Frequently asked questions
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Final exams are held at the end of each term in December and April, and in the summer. Students are expected to be available for the entire examination period. If you make personal commitments during the examination period, you do so at your own risk.
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The exam schedule for Winter Term 1 is usually available in mid-October. The Winter Term 2 schedule is usually available in mid-February. Summer exams generally take place on the last day of class unless otherwise noted.
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The only changes that are made to the exam schedule are those requested by the department and/or instructor. After the exam schedule has been released, ask your instructor if they plan to request an exam date change.
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The mid-November and mid-March release dates are for the exam schedule with locations. It takes time to work on the room assignments for exams, therefore the exam dates are released a month prior to the exam rooms. This way students can start making travel plans earlier than mid-November or mid-March.
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An examination clash is defined as multiple examinations scheduled on the same day at the same time, as listed on the UBC exam schedule for the current Winter Session.
You should contact your instructor(s) as soon as possible to determine whether an alternate writing time is available. If neither instructor can accommodate a different exam time, you need to complete the Daytime Exam Clash form available from Enrolment Services. Enrolment Services will arrange for you to write the examinations back-to-back on the original examination date, under supervision. If your exam clash occurs during an evening exam, weekend exam, or the Summer Session, the instructor is responsible for resolving the clash.
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An examination hardship is defined as three or more examinations scheduled within a 24-hour period. If you face an examination hardship you will be given an alternate examination date for the second examination causing hardship by the appropriate instructor or department. You must notify the instructor of the middle examination no later than one month prior to the examination date.
Look at your exam schedule carefully before approaching the instructor. If the start time of the third exam falls just outside the 24-hour period your situation is not an official hardship. For example, if the first exam is on Monday at 8:30 a.m., the second exam is on Monday afternoon at 3:30 p.m., and the third exam is on Tuesday at 8:30 a.m., there is no official hardship because the third exam starts just after the 24-hour period expires. Such a sequence does not need to be accommodated under the hardship policy. See the official examination hardship policy in the Calendar.
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UBC's policy on religious holidays requires you to notify your instructor in writing that you are not able to attend the exam. You must also request academic concession from your dean's office. Read the Academic Concession section in the Calendar for more information as well as the detailed information on the Religious accommodations page
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Inform the instructor or department and provide medical documentation. You must also request an academic concession, which is granted only by the dean or director (or their delegate) of your faculty. Read the Academic Concession section in the Calendar for more information.
