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What is an assessment?
At McGill, an assessment is defined as any form of student activity used for evaluation in a course, such as (but not limited to), exams, projects, quizzes, presentations, essays, etc.
This page is meant to provide an overview of:
- Assessment and grading-related policies that all students should be familiar with;
- Common assessment-related issues and steps to take should they arise.
Policies on assessments and grading
| Policy | Overview | Policy link |
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Policy on Assessment of Student Learning |
Provides a set of common principles to guide assessment of student learning. Intended as the foundation on which Faculties, Enrolment Services, and other University units can develop guidelines and procedures for assessment. |
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Academic rights and responsibilities |
It is vital that students understand what honest work entails and what constitutes an offence. This site provides an overview of the elements of the Student Code of Conduct that relate to Academic rights and responsibilities. |
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Unexcused absence |
Policy and options for students who miss a final exam or do not complete other required work in a course and are given a J grade. |
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Incomplete courses |
Policy and procedure for requesting an extension of the deadline for your work until after the end of the course. |
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Grading and grade point average |
University regulation on grading and grade point average overview. |
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Other grades |
Other grades and symbols used |
Final Exams
Formal final examinations are held during the examination period following the term in which the course is given (fall and winter terms only). The dates of the examination periods are listed in Important Dates as well as the Exam Schedules webpage. In some courses there is no final exam; academic standing in these courses is determined based on assignments and evaluations completed throughout the term. While most final examinations occur during the examination period, some final evaluations occur in-class. Refer to the course syllabus for methods of evaluation specific to a course.
It is assumed that upon entering the exam room or accessing your online exam, it is your intent to complete the exam. It is your personal responsibility to judge your own state of health before entering the exam room or accessing your online exam to assess whether you can write the exam. If you attend your exam or access your online exam, you are no longer eligible to defer it.
If you were unable to write a final or mid-term exam, you should review the information on what to do in case illness on the common academic issuesÌý·É±ð²ú±è²¹²µ±ð.
If you are a student with a disability, you should be registered with the Student Accessibility and Achievement (SAA). By completing the appropriate form, recommended accommodations may be made.
Students are warned not to make travel arrangements to leave Montreal prior to reviewing the final exam schedule.
Formal final exams are run through the Exams Office - consult their website for the following exam-related policies and procedures:
| Exam Information |
|---|
| Exam regulations (ID card requirement, authorized materials, appropriate conduct during an examination, etc.) |
| Final examination rereads |
Deferred Exams
- A postponed Final Exam, wherein you were unable to write the scheduled Final Exam due to a serious health or wellness condition, or another extenuating circumstance. Requests are made via Minerva, and are approved and scheduled accordingly, per the Deferred Exams webpage.
- The Deferred Exam will be the same weight and mode of delivery as the original Final Exam.
- It is not possible to defer a Deferred Exam to an alternate scheduled date/time, regardless of circumstance.
- No supplemental examinations are available for students who receive a grade of D, F, J, or U in a course after a deferred examination. Such students must either re-register in the same course the following term or in an approved course substitute.
Supplemental Exams
- A Supplemental Exam is in lieu of having to re-enroll in a course in which your final grade on record is any of D, F, J, or U.
- Supplemental Exams aren’t always appropriate to your academic situation, and in some instances may hinder your degree progression. Review the information on the website and meet with a Faculty Adviser to go over your options.
- Full deadlines and regulations pertaining to Supplemental Exams are listed here.
- Not all instructors offer Supplemental Exams for their courses, nor are they obligated to do so. To know if one is offered, consult the syllabus of the course; note that Supplemental Exams will not be offered based on individual personal circumstances.
- Note that there are no Supplemental Exams offered for Summer courses.
- The weight of the Supplemental Exam may or may not be the same as that for the original Final Exam and may or may not include the same proportion of class work as it may have for the original grade. Consult the syllabus of the course.
- The mode of delivery for a Supplemental Exam will be the same as that for the original Final Exam (e.g. if the Final Exam was in-person, the Supplemental Exam will also be in-person).
- Once approved for a scheduled Supplemental Exam, should you fail to write it, there is no academic penalty, and no notation will appear on your academic record. However, it is not possible to defer a Supplemental Exam to an alternate scheduled date/time, regardless of circumstance.
- The Supplemental grade will not replace the grade originally obtained in the course; both the original grade and the Supplemental result will appear on your academic transcript, and both shall be calculated in your CGPA.
Reassessment and Reread
- Reassessments and rereads for Arts courses are subject to the deadlines, rules, and regulations outlined in Course Catalogue (click on link above for details).
- Reassessments and rereads for Science courses are subject to the deadlines, rules, and regulations outlined in Course Catalogue (click on link above for details).
- Reassessments and rereads in courses not in the Faculties of Arts and of Science are subject to the deadlines, rules, and regulations of the relevant faculty.
Arts students apply directly to the unit involved for reassessment of coursework, and through a webform for rereads of final exams.
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