Sidney Smith Commons

Online resource for A & S students

I can’t make a test or exam, what do I do?

It’s not uncommon that illness or a personal issue, like a death in the family, can interfere with a test or exam and there are supports in place to help you. Below are the steps that you need to follow depending on whether you are writing an in-person final exam, an online final assessment or a midterm test.

IN-PERSON FINAL EXAM

  1. Report your absence. You can report you absence (up to 10 consecutive days) due to illness or any other reason on ACORN using the Absence Declaration tool.
  2. Submit a petition to defer your exam. This petition will allow you to write the exam at a later date. The deadline to submit a petition is five business days after the end of the final assessment period. For June 2023 exams, the deadline to submit a petition is July 5, 2023.

ONLINE FINAL ASSESSMENT

  1. Report your absence. You can report you absence (up to 10 consecutive days) due to illness or any other reason on ACORN using the Absence Declaration tool.
  2. Contact your instructor as soon as possible to discuss rescheduling the assessment for a later date. You will have to complete your assessment before July 5, 2023.
  3. Submit a petition. If you cannot write the final assessment before July 5, 2023, you will have to submit a term work extension petition with your College Registrar’s Office.

MIDTERM TEST

  1. Report your absence. You can report you absence (up to 10 consecutive days) due to illness or any other reason on ACORN using the Absence Declaration tool.
  2. Consult your course syllabus: Be sure to read through the syllabus as it will likely tell you what to do. Some instructors will permit a make-up test or an alternative to a missed test.
  3. Contact your instructor or TA: If your syllabus advises you to, or doesn’t state otherwise, contacting your instructor or TA is a good idea. Let them know you’re unable to write the test and ask about your options.
  4. Contact your College Registrar’s Office: You may need support from your College Registrar’s Office to write a make-up test.

FEELING ILL DURING A TEST OR EXAM

If you feel ill during the test or exam and are too ill to complete the test, make sure to let your instructor or exam facilitator know before leaving the exam room or signing off the online test. They may ask you to sign a form and will explain the next steps to you. For in-person exams, you may file a petition to rewrite your exam. For a petition, you will need to submit supporting documentation including the U of T Verification of Student Illness or Injury form (VOI).