Looking for a place to study? Don't look any further. During the exam period, several classrooms will be temporarily converted into study halls to allow you to study on campus. From April 17 to 30, 2026, the following rooms will be open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
To locate these buildings on campus, please visit our interactive campus map.
If one of these classes is locked, you can call 613-562-5800 ext. 5900.
Due to various reasons, some exams will be conducted online. Here are the resources available to you during this crucial time.
To prepare – Your main resource for preparing for an exam is your professor. Ask your professor what to expect. You should also familiarize yourself with the platform that will be used. It may not necessarily be the same one for all your exams. Conduct a few tests beforehand to ensure that everything will work as planned on the day of your exam (platform, login, account, Internet connection).
During the exam – If you encounter problems after having taken all these precautions, the first resource you should turn to is still your professor. Contact the professor immediately to let them know and to get help. If the technical or access problems persist, contact the IT Service Desk by chat, by phone at 613-562-5800, ext 5000, or by using the various help options on the IT web page. They offer help from Monday to Friday from 8:15 a.m. to 8 p.m., and on Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. You can also get help at any time through the BrightSpace platform, by chat or by phoning 1-866-811-3201.
The exam schedule is usually posted about six weeks before the exam period. The exact date it will be posted is in the Important academic dates and deadlines. You can then find your schedule in uoZone (under Applications, select My Exam Schedule).
Check your exam timetable regularly — exam times and locations can change after the initial posting. Also, make sure you look for the information about your specific course sections when checking.
Some graduate and professional courses might not appear and certain programs might have a different exam schedule. If so, contact your faculty or school or visit its website.
Even though we hope you remain healthy, we know that health issues or special circumstances can arise. If you need to miss a midterm or final exam for one of the reasons stated in Academic Regulation A-8.6. —Justification of absence from an examination (mid-term or final), you may be allowed to take your exam later, which the University calls “a deferred exam”.
First, you must fill out the Declaration of Absence from an Examination form. You must do this for each course only if you miss a midterm or final exam. This form will let your professor and faculty know of your absence and that you will need instructions on how to defer your exam. If you aren’t sure what constitutes a midterm or final exam, please refer to the course syllabus or discuss the issue with your professor. Keep in mind that submitting a Declaration of Absence of Examination form does not guarantee that the deferral will be approved.
Please note that if you make more than one declaration of absence request in a term, the faculty might require a followup meeting. If so, the faculty will contact you
DON'T USE the declaration form for the following:
| Reason | What to do instead of filling out the declaration form |
|---|---|
| Contact your instructor. |
| Contact the faculty affiliated with the course. |
| Check Academic Regulation A-5 - Religious Accommodations. |
Students in the Undergraduate Medical Education program are not required to complete the Declaration of Absence from an Examination. Students in the Honours Bachelor of Science in Nursing offered in collaboration with Algonquin College (whether enrolled at the University of Ottawa or Algonquin College) are not required to complete the Declaration of Absence from an Examination for NSG and SAI courses or for courses offered at Algonquin or Pembroke campuses. However, they are required to use the Declaration for all other courses offered by other faculties of the University of Ottawa.
In addition, students who require a religious accommodation should not complete the Declaration of Absence form. Instead follow the procedure outlined in Academic Regulation A-5 – Religious Accommodations.
Supporting documents including medical certificates are NOT required the first time you submit a Declaration for a given course due to short-term illness. Short-term illnesses are common, well-known illnesses that do not require a visit to the doctor unless they are severe. They include gastroenteritis, flu, strep throat and pink eye.
Course examples
If this is the first time you are absent from an ADM 1300 exam (e.g. midterm exam), and you cannot write your exam because you have the flu, then you do not need to provide supporting documents. If you miss another exam (e.g. the final exam) in the same ADM 1300 course, then you would need to provide supporting documentation.
If you are absent from more than one exam for different courses during the exam period (e.g., ADM 1300 and PSY 1101), you still don’t need to provide supporting documentation of your short-term illness if these are the first absences in either course.
If the exam has already started
You need to provide supporting documentation if you start an exam but cannot complete it due to a significant deterioration in your health or a situation requiring emergency medical attention.
For an illness that is not considered short term, you ARE required to submit a medical certificate at all times, whether or not it is the first time you are absent from an exam in the course.
In terms of supporting documents for physical or mental illness, we require a medical certificate from your health-care professional (or a letter of support from uOttawa’s Counselling Services). This document must include your name, period of absence and return date, the medical appointment date, and the health-care professional’s signature. If there are doubts about the authenticity of your medical document, the University may require that it be validated by University of Ottawa Health Services.
An absence from an exam cannot be declared more than three (3) working days prior to the start of the exam or three (3) working days after the exam.
In order to process and evaluate your request, a non-refundable administrative fee of $60 per Declaration will be charged to your statement of account approximately 24 hours after the Declaration of Absence from an Examination form has been submitted.
To view your statement of account, log into uoZone, select the Applications tab, then Student Center, and then Statement of Account.
For information on payment methods, please visit the Student Accounts website (scroll down to “Methods of payment”).
Reimbursements of declaration of absence administrative fees can be made only in highly exceptional situations.
Some reimbursements are applied automatically, such as when an absence is related to a disability recognized by the Academic Accommodations Service or in serious cases determined by the units involved.
As well, requests can be examined if they cover a period of several days, lead to multiple absences from exams over a short period and don’t fall under any of the established procedures. Such requests must be revised by the Faculty and backed up by official, verifiable supporting documentation.
If you wish to request accommodation for a final exam based on your religious observance, you must do so within five working days of the posting of the exam schedule (see the Important academic dates and deadlines).
For the request procedure, see Academic Regulation A-5 – Religious Accommodations.
If you wish to request accommodation for a final exam, please visit the Adapted exams web page.
Academic integrity is fundamental to all academic activities. Academic regulation A-4 — Academic Integrity and Academic Misconduct defines what constitutes academic fraud and outlines its consequences, including sanctions. We encourage you to read more on academic integrity.
Be sure you know about all the University’s regulations on exams. They cover behaviour during an exam, items you can and cannot bring into an exam, justifiable reasons to miss an exam or hand in an assignment late and destruction of unclaimed exams and assignments.
