Missed Examinations

1. Missed Term Test or Mid-Term Exam with Appropriate Notification and Documentation¹ for Absence:
   • The option to write a deferred term test or mid-term exam may be given, at the discretion of the instructor². 
   • Term tests and mid-term exams will only be deferred ONE time per course.  The deferred test/exam will be set within four weeks of the original term test/mid-term exam date. 
2. Missed Regular or Deferred Term Test/Mid-Term Exam without both Appropriate Notification and Documentation¹ for Absence:
   • A grade of zero will be assigned for missed regular and deferred term tests/mid-term exams without appropriate notification and  documentation for absence.
3. Missed Deferred Term Test or Deferred Mid-Term Exam with Appropriate Notification and Documentation¹ for Absence:
   • If the final exam is NOT cumulative or the course has no final exam, a petition for suitable accommodation must be submitted to the Examinations Committee via the Office of the Registrar and Student Services Office
   • If the final exam is cumulative the weighting of the term test or mid-term exam will be added to the final exam provided this new weighting is ≤ 75% of the final course grade.  If the new weighting results in a final exam that is >75%, the student will have the option of accepting this higher weighting by notifying the Office of the Registrar and Student Services Office in writing, or petitioning for a second deferred mid-term examination with the original weighting.  The timing of the second deferred mid-term examination will be at the end of term and may result in a deferred final examination.

Guidelines for Missed Final Examinations

Students who miss a final examination and provide proper notice and documentation will have a deferred examination as per the deferred final examination section below.  Guidelines for non-KPE courses may differ.

Deferred Final Examinations

A student may apply for a deferred final examination for only three reasons:

1. documented medical grounds,
2. documented international competition with a national team or other activities with equivalent significance, or
3. documented compassionate grounds.

In each of these cases, the Examinations Committee must be convinced that the student gave the Faculty written notice at the earliest possible opportunity. In cases 1 or 3, the Office of the Registrar and Student Services Office must receive notification within the 24 hour time limit (indicated above) and a petition with supporting documentation requesting a deferred exam must be submitted no later than the end of the examination period. In case 2, arrangements for the international competition must not be made before a student receives permission for an alternative examination date.

Students who sit a scheduled examination will not be allowed to ask for an alternative assessment or special consideration in marking after the fact. Deferred examinations from the December finals will be scheduled during the last two weeks in January.

Deferred examinations from the April finals will be scheduled in mid May. Students who missed writing during the deferred exam periods will write at the next available opportunity which may be the following year when the course is offered.

Deferred Midterm Examinations

With the addition of C.I.S. and O.U.A. league and final competitions to item 2 above, this policy follows the same guidelines as the Deferred Final Examinations Policy above.

Outstanding mid-term tests and assignments
See Grading Practices, Part B. Deadlines and penalties for late or missing work will be stated in the course outline. Professors have the authority to grant extensions of term work to no later than the last date of the examination period. Students requiring extensions beyond that date must petition. Professors may require students to formally petition for term work extensions at their discretion.

KPE GUIDELINES FOR GRADE REVIEW

PREAMBLE

The Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education recognizes that feedback on term work and the opportunity to review examinations (with model answers and/or master key) are important for student learning. As a result, instructors aim to facilitate this process. In exceptional cases, a student may have grounds to formally challenge the marks awarded for their evaluation. Examples of eligible and ineligible requests are provided on the re-evaluation and appeal forms*. The process for grade review is outlined below.

*All related forms can be found at: https://kpe.utoronto.ca/academics-research/bachelor-kinesiology-bkin/petitions-and-appeals

Evaluation documents such as examination questions and model answers are confidential and are not to be copied or communicated to other students.

Communicating confidential materials to others is considered to be an offence under the Code of Behaviour on Academic Matters. This policy can be found online.

PART I: TERM WORK

In the case where assessed work has been returned, students are encouraged to review their work immediately. In the case of restricted assessments, at the time that grades are released, instructors will post a date(s) and time(s) (office hours or other) when students can review their work. When reviewing work, students will be provided with a master examination if relevant (answer key, rubric, model answer); at the discretion of the instructor, students may bring their own course notes and readings for reference. It is the students’ responsibility to take advantage of these opportunities to review their work. Calculation errors can be addressed during the review. It is up to the discretion of the individual course instructor to adjust grades.

