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Deferred Exams 
Supplemental Exams
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Page last updated on: April 5, 2023
Deferred Exams
If you听believe you are unable to听write your final exam due to a serious health or wellness condition,听or another extenuating circumstance, you may be eligible to apply for an exam deferral, depending on your faculty rules and regulations听and the information below.
- Step 1: Options and consequences
听 - Step 2: Eligibility
听 - Step 3: Submit听your听request
听 - Step 4: The decision
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Step 1: Understand your options and the consequences
Deciding whether or not to defer a final exam can be difficult. While there are obviously times when taking that step is necessary, there are usually more cons involved than pros. If you鈥檙e contemplating applying for a deferred exam, consider the following first:
Likelihood of your request being approved:
- Applying for a deferred exam does not guarantee approval. Deferred exam requests are not automatically granted, even with supporting documentation. Consult the 鈥淓ligibility鈥� section听for more information.
- Deferring an exam is an exceptional measure and is meant to help students who are severely ill or dealing with unforeseeable and significant extenuating circumstances. Requests due to minor illnesses (e.g. a听cold,听cramps, nausea, etc.), minor personal matters, scheduling conflicts (e.g. travel plans),听or to manage your workload听will not be approved.
- Do not use exam deferral requests to manage your exam schedule or to reduce your exam load. If you request to defer one exam due to illness, then write another exam the same day, your request will likely be refused. It is your responsibility to plan how you will meet the academic requirements of your program.
- If you attend your exam, you are no longer eligible to defer it. Exceptionally, if you unexpectedly become ill during your final exam and cannot complete it, you must report this to the exam invigilator. The invigilator will file an incident report, and direct you to an onsite health practitioner for initial evaluation. You should also contact your Student Affairs Office to inform them of this incident and they will advise you of your options, which may include requesting a deferred exam. Note that except in exceptional extenuating circumstances,听once you have started a final exam, no accommodations for an alternate exam will be approved.
- In cases of incidental illness (e.g., a cold, cramps, nausea, etc.) that affected your study time leading up to the exam, but where you recovered on the day of your exam, you are expected to write your exam, and a deferral will not be granted.
- If you have requested a deferred exam in the past, any future requests will be reviewed more stringently, and requests with similar reasons or circumstances as previous requests will not likely be approved.
- If you have made requests due to disability or chronic illness in the past, it is your responsibility to take measures to manage your condition and your course schedule to avoid relying on deferred exams in subsequent exam periods. Please refer to resources available (listed below) and consult with your to assist you in this process.
鈬� Repeat exam deferral requests due to incidental illness are less likely to be approved if the circumstances continue to be incidental in nature;
What to Consider Before Applying:
- A deferred exam may have an impact on future plans, such as graduation, exchanges, studying abroad, internships, etc.
- Deferring an exam merely pushes it to the future鈥攖o a time when you may have a full course load of other exams to prepare for. You are strongly advised not to defer more than two exams in an exam period, as this could make for an unmanageable deferred exam period and workload for the following semester.
- Exams during the regular period are scheduled shortly after the end of the course. Deferred exams are held much later after the end of a term, meaning course material will not be as fresh.
- The deferred exam's mode of delivery will be the same as its final exam. If the final exam was held in-person, the deferred exam will also take place in-person.
Other considerations:
-听Submitting your deferred exam request before the scheduled final exam date does not mean that your request will be reviewed and acted on quickly. For example, submitting a request on April 13th in advance of an April 18th exam may not result in a decision by the 18th.听Moreover, given that deferred exams are intended for unforeseen circumstances, a request made in advance of the exam date is unlikely to be approved.
- The course with a deferred final exam will show a grade of 鈥淟鈥� on your transcript until the deferred exam is written and graded. Both the grade of "L" and your final grade will display on your advising/unofficial transcript.
- You cannot defer a deferred exam. If you fall ill right before your deferred exam, you will not have the option to defer it again.听Please contact your student affairs office to meet with an academic adviser should this be your situation.
- Supporting documents may be required for your request. For requests due to illness, medical documentation is only required for absences of 5 or more days.
- 捆绑SM社区 offers many resources to help you avoid having to defer, including 捆绑SM社区 Tutoring Services, the Student Wellness Hub, 捆绑SM社区 Counselling Workshops, faculty-specific resources, and other academic resources. If you have a disability or a chronic illness, register with听Student Accessibility & Achievement听to help you manage your accommodation needs.
- Your academic advisor can help point you toward valuable resources and support services, as well as outline how a deferral might affect your career and timeline.
Step 2: Find out if you are eligible for a deferred exam
The following are the eligibility requirements for a deferred exam:
- Requests are submitted according to your Faculty Guidelines (see 鈥淪ubmitting a request鈥�)
- You must cite a valid reason for requesting a deferred exam.听Valid reasons are:
-Serious medical illness;
-Serious personal issues/circumstances;
-Serious unforeseeable or extenuating circumstances.
