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I missed my final exam, what can I do? What does unforeseeable circumstances mean?
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| If you missed your final for unforeseeable circumstances (a serious illness or severe injury; a recent death in one’s immediate family; unexpectedly assuming responsibility of an immediate family member due to serious illness; severe emotional stress, fire) beyond your control, you can apply for a “DEF” notation.
The Examinations Office cannot assist you if the exam you missed is a mid-term. We deal only with final examinations administered through our office. If you miss a mid-term, you will need to work with your instructor to try and resolve the matter.
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What does a deferred exam really
mean? Does it mean I can simply put off the writing of my final exam
for a few days?
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| To defer an exam means that you are requesting formal permission to write your exam at a future date because of one of the reasons mentioned above. It does not mean that you will simply delay your exam for a few days. |
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I wasn’t feeling well but wrote my
exam, can I apply for a “DEF” notation?
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| No. Once you have attempted an exam, you cannot be considered for a “DEF” notation. A “DEF” notation can only be granted when a student does not write a final exam. |
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How do I apply for the “DEF”
notation?
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Is there a deadline?
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The
deadlines are as follows:
| January 15 |
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for Fall
courses (/2) |
| May 15 |
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for
Fall/Winter or Winter courses (/3 or /4) |
| August 31 |
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for
Summer courses (/1) |
Please note that these deadlines are not extended. If you are missing any of the documents that need to be submitted,
don’t wait to get them. Submit the request form before the deadline without the documents and note on the form that the supporting materials will be submitted at a later date. |
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Do I need to submit any documents
showing why I missed my exam?
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| Yes, you can include these documents with your application form or provide them as soon as possible thereafter. Requests won’t be processed until relevant documentation has been received BUT don’t miss a deadline because you are waiting for documents. Always submit the request form before the deadline and follow-up with the documents later if necessary.
If you missed your exam due to a short-term illness, you must submit a
Concordia medical certificate. The medical certificate must indicate very clearly that you were unable to be present at the
specific date of the missed exam.
You must visit your medical practitioner on or before the date of the missed exam. By submitting this note, be advised that you authorize the University to verify its legitimacy. Tampering, altering or modifying the certificate in any way could lead to charges brought against you under the Code of Rights and Responsibilities and/or the Academic Code of Conduct.
Please note:
Photocopies of the Concordia medical certificate are not acceptable. The Concordia medical certificate must indicate that you could not be at school on the date of your exam or your request will be rejected and you will be asked to provide more details. A medical note that says you were seen by the doctor will not be sufficient. It must state that you were seen and could not be present on the date of your exam. Also, note that the physican/hospital/clinic must provide a stamp on the document as well.
You may also visit
Concordia’s Health Services Department where
they can assess your medical condition and offer the appropriate
assistance. Health Services will assist with a medical excuse
certificate if the following criteria are met:
- You have been seen or
followed at Health Services during the time of the illness
- The nature of the illness
is serious enough to justify absence from an exam
If you missed your exam for
reasons other than medical you must submit as much relevant
documentation as possible (e.g. obituary or death certificate;
letter from your employer; police report, etc). |
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What should I do if I don’t have
the documents right now?
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Submit the request form without them before the deadline mentioned above. The supporting documentation can be handed in at a later date. |
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Are there any other regulations
regarding the “DEF” notation?
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| The grade assigned by your instructor must contain the DNW (did not write) notation or we will not be able to process your request. If a grade of F, FNS, R or NR is submitted for you, we cannot process your request.
If the grade assigned for you is F or FNS (without the DNW notation), R or NR, your request will automatically be turned down. You will be notified of this decision in writing and it will be your responsibility to contact your instructor to determine whether an incorrect grade was submitted for your. If, after discussions with your instructor, it is clarified that a change of grade will be submitted, please monitor your record until you see the grade changed. When that occurs, call the Examinations Office at 848-2424, ext. 2608, 2609 or 2676 and we will reactivate your request.
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In addition to missing the final
exam, I also did not complete all necessary term work. What do I do?
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| The
Examinations Office will process a request for a “DEF” notation
for the missed final exam but will not deal with the missing
term work issue. Please refer to the regulations in the
Undergraduate Calendar regarding Late Completion of courses with
INC notations. |
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How and when will I know if my
request has been approved?
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| You will receive a letter from the Examinations Office. Processing of requests for “DEF” notations will start as soon as the official examination period is over and once your final grade has been recorded. Answers will be mailed out on an ongoing basis. |
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If I don’t hear anything, should I
call?
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| It is always wise to call if you don’t hear from us within a reasonable time frame. If you have not heard within a month of the time you submitted the form, please don’t hesitate to call us at 848-2424, ext. 2608, 2609 or 2676. You should also make sure that your address on the portal is valid. |
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If the “DEF” notation is awarded,
when will I write the exam?
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Faculty of Arts & Science and Fine Arts
courses:
December:
Missed exam in December
– course offered in January
– write with April finals
Missed exam in December
– course not offered in January
– write in February (mid-term break)
NB: Potential graduates for June would write during the replacement period in February (mid-term break).
April:
Missed exam in April
– course offered in 1st summer session
– write with June finals
Missed exam in April
– course offered in 2nd summer session
– write with August finals
Missed exam in April
– course not offered in either summer session
– write in replacement period after August finals
June/August:
Missed exam in June (3 credit course)
– course offered in September
– write with December finals
Missed exam in June (3 credit course)
– course not offered in September
– write in October replacement period
Missed exam in June (6 credit course)
– write in October replacement period
Missed exam in August
– course offered in September
– write with December finals
Missed exam in August
– course not offered in September
– write in October replacement period
NB: Potential graduates for November would write during the replacement period in October.
Faculty of Engineering & Computer
Science and John Molson School of Business courses:
December:
Missed exam in December
– course offered in January
– write with April finals
Missed exam in December
– course offered in 1st summer session
– write with June finals
Missed exam in December
– course offered in 2nd summer session
– write with August finals
Missed exam in December
– course offered in September
– write with December finals
April::
Missed exam in April
– course offered in 1st summer session
– write with June finals
Missed exam in April
– course offered in 2nd summer session
– write with August finals
Missed exam in April
– course offered in September
– write with December finals
Missed exam in April
– course offered in January
– write with April finals
NB: Potential graduates in Engineering & Computer Science: If you are required to write a deferred exam for a course that is not offered in the term immediately prior to your graduation, a “special exam” will be provided for you and scheduled during the regular final exam period.
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How do I know exact date and time
of my exam?
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| You will receive a letter from the Examinations Office approximately one month before the deferred exam telling you the date, time and location of your exam. |
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What happens if I have a conflict
between two deferred exams or between a deferred exam and one of my
regular courses?
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| The Examinations Office will automatically resolve these conflicts for you and inform you of the solution in writing. It may mean that you have to write an alternate for one of them or you might have to write two exams back-to-back. |
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What happens once I write the deferred exam?
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| Your exam will be evaluated and a grade submitted to the Office of the Registrar. The new grade submitted for you will replace the “DEF” notation on your record. |
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What happens if I don’t write the
deferred exam?
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| It depends on the situation. If you decide that you don’t want to write the deferred exam, your “DEF” notation will be replaced by the original grade submitted for you and it will be calculated in your grade point average. You also forfeit the chance to write the missed exam and you must repeat the course if it is a requirement of your degree.
If you were prevented from writing the deferred exam due to extraordinary circumstances, you may apply to the University Examinations Committee. You would be required to provide documentary evidence in support of your request and you have to submit a second
“Request for a “DEF” notation” application form along with the fee. Please refer to the deadlines mentioned above.
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