Academic Regulation 8: Final Examinations and General Examinations

8.1 – Supplemental Examinations
There are no supplemental examinations in courses offered in the Faculty of Arts and Science.

8.2 –Scheduling of Final Examinations

8.2.1 – Location and Timing of Final Examinations

The final examination in any class offered in any term or session (including Summer Term) must be written on the campus on which the class was taken, at the end of the appropriate term or session.

8.2.2 – Schedule Conflicts

A student discovering a conflict (two examinations at the same hour, three examinations in a 24-hour period or an examination at the same hour as a religious observance) should report the conflict to the University Examinations Office, as soon as possible.

8.3 – Access to Examination Question Papers

               8.3.1 – Publication of Previous Years’ Examination Question Papers

For reference purposes, final examination question papers will normally be made available by the end of September (for the previous academic year) to students through their publication in the Exambank, which is available online. Exemptions from the policy for particular examination question papers may be granted by the Associate Dean (Studies) only in exceptional circumstances and only on an annual basis, on the written request of the instructor, with the signed approval of the Head of Department.

8.3.2 – Release of Examination Question Papers as per Exchange Agreements

Exchange agreements may require instructors to release copies of final examinations, including those exempted from the policy in Regulation 8.3.1 above, to exchange students for review by the home university.

8.4 – Additional Examination Time for Official Exchange Students
Students studying at Queen’s on an official exchange whose first language is not English may apply to the University Examinations Office for additional time of 0.5 hour to write each final examination. They may also bring one language translation dictionary to the examination.

8.5 – Examinations in Distance Classes

               8.5.1 – Location of Distance Examinations

Students living in the Kingston area taking Queen’s distance classes are expected to write their examinations on campus. For students living outside the Kingston area, a list of established examination centres for distance classes is available from Continuing and Distance Studies. If there is not an established centre within 100 kilometres of a student’s residence, one will be established at no charge.

Students requesting a change to the examination centre location after the deadline to make these changes must contact the Correspondence Examinations Coordinator, and if approved, an administrative charge will be assessed.

               8.5.2 – Scheduling of Distance Examinations

Students must write the examinations in distance classes at the time scheduled by the Examinations Office.

Students who face extraordinary circumstances beyond their control and cannot comply with the examination schedule must notify the Correspondence Examinations Coordinator. Students who find themselves in such circumstances may seek permission to write the examination at a later time by appealing in writing to the instructor of the course. Such students seeking permission to write the examination at an earlier time than the scheduled time must appeal in writing to the Office of the Associate Dean (Studies) as well as to the instructor (see Appeal of Academic Decisions, Section 3). In both cases an administrative charge will apply.

               8.5.3 – Scheduling Deferred Distance Examinations

Students who are granted permission by the instructor to defer their distance examination(s) to a subsequent term and who request to reschedule at an off-campus location will be subject to a non-refundable administrative fee for each examination, including additional charges as may be incurred by the University to set up the deferred examination.

8.6 – General Examinations
One or two general examinations may be set by the department(s) concerned for students in the fourth year of an honours Program. General examinations do not count in the total number of courses required for the degree. The weight of the examination in calculating the eligibility for Degree with Distinction will be determined by the individual departments and published in their respective chapters in the Calendar. The general examinations may be either written or oral. Students must register for any required general examination(s) at the same time they register for their fourth-year courses.

8.7 – Formal Review of Final Examinations
Students who feel their final examination has not been accurately assessed may request a formal review of the examination paper (see Academic Regulation 11).