Final Exam Petitions

New Changes

Verification of Illness

U of T Engineering requires documentation when submitting a petition. Starting September 1, 2023, students must submit the Verification of Illness form for medically related absences.

Please note that as of September 1, 2023, Engineering students will no longer be able to declare their absence on ACORN.

Missed Exam due to Illness

If you are sick or you are experiencing other extenuating circumstances that you feel will severely affect your performance on a final exam, you may submit a final exam petition with documentation. The UAC will review each petition case individually and will decide if consideration is granted. At their discretion, the UAC may grant an assessed mark if there is sufficient closely supervised term-work or a deferred exam if deemed most appropriate. Deferred exams are scheduled during the Winter Term Reading Week for a missed Fall Term exam. See further information on the potential outcomes.

Sometimes, things do not go as planned. A petition, which is submitted through the Engineering Portal, is your formal request for an exception to a Faculty or University rule, regulation or deadline.

While the information below is considered informal and unofficial, you are encouraged to review it if you are unfamiliar with petitions. Official information can be found in the Academic Regulations chapter of the Academic Calendar. If you have any questions that are not addressed here, please contact the Office of the Registrar.

What is a Petition?

A petition is your formal request for an exception to a Faculty or University rule, regulation or deadline. The University of Toronto acknowledges that students sometimes encounter unforeseen or uncontrollable circumstances that can severely interfere with their ability to fulfill their academic obligations.

Through the petition process, you may seek a resolution for the academic consequences that may have resulted from extenuating circumstances. However, you are expected to make every effort to complete term work and final examinations. Petitions that arise from a failure to prioritize academic responsibilities or carelessness will not be granted.

Some examples of reasons you may consider submitting a petition:

  • Severe personal illness
  • Illness or death of a close family member
  • Personal or family crisis
  • Other extenuating circumstances

Final Examinations

Petitions that concern final examinations should be submitted within seven days of your last examination. Please note that deferred examinations and re-writes for courses in the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering are not standard practice. If a petition is approved, the Undergraduate Assessment Committee will likely assign an assessed mark based on closely supervised term work as compared to the closely supervised term work the rest of the class in relation to their final examination performance.

A final examination petition cannot offer you exemption from writing an examination. If you have a legitimate examination conflict (see the Office of the Registrar for a definition) you may be offered an opportunity to write the examination. No exemptions will be given for personal or travel reasons.

Final examination petitions should be submitted through the Engineering Portal. Decisions regarding petitions, once decided, will appear in the Portal.

Final Examination Petition Deadlines

The deadline to submit a petition and the accompanying documentation for a final examination is seven days after your Engineering final examination.

Academic and Personal Advising

If you are having difficulty with a course, you are encouraged to speak with your professor or instructor. However, if your difficulties continue, or if they are out of the scope of what your professor can assist with, please consult with your Academic Advisor.

You should not hesitate to speak with an Advisor to obtain clarification on any rules or regulations in the Academic Calendar. An Advisor can refer you to special services that may assist you with academic, personal or financial difficulties. Students in their first year of studies should contact their first-year Advisor; all other students should contact the academic advisor in their respective departments. Consultations with Advisors are confidential. You are encouraged to contact your Advisor at the first sign of a problem that could potentially affect your studies.

Weighing the Potential Costs and Benefits of Submitting a Petition

When making a decision about your final examinations because of medical or personal difficulties, consider the following:

  • How well you feel at the time of the examination(s)
  • Whether or not you can obtain official documentation that confirms your severe illness or circumstance
  • How prepared you feel at the end of the session versus attempting to retain the knowledge for a possible later examination date

It's important to remember that the petition process is intended to assist students who are experiencing a severe illness or set of circumstances. Minor illnesses, such as a cold, are not considered severe enough to require accommodation.

Non-Engineering Course Exam Petitions

If you wish to petition for an Arts & Science final exam, you should consult the U of T Engineering’s Office of the Registrar immediately. You must submit your petition and all supporting documentation within seven days of your last exam. All petitions go through your registered Faculty (Engineering). For more information, please visit the Guide to Taking Arts & Science Courses.

