(Approved by the Senate on April 17, 2023, and effective May 1, 2023)
Course work (tests, term papers and other course work) carries a weight determined by the professor and approved by the department.
At the beginning of a course, professors shall inform students about course requirements, delivery and evaluation methods, and the nature and timing of assignments, projects and examinations.
Professors may refuse to accept any assignment or examination that is not written legibly.
A-8.1. Providing feedback prior to the withdrawal deadline
(Approved by the Senate on April 17, 2023, and effective May 1, 2023)
Providing students with feedback on their academic work is a key part of learning because it allows them to assess their progress in a course. Therefore, professors must assign, evaluate and return academic work that is worth at least 25% of the final course mark no later than one week prior to the last day to withdraw from a course or an activity (no financial credit). When feedback cannot be provided before this date, due to the nature of the course, this should be clearly indicated in the course syllabus.
A-8.2. Normalization of grades
(Approved by the Senate on October 19, 2020 and effective on January 1, 2021)
The use of a predetermined distribution (statistical or otherwise) in order to determine the assignment of marks is contrary to the principles of evaluation endorsed by Senate.
When a faculty deems that the assignment of marks in one or several courses is not in accordance with the official grading system or with the faculty guidelines for its implementation, the faculty can take any corrective action required, provided however that no such measure results in a mark lower than that previously communicated to a student.
A-8.3. Final examination
Except in cases authorized by the Faculty, there is a final examination or its equivalent in each course. The final examination or its equivalent should be completed during the examination period. The professor, with the approval of the department, determines the format of the final examination (written examination, oral examination, final essay, take-home examination, or other form of exam). In the case of written examinations, they will be of a minimum duration of one hour and of a maximum duration of three hours, except in the case of examinations prescribed by professional accreditations or other types of specific activities, where the duration may be longer.
Unless otherwise authorized by the Faculty, the final examination, or its equivalent, cannot count for more than 60 percent or less than 30 percent of the final grade.
Professors must inform their students of the nature of the final examination when informing them of the marking system.
All students have the right to see their examination booklets after they have been marked.
A-8.4. Official examination period
(Approved by the Senate on April 17, 2023, and effective May 1, 2023)
Note: This regulation does not apply to the Faculty of Education, to the undergraduate Doctor of Pharmacy program, or to the Undergraduate Medical Education Program.
With the exception of practical laboratory examinations, comprehensive exams and project presentations, no final examination of any kind may be given outside of the official final examination period.
Unless authorized by the academic unit, December examinations in full-year courses must be scheduled during the official final examination period.
With the exception of practical laboratory examinations, project presentations and assignments having required several weeks of preparation, no assessment with a value exceeding 10% of the final grade may be given during the last week of classes in a term.
A-8.5. Conduct of the examination
(Approved by the Senate on April 17, 2023, and effective May 1, 2023)
Students are expected to assess their health situation and ability to write an examination prior to taking the exam. Students who do not write a final examination because of illness or other circumstances beyond their control may apply for a deferred examination.
Please refer to Academic Regulation A-8.6 - Justification of Absence from an Examination or of Late Submission of Assignments for more information on deferring an examination.
Students are expected to complete a final examination once begun. If the student experiences a significant deterioration of health while the examination is in progress and needs to stop writing the exam, they must notify the proctor and arrangements for the evaluation will be made by the faculty offering the course.
A significant deterioration of health during an examination is a situation whereby the student requires immediate and/or emergency medical attention. In such circumstances, a student will be required to provide appropriate documentation to confirm that the medical situation caused significant, acute symptoms during the examination that prohibited the student from completing the examination. The student must then fill out the deferred examination form within five (5) business days of the examination with appropriate supporting documentation.
Minor illnesses and ongoing chronic illnesses under medical management will normally not be considered valid grounds for granting a deferred final examination.
Silence is compulsory during the examination.
Students must present their student identification cards upon request by the examination monitor.
Students who arrive more than thirty (30) minutes after the examination has begun will not be allowed to write the examination.
Students may not leave the examination room until one hour after the examination has begun.
Students may not bring in or take away any examination booklets from the examination room.
The only time students may leave the examination room with the intention of returning is to use the washroom. To do so they must leave their examination materials, student identification card and any electronic communication device with the designated sign out staff person. They must also sign out and sign back in on the sheet provided.
Students cannot receive a religious accommodation during the examination. (For religious accommodations, please consult Academic Regulation A-5 - Religious Accommodations)
Unless otherwise indicated in writing, the use of books, notes, mathematical tables, dictionaries or any other reference tools is not allowed.
Students are prohibited from using electronic devices or any other communication tool that has not been approved beforehand.
It is the student's responsibility to verify which electronic devices or tools (e.g. calculators) are permissible for each examination.
Any unauthorized electronic device or communication tool must be shut off, stored and out of reach.
Anyone who fails to comply with these regulations may be subject to an academic fraud allegation.
Students have the right to see, upon request and after they have been marked, their own examination booklets. This consultation must be done under supervision. Students shall not retain the original examinations or the examination booklets.