Any request for instructor review or appeal must be initiated within 2 weeks of the review opportunity or return of work to the students. This process applies to any KPE coursework completed during the term, including the following: mid-term tests, quizzes, presentations and assignments. Note that in the case of group work, the express written consent of all group members is required using a KPE Request for Appeal of Final Group Grade form to proceed with a re-evaluation. In such cases, it is advantageous for group members to have documentation illustrating their individual contributions.

Level 1: Appeal to the Course Instructor
A student who believes that they have grounds to challenge the marks awarded for an individual item of term work may ask the course instructor for a re-evaluation. Such a request may require the completion of a KPE Request for Re-Evaluation of Term Work form, found on the KPE website. This form requires the student  to state explicitly the part(s) of the evaluation where they think additional marks are warranted and to provide a rationale to support the request. The student must do more than simply assert that, “I disagree with the marking”, or that “I believe I deserve more marks”. The form should be submitted to the course instructor. In rare circumstances, if the instructor is no longer accessible, the form can be submitted to the Office of the Registrar and Student Services Office. The instructor re-evaluation may involve the entire piece of work and can result in a raised mark, a lowered mark or no change. In submitting this request, the student acknowledges that no further requests to re-evaluate this work will be considered by the instructor.

Level 2: Mark Appeal to the Director, Undergraduate Studies
If the student is not satisfied with the re-evaluation, she or he may appeal to the Director, Undergraduate Studies. An appeal must be made in writing, using the KPE Request for Appeal of Final Grade form within two weeks of receipt of the instructor re-evaluation response. Similar to the KPE Request for Re-Evaluation form, students will be asked to state explicitly the part(s) of the evaluation where they have evidence that additional marks are warranted and to provide a rationale for the request. In addition, the mark appeal must include a summary of all previous communications with the marker and/or instructor. If the work in question was a group effort, then each group member must agree to the appeal by signing the KPE Request for Appeal of Final Group Grade form. In such cases, it is advantageous for group members to have documentation illustrating their individual contributions.

The Director will evaluate the arguments submitted in the appeal. If they consider that there are no substantive reasons to initiate an appeal, that judgment will be communicated to the student. If the Director considers that an appeal is appropriate, they will solicit an independent reader for this purpose. In this case, the independent reader will be given a clean, anonymous copy of the work and will not know what mark was assigned originally. The independent reader’s evaluation will be carried out in accordance with the marker/instructor’s original grading scheme and take into account the nature and level of the course. The independent reader’s evaluation will involve the entire piece of work and can result in a raised mark, a lowered mark or no change.

In submitting an appeal request, the student agrees to the terms and conditions stated above, and acknowledges that no further requests to re-evaluate this work will be considered by the Director.

NOTE: In the case where the mark appeal is for a course instructed by the Director, Undergraduate Studies, the appeal will be directed to the Vice-Dean, Academic Affairs.

NOTE: Re-evaluations and mark appeals will be dealt with expeditiously. Cases will be prioritized when feedback from the re-evaluation or appeal impacts subsequent evaluation(s) in the course.

PART II: FINAL GRADES AND EXAMINATIONS

Final Grades
If the student considers that there has been an arithmetical error in calculating their final grade, they may request a “recheck”. In this case, the KPE Request for Re-Check of Final Course Grade form should be completed by the student and submitted to the course instructor within six months of the posting of the final grade on the student web service. The student should indicate precisely where the error is considered to have occurred. A general request for rechecking every piece of evaluation, without substantiation, will not be considered.

Final Examinations

Step 1: Reviewing the Examination
If the final examination is restricted (i.e. students are not permitted to pick up their graded examination), to request a supervised viewing of KPE Faculty final examinations, please contact the course instructor via email within four weeks of the posting of final grades, using your UTOR email address only. The instructor will suggest a date(s) and time when the student may review their final examination in a supervised setting with the instructor and/or TA present. A master examination (answer key, rubric, or model answer if relevant) will be provided and, at the discretion of the instructor, the student may bring their own course notes and readings for reference.

