Guidelines for Missed Tests and Examinations

Students who miss exams have no automatic rights to a make-up exam. A make-up exam may be scheduled only under exceptional circumstances at the discretion of the course director.

What to do if you miss a test/exam:

1) The student must contact the Course Director and the Tutorial Leader in person, by telephone or email within 24 hours of the missed test/exam You must clearly state the following:

• your name (it helps to spell your last name)
• your student number, course and section
• phone number and email where you can be reached
• the reason why you missed the test/exam

2) If you cannot contact the TA or the course director during this 24 hour period, subsequent documentation accounting for the delay must be provided.

3) You must also provide the following information within 24 hours:

• A list of the dates and times for all other exams that you are required to write during the examination period. For each exam you must identify the course name, number, and section, as well as the name of the instructor.

4) Appropriate documentation verifying the circumstances for the missed test/exam must be provided at the time specified by the instructor. Failure to provide appropriate documentation will result in a grade of F on the missed test.

What is appropriate documentation?

a) medical circumstances – tests/exams missed due to medical circumstances must be supported by an attending physician’s statement or a statement by a psychologist or counselor. The physician’s statement must include the following:

1. full name, mailing address, telephone number of the physician.
2. state the nature of the illness and its duration (i.e., specific dates covered), and
3. an indication of whether the illness and/or medication prescribed would have SERIOUSLY affected the student’s ability to study and perform over the day of the exam.

NOTE:

• a headache, stomach ache or cold will not be considered sufficient excuse.
• the physician's office may be contacted to verify that the forms were completed by the physician.

b) non-medical circumstances – tests/exams missed due to non-medical circumstances must be supported by appropriate documentation, i.e., death certificates, obituary notice, automobile accident reports, airline/bus ticket/receipt for emergency travel (with date of booking on ticket), etc. Airline/train/bus ticket/receipts for emergency travel must indicate destination, departure, and return dates. Having to work at the time of a test is not considered a valid excuse for missing the test.

5) The course director will examine the documentation provided by the student to determine whether the student is eligible to write a make-up exam. The course director will inform the student of his decision.

6) The manner in which the missed test (which has been legitimately documented) is handled will be at the discretion of the course director. In the case of a make-up test/exam, the student must be prepared to write the test at a date set by the instructor. Although the content to be examined will be the same, the format may or may not follow that of the original test/exam. A conflict in another course during the time of the make-up is not an acceptable reason for missing the make-up (unless there is an examination in the other course at that time).