In the event of a documented technical failure that prevents the student from completing the examination, the student must contact the professor.
A-8.6. Justification of absence from an examination or of late submission of assignments
(Approved by the Senate on April 17, 2023, and effective September 18, 2023.)
In this regulation, to meet a deadline on a working day, a submission must be received by 11:59 p.m. Ottawa time.
Students in the Undergraduate Medical Education program are not required to complete the Declaration of Absence from an Evaluation, but rather to follow the Faculty of Medicine's regulations regarding absences from compulsory courses, assessments, and internships.
Students in the Honours Bachelor of Science in Nursing offered in collaboration with Algonquin College enrolled in courses offered through Algonquin College are not required to complete the Declaration of Absence from an Evaluation, but rather to communicate with their professor to inform them of their absence from an evaluation.
Justification of absence from an examination (mid-term, final, supplemental or deferred) or from a test, or of late submission of assignments
Absence from any examination or test, or late submission of assignments on medical grounds or due to exceptional personal circumstances, must be reported by submitting the online Declaration of Absence from an Evaluation form within five (5) working days of the examination date or the assignment deadline, except if extenuating circumstances prevent the student from doing so; these circumstances must be documented.
Students can request a maximum of one (1) deferred evaluation per course, and this evaluation must take place as soon as possible, within six (6) months of the end of the term. Evaluation for graduate students must occur as soon as possible, within three (3) months of the end of the term.
1. Medical grounds
A medical certificate is not required for a first absence from an evaluation in a course. In the case of a second absence, a medical certificate is required with the submission of the online form, and the academic unit and the faculty concerned reserve the right to accept or reject the reasons presented. A medical certificate must include the student’s name, the date of both the absence and the return to studies and the medical consultation date. The certificate does not require mention of the medical condition.
Students should not participate in oral or written examinations during the period of disability indicated on the form. Students who participate in an oral or written examination during the period of disability indicated on the form cannot appeal their results on the basis of health reasons.
2. Exceptional personal circumstances
It is not required to attach a justification to the form for a first absence from an evaluation in a course. In the case of a second absence, justification is required with the submission of the online form, and the academic unit and the faculty concerned reserve the right to accept or reject the reasons presented. Reasons such as travel, work and misreading of examination schedules are not accepted.
Other conditions
Any retroactive accommodation requests due to a physical or mental health issue, unforeseeable or recurrent, and related to a known or revealed chronic illness will be examined by taking into account the student’s needs and the particular circumstances duly documented by a medical certificate. The request must be submitted within ten (10) business days following the date of the missed examination or assignment deadline.
A-8.7. Eligibility for supplemental examination
This regulation does not apply to graduate studies.
(Approved by the Senate on April 17, 2023, and effective May 1, 2023)
Supplemental examinations are offered in some faculties and courses. In-person supplemental examinations must take place in Canada. It is possible for students to take a supplemental exam online in Canada and elsewhere in the world. Whether in person or online, the supplemental exam must be taken at the same time by all students involved, regardless of time zone.
The time limit to complete the requirements for the course may not exceed 12 months after the end of the term.
Faculty of Medicine
Students enrolled in a 1000-level ANP course who obtain the grade “E” are eligible to write a supplemental examination. The grade obtained on the supplemental exam replaces the final examination grade in the course. Only the grade obtained after the supplemental exam appears on the student’s transcript and is used in the calculation of averages. However, a note on the transcript will indicate that this grade was obtained as a result of a supplemental exam.
In the Undergraduate Medical Program, students who fail a final exam are permitted to write a supplemental exam, in accordance with faculty regulations approved by the Senate.
Students who are enrolled in the undergraduate Doctor of Pharmacy program and who fail a course are entitled to a retake exam or remediation activity, in accordance with faculty regulations approved by the Senate.
Faculty of Education
Supplemental examinations may consist of a written examination or additional assignments. Students who fail a course have the right to one supplemental examination, for which they must obtain 60% or the non-numerical grade “S”. The grade obtained on the supplemental exam replaces the final course grade. Only the grade obtained after the supplemental exam appears on the student’s transcript and is used in the calculation of averages. However, a note on the transcript will indicate that this grade was obtained as a result of a supplemental exam.
Faculty of Law, Common Law Section
A student who achieves a grade point average of 3.5 or higher in courses taken in the last academic year is eligible to write a supplemental examination in any course failed that year. A student who achieves a grade point average below 3.5 fails the year and is not eligible to write any supplemental exams.
Supplemental exams may consist of a written examination or additional assignments. Students should contact the Common Law Section’s secretariat for information on supplemental examination formats and schedules.
The grade obtained on the supplemental exam replaces the final course grade. Only the grade obtained after the supplemental exam appears on the student’s transcript and is used in the calculation of averages. However, a note on the transcript will indicate that this grade was obtained as a result of a supplemental exam.
Other requirements
Faculty of Engineering
The Faculty of Engineering allows students to write a supplemental exam in courses if:
• The student is in their final year;
• The student has failed only one course during their final year;
• The failed course is a course offered by the Faculty of Engineering.