Personal exam schedules
December 2023 final exams:
- December 8 to December 21, 2023
Personal schedules will be available in Mosaic at the end of September: Select the My Exam Schedule tile in Mosaic and then December 2023 Final Exams. Please note that exam schedules may be unavailable between 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. daily.
Exam conflicts
The following types of problems are resolved by the Office of the Registrar before personal timetables are posted in Mosaic.
1. More than one examination scheduled at the same time.
2. Three examinations in one calendar day (midnight to midnight). Examples:
- 9 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 4 p.m.
- 12:30 p.m., 4 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
- 9 a.m., 4 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
- 9 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Exam start time | Day 1 |
---|---|
9 a.m. | Exam 1 |
12:30 p.m. | Exam 2 |
4 p.m. | Exam 3 |
7:30 p.m. |
Exam start time | Day 1 |
---|---|
9 a.m. | Exam 1 |
12:30 p.m. | |
4 p.m. | Exam 2 |
7:30 p.m. | Exam 3 |
3. Three consecutive examinations over two days. Examples follow:
- December 14 – 4 p.m., December 14 – 7:30 p.m., December 15 – 9 a.m.
- December 14 – 7:30 p.m., December 15 – 9 a.m., December 15 – 12:30 p.m.
Exam start time | Day 1 | Day 2 |
---|---|---|
9 a.m. | Exam 3 | |
12:30 p.m. | ||
4 p.m. | Exam 1 | |
7:30 p.m. | Exam 2 |
Exam start time | Day 1 | Day 2 |
---|---|---|
9 a.m. | Exam 2 | |
12:30 p.m. | Exam 3 | |
4 p.m. | ||
7:30 p.m. | Exam 1 |
Illness
If you miss or leave an exam for medical reasons, you must submit a Petition for Special Consideration form with supporting documentation of illness, personal or family reasons. The form is available from the Office of the Associate Dean (Studies) of your Faculty. Your petition, along with supporting documentation is normally required within 5 working days of the missed examination.
Deferred exam status can be viewed in Mosaic (Student Centre > Academics > Deferred Exam Approvals).
Exam accommodation
The deadline to change or request final exam accommodation is November 29, 2023. If you are registered with Student Accessibility Services (SAS), you can contact SAS for any changes to the accommodation plan.
If you need final exam accommodations, you can request an intake appointment before November 29, 2023.
Writing locations for accommodated exams:
- Tim Nolan Testing Centre – McMaster University Student Centre (MUSC) Room B101 and MUSC B107
- Peter George Centre for Living and Learning (PGCLL), excludes PGCLL 127 and PGCLL B138
Academic accommodation for Religious, Indigenous and Spiritual Observances (RISO)
If you have a scheduling conflict between final examinations scheduled by the Registrar’s Office and religious, Indigenous or spiritual observance, please complete the RISO form and submit it to Gilmour Hall 114 or by email at least 10 working days before the start of the examination period.
RISO exams are not permitted to be written before the original exam date. Final examinations will be rescheduled within the same exam period as requested.
The McMaster RISO Policy can be found here.
The deadline to request an accommodation under the RISO policy for December 2023 Final Exams is November 24, 2023.
The deadline to request an accommodation under the RISO policy for April 2024 Final Exams is March 28, 2024.
All students must comply with Undergraduate Examinations Policy as approved by Senate. Students who do not observe regulations will be required to withdraw from the examination.
Use of Calculators For Examinations:
The McMaster Standard Calculator is designated by the appropriate Associate Vice-President on behalf of the Undergraduate Council and may be specified as an aid for a final examination. If an instructor permits the use of the McMaster Standard calculator, the student will be informed, and it will be included as part of the course outline.
The McMaster Standard Calculator is the Casio fx-991 MS or Casio fx-991 MS Plus. The Casio fx-991 is available with various letter configurations, however only the MS or MS Plus models are acceptable when the McMaster Standard Calculator has been designated for use. The McMaster Standard Calculator may be purchased at the Campus Store. Students who have accommodations with Student Accessibility Services (SAS) may use an approved accessible calculator.
