平特五不中

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, significant extenuating circumstances. Requests due to minor illnesses (e.g. a听cold,听cramps, nausea, etc.), minor personal matters, for听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 or the next, 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. After leaving the exam room, you are strongly urged to obtain a medical note confirming your illness. 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 in most cases, 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.

- For incidental illness or flare-ups听of chronic medical issues, you must submit supporting medical documentation from your health practitioner indicating that you were seen on or close to the original exam date and why you were unable to write the exam on the original date.

鈬� Repeat exam deferral requests due to incidental illness are less likely to be approved if the circumstances continue to be incidental in nature;
鈬� In the case of a flare-up听of a chronic condition, the note from your health practitioner will need to specify that they observed the flare-up the day of your missed exam, and that you are continuing to be treated and/or followed for your diagnosed condition. Note: a diagnosed anxiety disorder is considered to be a chronic issue. However, if your note simply states anxiety, this is considered to be an incidental illness.

Scheduling:

- 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 13^th in advance of an April 18^th exam will not result in a decision by the 18^th.

- 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.

- You will have to provide supporting documentation for your request if this is not your first exam听deferral.

- 平特五不中 offers many resources to help you avoid having to defer, including 平特五不中 Tutoring Services, the Student Wellness Hub, 平特五不中 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, even if this is your first-time request. Valid reasons are:
  -Serious medical illness;
  -Serious personal issues/circumstances;
  -Serious unforeseeable or extenuating circumstances.
  Note: Travel plans are not a valid reason
• If this is not your first deferred exam request, you must also provide supporting documentation (such as a medical note) which confirms your inability to write the exam on the original date. Documents should be submitted as soon as you submit your exam deferral request in Minerva. Incomplete requests will be cancelled, and late documents will not be accepted. See 鈥淪ubmitting a听request鈥� for details on accepted supporting documents and how and when to submit supporting documents.
• First-time requests: Students in eligible faculties (listed below) who request a first-time exam deferral due to illness or other serious extenuating circumstance may be granted the exam deferral without the need for supporting documentation (such as a medical note). Students requesting a first-time exam deferral are nonetheless required to have a valid reason, and all other requirements and deadlines for submitting a request for a deferred exam will apply.

Eligible faculties:

-Continuing Studies
-Science (including the Bachelor of Arts & Science)
-Management
-Law
-Engineering (including School of Architecture)
-Education
-Arts (including Schools of Social Work and Religious Studies)
-Agricultural and Environmental Sciences

Ineligible faculties/schools:

-Nursing
-Information Studies
-Physical and Occupational Therapy
-Dentistry
-Medicine
-Music
-Graduate听and Postdoctoral Studies

For ineligible faculties/schools, the guidelines for your home faculty or school are applicable.

Step 3: Submit your request

1. Read听the 鈥淥ptions and consequences鈥� and 鈥淓ligibility鈥� steps first.
2. Check the deadlines for submitting a request applicable to you.
   Visit the "Final Exam Dates" page to view deferred exams application deadlines.
3. 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.
4. Submit supporting documents (see below).

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)	Student Affairs at Macdonald Campus	Student Affairs at MacDonald Campus
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 - 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)	Student Affairs ()	Student Affairs ()
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

听 听

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 3^rd 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.

听

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. 平特五不中 offers many resources to help you avoid having to defer an exam, including 平特五不中 Tutoring Services, 平特五不中 Counselling Workshops, and other academic resources.
  听

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, 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 平特五不中 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: Director, 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.