Note: Travel plans are not a valid reason
Step 3: Submit your request
- Read听the 鈥淥ptions and consequences鈥� and 鈥淓ligibility鈥� steps first.
- Check the deadlines for submitting a request applicable to you.
Visit the "Final Exam Dates" page to view deferred exams application deadlines. - Submit your request.听
You must do this by the posted deadline in your faculty guidelines. Make sure to cite a valid reason in your request before submitting it. See 鈥淓ligibility鈥� step. - Submit supporting documents (see below).
What do you need to provide?
Supporting documents which听substantiate your claim of incapacity or inability to attend your exam(s) on the given date(s). Supporting documents are required for absences as a result of illness where the absence is for 5 or more days. Please refrain from submitting photographic evidence of injury or illness, as this is not considered valid supporting documentation.
If your absence requires a medical note, we recommend that you use the medical note template听provided on this site. If you choose not to use the template, you must ensure the note includes the following important elements:听
- Be from a healthcare practitioner licensed to work in Canada who has observed and diagnosed your condition the day of your missed exam. The following is the听list of healthcare practitioners deemed acceptable:
-A Dental Surgeon or Dentist
-A Psychologist, Psychotherapist, or Social Worker
-A Physician, Psychiatrist or Surgeon
-A Nurse or Nurse Practitioner
-A health professional from the听捆绑SM社区听Student Wellness Hub
- Your full name (and 捆绑SM社区 ID#, where applicable)
- 听Information about your healthcare practitioner:
-their name, title, address, and license #
-their signature
-the date you consulted听them and on which they observed your condition impacting your health or wellness
- Information about your circumstances:
-a statement of capacity, indicating the extent to which your condition prevented you from performing academically (e.g. That you weren鈥檛/aren鈥檛 able to attend your exam that day and why);
-the date(s) during which you听were impacted that you were/are incapable of doing so;
-the date on which you are expected to be able to resume your studies/exams (ie. the prognosis for your return to health)
When do you need to provide it?
Supporting documents for requests that require them must be sent as soon as you have submitted your Minerva request. Note that incomplete requests will be cancelled.
Arts and Science students:
-Submit PDF copies of your documents to Service Point by completing this form: Submit Documents to Support Deferred Exam Request.
Students from all other Faculties must submit documents directly to their Faculty Student Affairs Office.
|
Faculty |
How/Where do I submit an exam deferral request? |
Where do I submit supporting documents (e.g. medical note)? |
Where can I seek academic advising? |
|
Agriculture and Environmental Sciences |
(Student Menu>Student Records Menu>Deferred Exam Application) |
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Arts (including Information Studies and Social Work) |
(Student Menu>Student Records Menu>Deferred Exam Application) |
OASIS at Dawson Hall |
|
|
Continuing Studies |
(Student Menu>Student Records Menu>Deferred Exam Application) |
In person at School of Continuing Studies or examrequests.scs [at] mcgill.ca (by email) |
Continuing Studies Front Desk (688 Sherbrooke W., 11th floor) |
| Dentistry |
(Student Menu>Student Records Menu>Deferred Exam Application) |
Associate Dean or Student Affairs within Dentistry |
Student Affairs within Dentistry 鈥� or norman.miller [at] mcgill.ca (subject: Deferred%20Exam) (Norman Miller) |
| Education |
(Student Menu>Student Records Menu>Deferred Exam Application) |
In person at Student Affairs (3700 McTavish, room 243) or sao.education [at] mcgill.ca (by email) |
Student Affairs at Education (3700 McTavish, room 243) |
|
Engineering (including Architecture and Urban Planning) |
(Student Menu>Student Records Menu>Deferred Exam Application) |
For information regarding deferred examinations in the Faculty of Engineering, please see . |
Student Affairs at Frank Dawson Adams building (3450 University, Room 22) |
|
Graduate Studies |
Consult with the Graduate department - your Graduate Program Coordinator must submit a Deferred Exam Request on your behalf |
Consult with your Graduate department |
Departmental Supervisor |
| Law |
(Student Menu>Student Records Menu>Deferred Exam Application) |
In person at Law Student Affairs (3644 Peel, room 433) |
In person at Law Student Affairs (3644 Peel, room 433) |
| Management |
(Student Menu>Student Records Menu>Deferred Exam Application) |
Student Affairs at Desautels Faculty of Management | Student Affairs at Desautels Faculty of Management |
| Medicine |
(Student Menu>Student Records Menu>Deferred Exam Application) |
Medicine Student Affairs () |
Medicine Student Affairs () |
| Music |
(Student Menu>Student Records Menu>Deferred Exam Application) |
Student Affairs at Music 鈥� Elizabeth Wirth Music building (, 7th floor) |
Student Affairs at Music 鈥� Elizabeth Wirth Music building (, 7th floor) |
|
Nursing |
(Student Menu>Student Records Menu>Deferred Exam Application) |
||
| Physical and Occupational Therapy |
(Student Menu>Student Records Menu>Deferred Exam Application) |
In person at Student Affairs () |
In person at Student Affairs () |
| Religious Studies |
(Student Menu>Student Records Menu>Deferred Exam Application) |
Current Student Contact Form |
Religious studies (Birks Building, ) |
| Science (including B.A. and Sc.) |
(Student Menu>Student Records Menu>Deferred Exam Application) |
SOUSA at Dawson Hall |
|
| Summer Studies - Special Students |
(Student Menu>Student Records Menu>Deferred Exam Application) |
Current Student Contact Form听(for students in听Arts, Science or听Art/Sci). All other students should consult their Student Affairs Office. |
n/a |
Step 4: Understanding your decision (approved or refused)
- It is your responsibility to verify the Deferred Exam schedule for the exact date, time, and location of your exam. The schedule will be posted at approximately two weeks prior to your deferred exam period.