At the Exam:
ID – McMaster student photo identification cards or government-issued photo identification is required at all examinations.
- If students do not have any photo ID on them, they will not be allowed in the exam room.
- A single use verification card can be obtained for that exam only ($30.00 fee applies) at IWC B122 or PGCLL M25. No extension of the examination will be permitted to compensate for any delay encountered to obtain a temporary ID.
- Students who seat themselves at an examination without photo ID cards will be accompanied to a location where they can obtain an ID card. No extension of the examination will be permitted to compensate for any delays.
Punctuality
- Punctuality is essential and no extra time will be allowed to those arriving late. No student will be admitted to an examination room more than 30 minutes after the start of any session.
Conduct
- No conversation or any form of communication between students is permitted. No communicating devices or cell phones are permitted. No books, papers or instruments may be taken into any examination room unless specifically prescribed on the examination paper. No examination books or supplies are to be removed from the examination room. Small personal belongings must be left beneath the chairs, not on the desks. The University can assume no responsibility for lost articles.
After the Exam:
Leaving the Exam
- No student may leave the room to withdraw from an examination during the first 45 minutes of any session. Students must leave the room immediately after handing in their examination materials.
Tips to Prepare for Exams:
- Check your Personal Timetable in Mosaic.
- Select My Exam Schedule tile
- In Mosaic
- Select Task Tile
- Select Exam Guidelines Agreement
- Read through the Exam Policy
- Check the Accept box, Save and Exit.
- Select Task Tile
- Make sure you have your student card – it’s required for writing exams. Lost your card? Visit the Registrar’s Office (Gilmour Hall 108) in advance to have it replaced (charges apply).
Online Examinations:
If you have an online examination and need a quiet place to write, the following rooms have been reserved:
BSB 147
KTH B135
JHE 264
JHE 376
TSH B128
Personal exam schedules
October 2023 deferred exams:
- October 10 to October 13, 2023
Personal schedules will be posted in Mosaic at the end of September. If you have been approved to write a deferred exam, you will receive an email when the schedule is released.
Deferred exam process
If you have missed an exam due to medical or personal reasons, you will need to obtain and complete the relevant form from your Faculty Office and submit it within five working days of the missed exam. Please note, deferred exams may affect academic decisions and progress.
- Once you have completed an exam, no further requests for special consideration will be granted.
- If the reason for missing your exam is medical, please use the approved McMaster University Medical Form. You will need to be seen by a doctor at the earliest possible date, normally on or before the date of the missed exam. The doctor must verify the duration of your illness.
- If the reason for missing your exam is non-medical, relevant official documentation is required within five working days.
- Please check with your Faculty Office for a decision on your request. If a deferral is granted, “DEF” will appear in Mosaic (My Academics > Grades).
- Deferred examinations are written during the next deferred exam period. Default of the deferred exam will result in a fail for that exam.
- If you are granted more than one deferred exam, you may be required to reduce your course load by your Faculty/Program Office during the term in which the deferred exams are being written. The reduced load decision will be made and communicated along with the deferred exam request decision.
- If you have been granted one or more deferred exams, a hold may be placed on your record in following terms. The hold will remain until all deferred exam(s) are completed and your academic standing is calculated. You will be notified of this decision by your Faculty/Program Office or through Mosaic > Student Centre > View My Grades.
Request to Write Off-Campus
To write your approved deferred exam at an institution other than McMaster, you will need to submit a Request to Write Deferred Examination Off-Campus form at least 15 working days prior to the start of the deferred exam period. Please note that this form is due before the exam schedule is released, therefore, please inform the institution that has agreed to conduct your deferred exam that deferred exams at McMaster are held October 10-13, 2023 at either 9:00am or 1:00pm and indicate any relevant information on your form related to the institution’s hours of operation. Any fees incurred are your responsibility. This includes the fee to courier the written exam(s) back to the Office of the Registrar.