Step 2: Request a Reread
If a student considers that there is evidence to support the awarding of additional marks to their final examination, they may request a re-read. The student must first complete the KPE Request for Reread of Final Examination form. On this form the student is asked to demonstrate that their answers substantially warrant additional marks by citing specific instances of disagreement; these may be supported, at the discretion of the instructor, by such documentary evidence as course handouts, course readings/textbooks, lecture notes, etcetera. The student must do more than simply assert that, “I disagree with the marking”, or that “I believe I deserve more marks”. The Request for Re-read of Final Examination form must be submitted to the Office of the Registrar and Student Services Office within six months of the posting of the final grade on the student web service. A master examination (answer key, rubric, or model answer) will be provided at the time of viewing. [For some examinations, particularly those with multiple choice questions, there may be an examination key that is essential to the marking of the examination, while in other types of examinations, a rubric or model answer, if relevant, will be required. In such cases these documents should be provided at the time of viewing.]

The submitted request will be directed to the course instructor. A recheck or reread may result in a grade being lowered, raised or not changed. In submitting this request, the student acknowledges that no further requests to re-evaluate this work will be considered by the instructor.

Students are asked to make every attempt to view their exam within the four week period. Please contact the KPE Office of the Registrar and Student Services Office should you still wish to review your exam after the four week period or if you need assistance with contacting your instructor. 

The deadline to request an exam viewing is six months after the final grade has been posted.

Step 3: Mark Appeal to the Director, Undergraduate Studies
As a final step in the KPE grade review process, if the student is not satisfied with the reread by the course instructor, they may appeal to the Director, Undergraduate Studies. An appeal must be made  in writing, using the KPE Request for Appeal of Final Grade form within three weeks of the results of the recheck or reread. Similar to the KPE Request for Reread of Final Examination form, the student will be asked to explicitly state the part(s) of the evaluation where they have evidence that additional marks are warranted and to provide a rationale for the request. In addition, the mark appeal must include a summary of all previous communications with the marker and/or instructor.

The Director will evaluate the arguments submitted in the appeal. If the Director considers that there are no substantive reasons to initiate re-evaluation, then this judgment will be communicated to the student. If the Director considers that a re-evaluation is appropriate, he or she will solicit an independent reader for this purpose. The independent reader will be given an  anonymous copy of the work and will not know the mark that was assigned originally. The re-evaluation will be carried out in accordance with the marker/ instructor’s original grading scheme and take into account the nature and level of the course. The re-evaluation will involve the entire piece of work and can result in a raised mark, a lowered mark or no change. In submitting this request, the student acknowledges that no further requests to re-evaluate this work will be considered by the Director.

In submitting the appeal, the student agrees to the terms and conditions stated above.

NOTE: In the case where the mark appeal is for a course instructed by the Director, Undergraduate Studies, the appeal will be directed to the Vice-Dean, Academic Affairs.

Conduct of Examinations

Photo Identification Requirements for Exams:
All students must have a signed photo-identification card displayed during any examination. Acceptable photo identification includes any one of the following, as long as it contains a photo and a signature: current University of Toronto Photo ID (TCard) or up-to-date Passport (any country) or current Driver’s License (any country) or current Canadian health card (any province or territory), or current provincial photo card.

Students appearing without appropriate or any photo identification may still be permitted to write the examination, however, if a student does not have appropriate identification, they must present themselves, along with valid photo identification (TCard, Passport, Driver’s License, Provincial photo card or Canadian Health card) within three business days at the Office of the Registrar and Student Services Office. 

