Deferred Final Exams

Students who must miss a Registrar-scheduled final exam due to extenuating circumstances may apply for a deferred final exam.

Fall 2023 exams will have two application windows.

  1. November 3, 2023: For applications related to three exams in 24 hours, religious conviction and other.
  2. December 9-22, 2023: For all applications.

Deadline for all applications is two business days after the scheduled final exam. Please submit one application per exam.

  1. Final exam dates

    Dec. 9 - 20, 2023

  2. Deferred final exam dates

    January 8-13, 2024 *for select courses listed below

    January 22-27, 2024

  1. Final exam dates

    April 12-23, 2024

  2. Deferred final exam dates

    May 20-25, 2024

New for Fall 2023

  • Students are limited to apply for one exam deferral per application. Students seeking deferrals of multiple examinations will be required to enter an application for each exam.
  • In accordance with the reintroduction of section M.1 of the academic calendar, students will be required to submit supporting documentation for the following eligibility criteria: Illness, Domestic Afflictions, and Other.
  • Deferral requests due to medical illness must be submitted on the day of the exam, or up to two business days following the scheduled examination.
  • Select courses offered by the faculty of Science and the Schulich School of Engineering will have deferred final exams hosted from January 8-13, 2024. This is to help ensure that these courses will function as a prerequisite for Winter 2024 courses.

*The following courses will have deferred final examinations scheduled from January 8-13, 2024:

BIOL 241, BIOL 311, BIOL 371, CHEM 201, CHEM 203, CHEM 351, CHEM 373, CPSC 217, CPSC 231, CPSC 331, CPSC 351, CPSC 355, ENDG 319, ENEL 353, ENGG 349, MATH 211, MATH 249, MATH 265, MATH 275, MATH 375, PHYS 211, PHYS 221, PHYS 227, STAT 213

Prerequisite course or applying for graduation

Due to the scheduling of deferred final exams, your standing for course requirements (such as prerequisite requirements and graduation applications) may be impacted. Please contact your faculty advising office prior to applying for deferral to discuss the impact of deferring a prerequisite course, or to discuss a deferred examinations impact on graduation.

Eligibility criteria, application process, and deadlines to apply

To apply to defer a final exam, submit your application and any required supporting documentation through your Student Centre. Supporting documentation can be uploaded right in your application. See the eligibility criteria as well as application instructions and deadlines listed below.

Students with three final exams scheduled to start and finish within a 24-hour period may defer one of their final exams to the deferred final exam period.

You must select the exam you wish to defer on your application. If your schedule does not meet the criteria, you will not be able to select this reason on your online application.

For example, if you have exams at 3:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. on one day, and an exam on the next day at noon, you're eligible to apply under this criteria.

An exam schedule with the first exam at 8 a.m. and the second exam at 3:30 p.m. on one day, and then a third exam at 8 a.m. on the following day, does not qualify as three exams in 24 hours.

Click to view a step-by-step guide for how to submit and review your online application.

  1. Supporting Documentation

    No supporting documentation is required.

    You're only able to select this reason to defer if your schedule consists of three exams within 24 hours.

  2. Application Deadline

    Fall 2023 - Friday, November 3

In the event of a religious observance causing a direct conflict with a final exam that prevents you from attending a final exam, you can apply to write a deferred final exam.

Click to view a step-by-step guide for how to submit and review your online application.

  1. Supporting Documentation

    Provide a rationale in the comments area of the application.

    Supporting documentation is not required.

  2. Application Deadline

    Fall 2023 - Friday, November 3

If you personally experience an illness or medical emergency that physically prevents you from attending a final exam, you can apply to write a deferred final exam.

Click to view a step-by-step guide for how to submit and review your online application.

  1. Supporting Documentation

    Provide a description of the reason for your absence in the comments area of the application.

    Supporting documentation is required, ie. medical documentation/note, statutory declaration.

  2. Application Deadline

    Please submit your application on the day of your scheduled exam or up to two business days after.

In the event of a domestic affliction, compassionate or other circumstance (e.g. death or illness of a family member) that prevents you from attending a final exam, you can apply to write a deferred final exam.