External exams
Please note: we are closed until further notice. We will respond to requests once we are offering invigilation services again.
Invigilation Services: writing exams from other universities or institutions
McMaster University offers an invigilation (proctor or supervision) service for those of you writing exams from other universities or institutions. You can make arrangements individually or through your home university or institution.
Details
- Exams are scheduled Monday through Friday at 9:00am or 1:00pm.
- Exams cannot be scheduled on evenings or holidays.
- During the December and April examination period at McMaster University, exams can be scheduled during the following times:
- Monday through Saturday at 9:00am or 1:00pm.
Examination fee information
- $110 per exam up to 3.5 hours in duration
- Exams that run longer than 3.5 hours are subject to an additional charge.
Exam fee(s) must be paid at least 5 full business days prior to scheduled exam date(s). If Exam Fee(s) are not paid at least 5 full business days prior to scheduled exam date(s), we reserve the right to cancel your scheduled exam(s).
Example: If an exam is scheduled on Tuesday, payment needs to be made by the end of the business day on the previous Monday.
Scheduling an exam
To schedule an exam at McMaster University, you must contact the Examination Office by sending an email to exams@mcmaster.ca with the following information:
- date exam is to be written
- preferred start time
- course being written
- home institution
You are responsible for having your exams sent from your home university or institution to the following mailing address:
McMaster University
Office of the Registrar
Examination Office, Gilmour Hall 114
1280 Main Street West
Hamilton, ON CANADA L8S 4L8
Have questions?
Contact us for assistance:
Cancellation policy
If an exam is cancelled 3 full business days before scheduled exam date, 50% of the exam fee will be refunded.
Example: If an exam is scheduled on Tuesday, the Examination Office needs to be notified of the cancellation by the end of the business day on the previous Wednesday.
If an exam is cancelled less than 3 full business days before scheduled exam date, 0% of the exam fee will be refunded.
Rescheduling policy
An exam can be rescheduled subject to your institution’s policy. Submit requests in writing to exams@mcmaster.ca at least 4 full business days prior to scheduled exam date to avoid a cancellation fee.
Example: If an exam is scheduled on Tuesday, the Examination Office needs to be notified of a rescheduling request by the end of the business day on the previous Tuesday.
Business hours
Monday – Friday
8:30 am – 4:00 pm
(Excluding holidays)
Exam Location Legend
Exam Locations in the Ivor Wynne Centre
Room | Gym |
IWC 1 – enter through David Braley Athletic Centre | Burridge Gymnasium |
IWC 2 – enter through Ivor Wynne Centre | Smith Gymnasium |
IWC 104 – enter through Ivor Wynne Centre | Mezzanine above Burridge Gymnasium |
Other Buildings Used for Exams
Acronym | Building |
ABB | A.N. Bourns Science Building |
BSB | Burke Science Building |
CDN MARTYRS | Canadian Martyrs Catholic Elementary School (1355 Main St. W., Hamilton, ON L8S 4M7) ** separate side entrance for McMaster students** |
CNH | Chester New Hall |
DSB | DeGroote School of Business |
ETB | Engineering Technology Building |
GSB | General Sciences Building |
HH | Hamilton Hall |
HSC | Health Sciences Centre |
IAHS | Institute for Applied Health Sciences Building |
ITB | Information Technology Building |
JHE | John Hodgins Engineering Building |
KTH | Kenneth Taylor Hall |
LRW | L.R. Wilson Hall |
MARC | McMaster University Automotive Research Centre (200 Longwood Rd. S., Hamilton, ON L8P 0A6) |
MDCL | Michael DeGroote Centre for Learning and Discovery |
MUSC | McMaster University Student Centre |
PC | Psychology Building |
PGCLL | Peter George Centre for Living and Learning |
T13 | Building T13 |
TSH | Togo Salmon Hall |
UH | University Hall |
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