Mid-Semester Examination
Many courses have a mid-semester examination. Instructors usually list the date for the mid-semester exam on their course syllabus. If the course syllabus or outline does not indicate that a mid-semester exam is required, instructors will advise students of their status in the course prior to or immediately after the mid-semester break. This will help students determine whether they need to devote more time to course work or seek additional assistance, for example peer tutoring, or consider withdrawing from the course.
Final Examinations
Final examinations that are listed as the required method of assessment on the course outline are held during UB’s final examination period. The final exam schedule is posted on UB’s website at least 3 weeks before the examination period for the fall or spring semester and at least 1½ weeks before the examination period for the summer session.
Students are responsible for knowing the correct course, day and time of their final exam. Failure to sit a final because a student misreads the schedule does not justify an extraordinary sitting of the exam. In such instances, students receive an ‘F’ grade for the exam.
Extraordinary Sitting of a Final Exam
Students may request an extraordinary sitting of a final exam if they:
- were hospitalised on the day of the exam;
- can produce medical certification that they were ill and confined to bed on the day of, or at least two days prior to, the exam; or
- suffered a death in their immediate family (that is, parents, legal guardian, spouse, children, or siblings) on the day of, or the day immediately prior to, the exam.
Students must submit a Request for Extraordinary Sitting of a Final Examination to the Chair of the unit responsible for the course and take the completed form, along with proof of payment of the Extraordinary Sitting of Final Examination fee to the Records Department no later than 5 business days after the day of the original exam. Following approval of the request, Records will place an ‘XE’ on the student’s transcript. Normally, extraordinary exams must be taken no later than the next regularly scheduled examination period for the course.
Challenge Exam
On the basis of prior learning or past experience, students may request a challenge exam to demonstrate that they meet the learning objectives of a specific UB course. Challenge exams are often similar to final exams or final projects for the course. Students should apply to sit a challenge exam when they are admitted to UB or to their programme of study. Students who pass the challenge exam are required to register and pay the course tuition and fees before they are awarded credit for the course. Students who receive credits for a course on the basis of a challenge exam will also be given credits for the prerequisite courses. No fees are charged for these credits.