Examination Guidelines

1. A pre-assigned seating plan will be used in all in-person mid-term and final examinations.
2. Students are advised to arrive at the examination room at least 20 minutes before the scheduled exam time.
3. No person will be allowed in an examination room during an examination except the students concerned and those invigilating the examination.  Sharing your UTORid with another individual, to be used to access course materials and/or the exam, is not permitted.
4. Students will not be permitted to enter the examination room later than 15 minutes after the start of the exam, or leave the examination room, except under supervision, until at least 30 minutes after the exam has commenced.  For on-line examinations, once the exam is accessed it must be completed within the specified time OR by the deadline, whichever comes first.  For example, if a 3h examination has a deadline of 5pm and the exam is accessed at 2:15pm, the student will only have 2h and 45 min to complete and submit the exam.  For in person and on-line examinations, it is the student’s responsibility to start the exam on time.  
5. No communication, verbal or non-verbal, is permitted once the student enters or logs into the examination room and during the entire examination session (from the start of the availability of the exam to the deadline for submission). Students may not leave the examination room unescorted for any reason.
6. Students shall place their watch or timepiece on their desks. Items that have functions other than indicating time may not be used as timepieces (e.g., cell phones, smartwatches, or similar electronic items).  If the invigilator cannot tell if the timepiece has wireless or Bluetooth capability, they will ask for it to be placed under the desk and students will not be permitted to access it during the exam.
7. Only a pen, pencil, ruler, calculator (if permitted) and signed Photo I.D. card (e.g., TCard, up-to-date passport, current driver’s license or current Canadian health card) will be allowed on the student’s desk. NOTE: All students shall bring photo I.D.
8. Any pencil cases/containers, food items or drinks found on desks will be searched.  If the invigilator either suspects or cannot tell whether the item could compromise the integrity of the exam, they will ask for it to be placed under the desk and students will not be permitted to access it during the exam. No materials or (electronic) devices shall be used at an examination except those authorized by the course instructor/examiner. Unauthorized materials include, but are not limited to: books, class notes, or aid sheets.  Unauthorized devices include, but are not limited to: headsets, cell phones (such as smartphones), laptop computers, calculators, MP3 players (such as an iPod), pagers, Fitbits, electronic dictionaries, smartwatches and smart glasses. Coats, jackets, knapsacks, purses, pencil cases, notes and books are to be deposited in areas designated by the instructor/examiner and are not to be taken to the examination desk. It is recommended that students DO NOT bring valuables, including electronics, to the examination room. However, if the student has brought a bag (paper, transparent plastic or non-transparent plastic), the following items may be stored inside it under the student’s chair (as long as the bag is large enough): cell phone, wallet, laptop computer and any other small electronic devices such as a calculator.
9. Unless otherwise specified by the course instructor, all in person and on-line examinations are to be completed individually and without the use of or access to unauthorized (not specifically named by course instructor) materials and/or assistance from others.  Students with unauthorized materials or electronic devices outside the designated area within the examination room or who assist or obtain assistance from other students or from any unauthorized source are liable to penalties under the Code of Behaviour on Academic Matters, including the loss of academic credit and expulsion.
10. No hats or sunglasses may be worn during the examination.
11.  An invigilator will accompany students who need to use the washroom.
12. Students shall remain seated at their desks during the final 10 minutes of each in-person examination.
13. At the conclusion of an exam, all writing within the answer books and/or scantron shall cease. The invigilator may seize the examination papers of students who fail to observe this requirement, and a penalty may be imposed.  For on-line exams, a 10-minute submission window is factored into the exam time.  For example, for an exam window ending at 3pm, all writing should stop at 2:50pm, allowing 10 minutes to submit the exam electronically.  Any submission issues must be reported within this 10-minute period and the exam should be e-mailed to the course instructor and the Office of the Registrar and Student Services Office (undergrad.kpe@utoronto.ca) since late submissions will not typically be accepted. 
14. Examination books shall not be removed from the examination room or saved/shared electronically. Other material issued for the examination shall not be removed from the examination room or saved/shared electronically except by authority of the Course Instructor.
15. If a student is ill and suspects they might not be able to complete the exam, they should not access the exam and instead should notify the KPE 
    Office of the Registrar and Student Services Office within 24 hours and seek medical attention.  In rare circumstances, if a student becomes ill during the exam and is unable to continue, they should formally abandon the examination by notifying an invigilator of the examination and seek medical attention. The student will need to petition to defer the examination and provide proper medical documentation to the KPE Office of the Registrar and Student Services Office.
16. Students who write a scheduled examination and hand in their examination paper for marking will not be allowed to ask for an alternative assessment or special consideration in marking after the fact.

• If an offence is committed, The Code of Behaviour on Academic Matters will be enforced including up to the loss of academic credit and expulsion.

It is your responsibility to familiarize yourselves with the exam rules of the Faculty from which your course is delivered. For example, the exam rules from the Faculty of Arts and Science can be found here.

Examination Conflicts/Overload

Only the following situations are a conflict:

• Two or more final examinations scheduled for the same day and time
• Three final examinations scheduled within three consecutive time blocks
• Two or more midterm examinations with overlapping writing times, where at least one of those examinations is scheduled outside of the regular class hours for that course

Students must report examination conflicts by the deadline date indicated on the posted Faculty examination schedule. Arrangements will be made for students to write conflicting examinations on the same day with a short supervised break between examinations. Instructors are encouraged to set different examinations where cases of conflict exist.

Pledge of Non-Disclosure

The Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education requires students writing examinations at times other than the regularly scheduled time, to sign a Pledge of Non-Disclosure form. Any breach of this agreement will lead to imposition of the maximum permitted academic penalty.