Petition and Appeal Documentation

Official Supporting Documentation Requirements

If you are submitting a petition or an appeal, you must submit official supporting documentation to support your case. The official documentation is both a formal Faculty requirement and a necessary tool that assists the Faculty in making a decision. Your official supporting documentation must outline your situation and the dates you were affected. Strong documentation typically equals a stronger petition or appeal case.

Types of Documentation

The supporting documentation you need to attach to your petition or appeal must be relevant to your situation. For example, if you were in a traffic accident, you should submit a police accident report; if someone in your family passed away, you must submit a copy of the death certificate or funeral notice.

Medical

The most common piece of supporting documentation that the Faculty receives is the U of T Verification of Student Illness or Injury Form.*

A doctor's note, which simply states that the "student cannot write" is insufficient. The Verification of Student Illness or Injury form asks specific questions the Faculty needs to be answered to gain a better understanding of the severity of your illness. If possible, please have your doctor complete the form at the time of your visit. A verification that indicates the doctor was told of your illness after the fact is typically insufficient.

Please note the successful submission of a completed U of T Verification of Student Illness or Injury Form does not necessarily mean the Undergraduate Assessment Committee will provide accommodation. The Committee takes the severity, duration and date of the illness into consideration when making a decision regarding a petition.

*See note at top of the page.

Potential Petition Outcomes

Deferred examinations and re-writes for Engineering courses are not standard practice in the Faculty. If your final exam petition is granted, the Undergraduate Assessment Committee (UAC) may grant you one of the following accommodations to calculate your final grade or standing.

Assessed Mark

If a student did not write the examination, an assessed mark may be granted only if there is sufficient closely supervised term work (e.g., midterms, in-person tests, etc.), if the student has not received multiple assessed marks in the past and the assessed mark does not lead to a failing grade. An assessed mark may be calculated according to a Faculty-approved formula that considers your closely supervised term work and the class average on term work and the examination. If the exam was written under difficult circumstances, your examination mark will be factored into the final decision.

Deferred Examination (SDF)

Deferred examinations (SDFs) are standard accommodations for Arts & Science, UTM and UTSC examinations. Deferred examinations are not standard practice in U of T Engineering; however, in rare circumstances, a deferred examination may be assigned if a student was absent from a U of T Engineering examination due to a severe and documented injury, illness or bereavement. SDFs are not typically granted to students who attempted their originally scheduled examination.

For further information, please review the U of T Engineering's Guidelines for Granting a Deferred Examination (SDF) in Undergraduate Engineering Courses (PDF).

Deferred Examination Scheduling

If you are granted an SDF, it will be a regular SDF, to be taken the next time the course is offered. Under rare circumstances, a special SDF may be granted, which should be written as soon as possible after the missed examination.

If you are granted an SDF, the Office of the Registrar will notify you, the Course Instructor and your Academic Advisor. The Course Instructor will then draft a new examination.

A regular SDF will take place during the Winter Term reading week for missed exams from the Fall Term, and during June for missed exams from the Winter Term. You are expected to be available between 9:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. any weekday during this period. You are strongly recommended to not make any travel plans until you receive a petition decision in case you are granted an SDF. Travel plans should be made to accommodate this schedule. Every effort will be made to give you three weeks’ notice regarding the time and location of the examination.

Missed Deferred Examinations

If you do not write your SDF and do not submit a petition, the Office of the Registrar will insert your original earned mark into your transcript.

If you miss your SDF for extraordinary reasons, you must submit a separate petition within one week of the examination period to be considered for a further deferral, which is not guaranteed. If you submit a petition regarding missing your SDF, the Undergraduate Assessment Committee will review your petition and determine the best course of action.

If you are not granted a further deferral, the Office of the Registrar will insert your original earned mark into your transcript. A third deferral is rarely granted.

Pre-requisite Courses with SDF Standing

If you have an SDF for a course that is a pre-requisite for another course or course, you must seek permission from the department that requires the pre-requisite before you may continue in the next course. The department may approve or deny the request at its discretion.

Deferred Examination Timelines

If you do not write the SDF by the end of the third term following the original examination date (including the Summer Term), then you must retake the course. In this case, the original earned grade will be inserted into your transcript and your academic standing will be re-assessed based on the original earned grade.

