you must apply in writing to the Client Services Office by the following deadlines:

Deadlines
Fall Term: February 15
Winter Term: June 15
Summer Term: October 15

A reread is a formal review by a third party of the final examination paper, for which there is a $35 fee payable to 91 by certified cheque or money order.

Note: This fee is expected to change for the 2014–2015 academic year.

You are eligible to receive a refund if, as a result of a reread, the grade is upgraded to the next letter grade or if the mark is upgraded from a fail to a pass. Grades may be lowered or raised, or they may remain the same.

The grade obtained on the reread takes precedence over the original grade.

You may also request a verification of your final grade. This involves a detailed review of the final examination to ensure that all questions have been graded, that grades have been added correctly and that any term work has been included in the final grade as per the course outline. Please see forms at www.mcgill.ca/continuingstudies/current-students/student-records/grades/verification-and-rereads.

Programs, Courses and University Regulations—2014-2015 (last updated Apr. 15, 2014) (disclaimer)
Programs, Courses and University Regulations—2014-2015 (last updated Jan. 26, 2015) (disclaimer)
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