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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.
In some courses there is no final examination; your standing in these courses is determined by term work and class tests.
University Regulations Concerning Final Examinations for Continuing Studies Students
University Regulations Concerning Final Examinations Continuing Studies Students
Preamble
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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.
- 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.
- 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.
- A final examination given during the examination period shall be worth at least 25% of the final mark.
- 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.
- The due date for term work in courses to which these regulations apply shall be no later than the last day of classes.
- 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.
- 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.
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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.
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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.
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 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.
You must apply for deferred examinations on Minerva if you are in one of the following faculties and schools: Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Arts, Education, Engineering, Religious Studies, Science, Physical and Occupational Therapy, Social Work, and 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, 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.
Examination Conflicts for Continuing Studies Students
Examination Conflicts for Continuing Studies Students
If you have an examination conflict, you must complete an 鈥�Examination Conflict Form鈥� 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 $30.66 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.
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.
- 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 McGill 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 the School of Social Work;
- Supplemental examinations are not available for courses administered by Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Engineering, Management, Music, or Nursing;
- 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 before you write the supplemental examination;
- 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 Studies 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 where you have written 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 or Service Point. Once your application has been approved, you will receive a confirmation email at your McGill 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.
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. These courses are offered by the Faculty of Science, but administered by the Faculty of Engineering. If you are not sure which courses offer supplemental examinations, please contact the Engineering Student Centre.
Reassessment and Reread Policy for Continuing Studies Students
Reassessment and Reread Policy for Continuing Studies Students
In accordance with the Charter of Students' Rights, and subject to the conditions stated therein, students have the right to consult any written submission for which they have received a mark and the right to receive an explanation from the instructor or, as the case may be, the examiner.
Students also have a right to an impartial and competent reread of any written assignment completed during the course of the semester, as well as final exams. However, it is strongly recommended that students meet with the course instructor before requesting a third-party reread.
Reassessments in courses not offered by the School of Continuing Studies (SCS) are subject to the deadlines, rules, and regulations of the relevant Faculty.
Students are required to keep any material, in its wholeness and original form, that has been returned to them. A reassessment request will be refused if the relevant material is not provided in support of the request.
Grades received for course components other than written work or examinations, such as presentations and/or participation marks, are not subject to the procedures noted below. Students should meet with the instructor to address any concerns regarding these forms of assessment.
SCS recognizes four types of reassessment:
Reassessment of an Assignment or a Mid-term by the Instructor
Reassessment of an Assignment or a Mid-term by the Instructor
This type of reassessment applies to written assignments completed during the course of the semester, such as papers, quizzes, and mid-term exams. For policies regarding rereads of final exams, please see Reread of a Final Exam by a Third Party.
A request for reassessment of a group writing assignment requires the consent of all members of the group.
Requests for a review of a specific assignment must be made directly to the instructor within 10 working days* of the date of return of the graded material. Requests received after this deadline will not be considered. Results of the reassessment will normally be completed within 20 working days* of the receipt of the request. The grade may be increased, lowered, or remain the same. Whether the reassessed grade is higher or lower, it takes precedence over the original grade.
For English and French Intensive Language Programs, requests for a review of a specific assignment must be made directly to the instructor within 3 working days* of the date of return of the graded material. Requests received after this deadline will not be considered. Results of the reassessment will normally be completed within 5 working days* of the receipt of the request. The grade may be increased, lowered, or remain the same. Whether the reassessed grade is higher or lower, it takes precedence over the original grade.
* "Working days" means Monday through Friday.
Reread of an Assignment or a Mid-term Exam by a Third Party
Reread of an Assignment or a Mid-term Exam by a Third Party
This type of reassessment applies to written assignments completed during the course of the semester, such as papers, quizzes, and mid-term exams. For policies regarding rereads of final exams, please see Reread of a Final Exam by a Third Party.
Students who wish to contest a grade for a specific assignment should first meet with the instructor and discuss their concerns and questions. If a student remains dissatisfied with the grade, he or she may submit a request for a third-party reread of the assignment in question.
Requests for third-party rereads involving group work require the consent of all members of the group. In such cases, only one reread fee will be assessed.
Students seeking a third-party reread must apply to SCS Client Services; exact fee amounts and details are available on the Student Accounts website.
Requests for a third-party reread of a specific assignment must be made within 10 working days* of the date of return of the graded material. Requests received after this deadline will not be considered. Results of the third-party reread will normally be completed within 20 working days* of the receipt of the request. The grade may be increased, lowered, or remain the same. The third-party reviewer鈥檚 grade takes precedence over the original grade.
For English and French Intensive Language Programs, requests for a review of a specific assignment must be made directly to the instructor within 3 working days* of the date of return of the graded material. Requests received after this deadline will not be considered. Results of the reassessment will normally be completed within 5 working days* of the receipt of the request. The grade may be increased, lowered, or remain the same. Whether the reassessed grade is higher or lower, it takes precedence over the original grade.
* "Working days" means Monday through Friday.
Reread of a Final Exam by a Third Party
Reread of a Final Exam by a Third Party
It is strongly recommended, though not required, that students meet with the course instructor before requesting a reread of a final exam.
Requests for a reread of a final exam are administered by the Student Affairs Office in the SCS Client Services unit; exact fee amounts and details are available on the Student Accounts website.
Students must apply in writing by the following deadlines:
- September 30 for courses offered in the Spring/Summer term
- January 30 for courses offered in the Fall term
- May 30 for courses offered in the Winter term
For English and French Intensive Language Programs, students must apply in writing by the following deadline:
All deadlines are strictly enforced, and no late requests will be accepted. Whether the reassessed grade is higher or lower, it takes precedence over the original grade.
* "Working days" means Monday through Friday.
Mark Verification
Mark Verification
In a case where a student believes that an error has been made in arriving at the final grade for a course as a whole, a Verification of Grade form must be completed at the SCS Client Services Office requesting that the instructor carry out a detailed check that the final course grade has been computed correctly.
For all courses and programs of study, the request must be made within 10 working days* of the date on which the final grade appears on the student鈥檚 transcript. Requests received after this deadline will not be considered. The mark verification process should normally be completed within 20 working days* of receipt of the request by SCS Client Services.
* "Working days" means Monday through Friday.