Click to view a step-by-step guide for how to submit and review your online application.

  1. Supporting Documentation

    Provide a rationale in the comments area of the application.

    Supporting documentation is required to be submitted to your faculty office, i.e. written statement from a third party, an accident report, notice (certification) of a death, statutory declaration, etc.

  2. Application Deadline

    Please submit your application on the day of your scheduled exam or up to two business days after.

If your attendance is required elsewhere during a scheduled exam due to civil obligations or a faculty-approved activity (such as jury duty, academic competitions, or high-level athletic competitions), you can apply to write a deferred final exam.

Click to view a step-by-step guide for how to submit and review your online application.

  1. Supporting Documentation

    Provide a rationale in the comments area of the application.

    Supporting documentation is required, i.e. letter from a coach, nomination letter, etc.

  2. Application Deadline

    Fall 2023: First application window will close Friday, November 3. Applications will reopen December 9-22, applications are due two business days after the scheduled final exam.

Supporting documentation can be uploaded right with your application. However, if you are having difficulty attaching your documentation, please send it via email as follows.

For reasons of illness/medical emergency (any faculty): dfedocs@ucalgary.ca

For reasons other than illness/medical emergency:

  • For enrolment and attendance in other courses, including group study courses.
  • For misreading the exam schedule.
  • To accommodate travel plans.
  • If you've completed less than half of the assigned work in a course.
  • If you've submitted a final exam for marking.
  • To compensate for lost study time due to unforeseen extenuating circumstances.

If you're approved to defer an exam but you decide to write the exam as originally scheduled, please email dfedocs@ucalgary.ca to withdraw your application.

Your application status

Once you've submitted your application, you can review the details and status on the Deferred Final Exam page in your Student Centre. If you have submitted incorrect information and need to amend your application, please notify your faculty office or Enrolment Services in the case of illness/medical emergency related deferrals.

Please note: Applications are reviewed in the order in which they were submitted. It is likely your application will not be reviewed before your scheduled final exam.

A decision on your application

If a decision is made on your application, you will see it's “approved” or “denied”. You will be able to view comments in your application if one is provided. If you have questions regarding a denied application, you can contact the appropriate office listed above.

Your application approval process

If your application is approved, your next step is to wait for the deferred exam schedule to be available, approximately a week prior to the date of the deferred exam. You will receive the schedule from your UCalgary email and will not be available on your Student Centre. You're fully responsible for determining the exact date, time and location of the deferred exam when it's available.

Deferred exam dates and schedule

Deferred final exams are scheduled by the Office of the Registrar. They may be scheduled anytime, Monday to Saturday, during the official deferred exam period as noted. Students must be available for their scheduled exam time.

Receiving your deferred exam schedule

If you are approved to write a deferred exam, the schedule will be emailed to your UCalgary email address approximately one week prior to the start of the deferred exam period. The schedule will not be available in the Student Centre. Students are fully responsible for identifying the exact date, time and location of the deferred exam when it's available.

Preparing for your deferred final exams

Regulations for deferred final exams are very similar to final exams. The steps below outline expectations for in-person deferred final exams. 

Arrival

Arrive early to check the seating lists posted outside the exam room and to prepare for your exam.

If you're more than 30 minutes late to arrive at the exam location, you will not be permitted to write the exam.

Identification

You must have your Student ID or a valid government-issued photo ID at the time of the exam.

Failure to show a valid ID at the start of the deferred exam will result in ineligibility to sit for the exam.

Physical or digital pictures of identification will not be accepted.

Integrity bag

Except for items authorized to be used during the exam, all your belongings, including bags and backpacks etc., that you bring into the exam room must fit in the integrity bag provided on the day of your exam.*

Storing your belongings

You will not be allowed to leave your bags in the hallways nor inside the exam room if they are not put in the integrity bag provided.

You must store them away before you enter the exam room.

*Electronic devices, including electronic watches, must be powered off before being placed into the integrity bag; analogue watches are allowed for use in the exam room. Non-religious headgears cannot be worn in the exam room.

Questions?

View a list of frequently asked deferred final exam questions.

Deferred Exam FAQs