Examinations, Deferrals, and Rereads

The following information pertains to examinations for students at 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.

Final Assessments

Practical Examinations

All students enrolled in a Bachelor of Music, Licentiate in Music, conducting minor or early music performance minor are required to complete practical examinations. See Practical Examinations for more information.

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 the 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 Exams 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, and 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, and MUIN 482
• Students must submit a deferred exam application prior to or within 24 hours of their scheduled practical exam/recital date. Visit the Schulich School of Music website for deferred practical exam application instructions.
• If the request is approved, the practical examination will be rescheduled to the following semester's practical exam period—a December practical exam will be rescheduled to the practical exam period in April the following year and 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.

For more information on assessment, refer to the Regulations section on Grading and Grade Point Averages (GPA).

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.