Deferred Examination Fees

There is no cost for the first SDF. However, for any further deferrals, you will be required to pay a $70 fee for each examination sitting scheduled after the first SDF.

If you have not paid the fee by the stated deadline, the Office of the Registrar will cancel the SDF and the student will not be provided with a second opportunity to write the SDF.

If your SDF is cancelled due to non-payment, the Office of the Registrar will insert your original earned grade into your transcript and notify you of your new GPA and academic status.

Aegrotat Standing (AEG)

Aegrotat standing (AEG) is granted based on a review of the student’s term work and the reason for the petition. On approval of a student's petition, the Undergraduate Assessment Committee aegrotat standing, which carries credit for the course, but is not considered for averaging purposes. Aegrotat standing is a substitute for assigning an assessed mark; it is considered when three or more final examinations were missed or extraordinarily encumbered and the student was clearly passing the course.

Retroactive Withdrawal (WDR)

A retroactive withdrawal (WDR) is a withdrawal from the session after the published deadline for withdrawals has passed. This remedy is considered very rarely and only granted when evidence is shown that the student was unable to drop their courses before the deadline because of severe impairments. Please note that when late withdrawal without academic penalty is granted, a permanent notation of "WDR" is placed on the academic record in lieu of a course grade. No changes can be made to the academic record after a degree is conferred.

Note

While the Undergraduate Assessment Committee is mindful of your requests for a specific accommodation, the request is granted or denied on the appropriateness of standard practice.

Appeals

If your petition is denied, you have thirty days to submit an official appeal to the Faculty. Typically, an appeal will include additional information that was not submitted with the original petition.

Frequently Asked Questions About Petitions

What documentation do I need for a petition?

Any documentation that can verify the facts of your case. Medical documentation will only be accepted on the U of T Verification of Student Illness or Injury form (formerly the U of T Medical Certificate). If you are seeing a physician, please download and print the form for your doctor to complete. If you did not have your doctor complete the form on your original visit, please return it and have the doctor complete it.

Other documentation may also be relevant depending on the situation. The more "professional" the individual providing the documentation, the stronger your case will be. Someone unrelated to you and bound by professional standards of ethics is in a better position to provide formal documentation than a relative or friend. If you have any questions about what might be useful, consult the Office of the Registrar.

Why can’t I appear in person to argue my own case?

The Faculty reviews hundreds of petitions a year. The Undergraduate Assessment Committee uses written materials to consider petitions in order to expedite the process and to create a record of activities. If the Academic Appeals Board requests a hearing for your appeal, you will be asked to appear to answer questions about your case.

How long does it take to get a decision?

Even with the large number of petition requests the Faculty receives each session, most are dealt with promptly. The simplest petitions, such as those for missed exams that are accompanied by appropriate documentation, are answered almost immediately. Others take a little longer, but the vast majority of petitions are answered in a very timely way. The Faculty makes a firm endeavour to deal with all petitions within 90 days of receiving the petition and all documentation from the student. If a response seems to be taking a long time, you can follow up with the Office of the Registrar.

Should I wait to view my final marks before submitting a Final Examination petition?

No. A stronger petition is submitted before viewing final marks as it shows evidence the petition is based on circumstances or impairments and not an undesired result.

How will I receive notice that my petition request has been decided?

Decisions for petitions for special consideration and final examinations will appear on the Engineering Portal. You will receive an email advising that a decision has been rendered. If you have difficulties navigating the Engineering Portal please visit the Office of the Registrar.

I've received a petition decision but I don't understand what it means. Who can help?

Petition decisions will state if an accommodation was offered. If you require additional information about your petition circumstances, please see your undergraduate academic advisor. For help understanding remedies and petition procedures, please see the Office of the Registrar.

Will the Undergraduate Assessment Committee "give me more marks?"

There is no approved accommodation that awards higher final marks. If the Undergraduate Assessment Committee grants an assessed mark, your final mark may change according to an assessed mark formula. All other final exam remedies involve non-grade symbols. While the Committee invites you to state the desired outcome for your petition and takes your request under consideration, it grants remedies based on the appropriateness and standard practice.

I just received "official" final marks but I have a final examination petition pending. Does this mean my petition was denied?

No. Petitions are reviewed after marks become "official." Unless you receive a petition decision, consider your petition still under review.