鈬� Exams deferred from the December exam period (i.e. from the Fall term) are scheduled in the Winter term study break.
鈬ㄌ鼸xams deferred from the April exam period (i.e. from the Winter term) are scheduled in the 3rd week of August.
鈬ㄌ齓ou are expected to be available during a deferred exam period to write your exam.
鈬═he deferred exam's mode of delivery will be the same as its final exam. If the final exam was held in-person, the deferred exam will also take place in-person.
Important:听Faculty of Engineering听students will be notified in writing when they are to write their deferred final exam. Deferred exams for courses administered by the Faculty of Engineering are offered during the final examination period the next time the course is given (excluding Summer term). Please refer to听Deferred Examinations: Faculty of Engineering听for more information.
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Students in the School of Physical and Occupational听Therapy will be notified in writing when they are to write their deferred final exam for the professional School courses.听Please refer to the School's 听for more information.
- You can only defer your final exam once. If you request a late course withdrawal (late-W) from a course with an approved exam deferral and the reasons for the late-W听are similar to those for your deferred exam request, then your request will not be granted.
- If you requested a deferred exam and then ended up writing the original final exam, you will no longer be eligible to write the deferred exam, even if your request was approved. It is your responsibility to inform your Student Affairs office (or Service Point, for Arts and Science students) that you wrote the final exam at the originally scheduled time. Failure to meet this obligation may place you in violation of the Code of Student Conduct and may involve disciplinary measures.
- Take measures to avoid similar issues arising in your next exam period. If you have a chronic condition or disability, register with听Student Accessibility & Achievement. If you are experiencing anxiety or other mental health issues, see a counsellor or therapist and talk to your faculty advisor regarding ways you can better manage your course load. 捆绑SM社区 offers many resources to help you avoid having to defer an exam, including 捆绑SM社区 Tutoring Services, 捆绑SM社区 Counselling Workshops, and other academic resources.
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If your deferred exam request is refused
- The refusal could be for any number of reasons, including but not limited to:
鈬� Not providing a valid reason for your request
鈬ㄌ齅issing, inadequate, or non-specific medical documentation where your request requires medical documentation, for example:
鈻篘ote does not include an actual observation by the health practitioner
鈻篘ote is not dated the day of the exam
鈻篘ote is not from a recognized health practitioner
鈻篘ote is not on letterhead
鈻篘ote does not state clearly an inability to write the exam
鈻篘ote does not indicate when studies/exams can be resumed (ie. prognosis)
鈬ㄌ齓ou have made previous requests for similar or the same reasons and there is no evidence that you have taken measures to address the challenges you are facing during exam periods.
- You must write the final exam at its originally scheduled date and time. If you do not or did not write your final exam, you will receive a grade of J, which counts as a failure in your TGPA and CGPA. If you receive a J, a supplemental exam may be an option for you if you meet the eligibility requirements. See 鈥�Supplemental Exams鈥� tab.
- If you are an Arts or Science student, you may make a written request to have the decision reviewed; there must be new information or documentation relevant to your initial request that you did not originally submit.
If you believe that your situation warrants a decision review, submit your written request no later than 5 business days after the refusal of your initial request.- How to submit a request:
鈬� Write a concise (max 500 words) statement explaining why you are requesting a decision review, and what new and relevant information you are sharing to support your request.听This could include details such as:
鈻篢he specific measures you took during the semester to avoid relying on deferred exam(s), such as support services or resources you used, reduction in course-load, etc.
