Examinations, Deferrals and Rereads
The following information pertains to examinations for students in the Schulich School of Music.
Course assessment is governed by the Policy on Assessment of Student Learning (PASL). Students should first consult with the instructor if they have concerns about an assessment.
Practical Examinations
Practical examinations and recitals must be presented in one of the official final examination periods. See Key Academic Dates for Fall and Winter; Bachelor of Music (B.Mus.) or Licentiate in Music (L.Mus.) students in their final year may request a final practical exam/recital (MUIN 283, MUIN 482, or MUIN 452) for early September subject to the approval of the Department of Performance. September final practical exams will be recorded as a Summer course. E.g., a final recital scheduled for early September will be recorded as a practical exam in the preceding Summer semester.
Special Procedures for September Practical Exam (Graduating Students Only):
B.Mus. and L.Mus. students are encouraged to plan for their final recital in either the December or April official exam period.
The September practical examination period is available only for students who will complete their final program requirements in the preceding Summer semester.
Students should email practicalexams.music@mcgill.ca to inquire about the possibility to take a practical exam in early September.
The September practical examination period is available only for Summer graduands. Students should email practicalexams.music@mcgill.ca to inquire about the possibility to take a practical exam in September.
Practical Examination Marking
The final mark for any practical examination is the average of all the marks submitted by the individual examiners. At least half of the examiners on the panel must pass the student in order for them to continue to the next level of examination.
The minimum passing grades for examinations are:
- in L.Mus. programs: A- (80% or higher)
- in B.Mus. Major Performance programs: B- (65% or higher)
- in Concentration Study and performance minor programs: C (55% or higher)
In instances where the average mark is a passing grade but a majority of the panel has failed the student, the final mark will be the letter grade immediately below the required passing grade.
Students should consult with their practical instruction teacher to determine when they are ready to do the practical exam(s). Students cannot register for practical exams on Minerva. All students wishing to present a required practical examination must submit an application before the deadline. The faculty will add the MUIN practical exam to the student's records when the practical exam request is approved. Practical exam applications past the deadline may be accepted with permission of the Department of Performance with a $50 late application fee.
Students are responsible for:
- reviewing their area's examination requirements and, in consultation with their assigned practical instructor, deciding on appropriate material to perform at the examination;
- completing the practical examination application form to submit the details pertinent to their examination level by the deadline specified below.
| Practical Examination Period | Application Deadline | Cancellation Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| December | October 15 | November 15 |
| April | February 15 | March 15 |
| Early September | May 31 | August 1 |
Applications may be cancelled without penalty any time up to the cancellation deadline. If the practical exam is cancelled, the MUIN practical exam registration will be removed from the student’s records.
In the event students cannot take the practical exam the day of the scheduled exam, they may request for an exam deferral. See Deferrals for more information.
To cancel or to defer a practical examination, email practicalexams.music@mcgill.ca
Deferrals
Students are encouraged to consult with an academic advisor to learn more about the consequences of delaying course completion before applying for a deferral. Students may request an appointment with an academic advisor through Music Student Affairs advising website.
The Schulich School of Music offers two types of deferrals.
Final Exam Deferral for Courses with a Final Exam
- Students may apply for a deferred exam for a course which has a final exam during the official final exam period. Verify the final exam schedule on the Exam website to determine if the course has a final exam during the official final exam period. If the course is in the final exam schedule and the student cannot write the final exam on the scheduled date, they can submit a deferred exam application on Minerva provided they meet the deferred exam guidelines .
- If the exam deferral request is approved, students must write the deferred exam during the deferred exam period, which is found on the Exam website.
- If students miss the deferred exam, they will receive an incomplete “J” grade, which is considered a failing grade.
Practical Examination Deferrals
- Students may only apply for a practical examination deferral if they cannot perform on the scheduled date of the practical exam/recital due to serious medical illness or serious unforeseeable or extenuating circumstances (travel, minor illnesses such as colds, allergies, aches and pains will not be considered valid reasons).
- Practical examinations/recitals include MUIN 252, MUIN 269, MUIN 272, MUIN 282, MUIN 283, MUIN 333, MUIN 352, MUIN 369,
MUIN 382, MUIN 433, MUIN 452, MUIN 452D1, MUIN 452D2, and MUIN 482 - Students must submit a deferred exam application on Minerva and email practicalexams.music@mcgill.ca prior to or within 24 hours of their scheduled practical exam/recital date.
- If the request is approved, the practical examination will be rescheduled to the following semester's practical exam period. E.g., a December practical exam will be rescheduled to the practical exam period in April the following year; an April practical exam will be rescheduled to the practical exam period in December the same year.
- An “L” grade will be reported for an approved deferred practical exam request. Students will obtain a final grade after the practical exam is completed on the rescheduled date.
The Schulich School of Music does not permit deferrals for already deferred final exams or deferred practical exams. Failure to complete the deferred exams will result in an incomplete “J” grade. In exceptional circumstances, the faculty may recommend a withdrawal from a deferred exam.
Assessment Task Extensions
Apart from final exams, students may request an extension for an assessment task (e.g., a final assignment, term paper, midterm) if there are valid reasons which prevent them from completing the assessment task by the deadline stipulated in the course outline.
- Students who are unable to complete an assessment task by the deadline stipulated in the course outline should contact the instructor before the submission deadline as per Article 7 in PASL.
- If the instructor approves the extension request and this falls beyond the term period and the usual grade submission period, a “K” grade will be reported for the course. Students with a course with an approved extension are expected to complete the course requirements before a mutually accepted date within the subsequent semester.
- A final grade will be reported once all the course requirements are met.
Detailed explanation of the different letter grades is found here.
Rereads for Graded Assessments and Exams
In accordance with the Policy on Assessment of Student Learning (PASL), students have the right to consult any written task assessments for which they have received a mark and the right to discuss the assessment with the examiner.
The Schulich School of Music recognizes different types of assessed tasks:
- In-term graded assessment tasks (papers, mid-terms, assignments, quizzes, etc.)
- Written final exams
- Performance-based assessment tasks (such as ensembles, practical instruction or practical examinations)
Before submitting a reread request, students should review the graded material with the instructor carefully to address their concerns about the assessments. If both the student and the instructor fail to reach an agreement, the student can then request for a third party reread. Procedures to ask for a grade change or reread should be followed according to Article 8 in the PASL.
Rereads are conducted by a qualified and impartial academic member at the Schulich School of Music assigned by the Department Chair.
Grades may either be raised or lowered after a reread/reassessment. The final course grade following a reread takes precedence, whether it is higher or lower.
For application instruction and deadlines to request a reread, contact Music Student Affairs Office.
Supplemental Exams
Supplemental exams are not available for courses administered by the Schulich School of Music.