鈻篒f relevant, an explanation of why your documentation was not complete or specific
鈬� Email your statement 鈥� including PDF-formatted supporting documents - to servicepoint [at] mcgill.ca (subject: Decision%20Review%3A%20Deferred%20Exam) from your 捆绑SM社区 email account, ensuring that the subject line reads 鈥淒ecision Review: Deferred Exam鈥�
Decisions are reviewed by a committee consisting of the following individuals: Assistant Registrar, Service Point; Registrar and Executive Director of Enrolment Services; and either the Associate Dean (Arts OASIS) or the Associate Dean (Science SOUSA), depending on your Faculty.
The Decision Review Committee will review the original request and any additional information or supporting documentation provided as part of the request for decision review in light of the eligibility requirements listed on this website and taking into consideration the student鈥檚 academic record and prior requests for deferred exams or for late course withdrawals. The committee will only review documentation and written statements; requests to present verbal statements or arguments in-person will not be granted.
Decisions made by this committee are final.
Supplemental Exams
A supplemental exam may only be offered if it is stipulated in the course outline. Course outlines must include details regarding format and weight of the supplemental exam.
Special permission is required for students requesting to take supplemental exams in courses totalling more than 8 credits in a single term.
For courses in which both a supplemental examination and additional work are available, students may choose the additional work, or the supplemental examination, or both. Where both are written, only one supplemental grade will be submitted, reflecting grades for both the supplemental examination and the additional work.
Additional credit will not be given for a supplemental exam where the original grade for the course was a D and credit was received for the course.
A student who was approved to write a deferred exam but did not pass the deferral is not eligible to apply for a supplemental exam.
Supplemental examinations in courses outside the relevant Faculty are subject to the deadlines, rules, and regulations of the Faculty hosting the course.
A non-refundable fee for each supplemental exam application Is assessed at the time of application.
Only one supplemental exam is allowed in a course.
In some Faculties and, in very exceptional cases, students whose particular circumstances cannot be accommodated by a deferred or supplemental exam may apply for permission to undertake a special examination in accordance with Faculty procedures.
If you are in satisfactory or probationary standing and received a grade of D, F, J, or U in the course, you may be eligible to write a supplemental exam, which will count for a large percentage of your final grade. Your initial grade will still appear on your transcript, and both will be calculated into your CGPA.
Contact an advisor in your Student Affairs Office to discuss whether writing a supplemental exam is the right option for you.
Rules and regulations
The following rules and conditions apply:
- 听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 捆绑SM社区 account; consult the Student Accounts website for the fee at mcgill.ca/student-accounts/tuition-fees/non-tuition-charges/other;
- Supplemental examinations are available for most courses given in the Faculties of Science, Education, the School of Religious Studies听and the School of Social Work;
- For supplemental exams in courses administered by the Faculty of Arts, students must contact the course instructor to confirm if a supplemental exam is offered.
- Supplemental examinations are not available for courses administered by Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Engineering, Management or Music;
- Special permission is required if you want to write supplemental exams totalling more than 8 credits;
- Only one supplemental exam is allowed in a course;
- 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 add/drop Period;
- It is the student鈥檚 responsibility to find out the date, time, and location of the exam by consulting the Supplemental Exam Schedule when it is posted.
- All students are strongly encouraged to consult their Student Affairs Office to determine the supplemental exam policies of their faculties and/or schools.
- Students who apply for a supplemental examination but find themselves unprepared for it have the option of not writing the exam. There is no penalty for not writing a supplemental exam except for the loss of the supplemental examination fee.
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Application deadlines and exam periods
- Visit the "Final Exam Dates" page to view supplemental exams' application deadlines and exam periods.
Information by Faculty
Note: Supplemental exams are not available for courses administered by Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Management, Music, or Engineering (except for some Science, Humanities, and Social Sciences courses).
Note: For supplemental exams in courses administered by the Faculty of Arts, students must contact the course instructor to confirm if a supplemental exam is offered.
Note for the School of Physical and Occupational Therapy:听Students must consult their Student Affairs Office
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 Arts OASIS or SOUSA to talk about your options and the effects that your request may have on your studies. For more information, see mcgill.ca/students/advising.
Note for the Faculty of Engineering: Supplemental examinations are available for the following courses: CHEM 110, CHEM 120, CHEM 212, CHEM 234, COMP 202, MATH 133, MATH 140, MATH 141, PHYS 131, PHYS 142, and other courses administered by the Faculty of Science as well as courses administered by the Faculty of Arts (e.g., some Complementary Studies courses from Group A Impact of Technology on Society and from Group B Humanities and Social Sciences, Management Studies and Law).
Supplemental examinations are not available for the following Engineering courses: CHEM 233, EPSC 221, MATH 262, MATH 263, MATH 264, MATH 271, MATH 363, 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.
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 .
How do I apply?
Applications can be made on . A supplemental exam fee will apply.
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