• exams

    the exam dungeon, you say?

    January 7, 2020

    Hi, I was wondering what the policies are regarding reviewing exams ? Do we just receive a final grade for the course or do we get to know what we received on the exam as well? – a confused freshman (p.s. happy holidays!)

    ——————————————

    hey there,

    assuming you’re an artsci kid, the faculty of arts and sciences does exam viewings around the end of january. you’ll need to beat everyone else out for a heckin’ valuable exam viewing appointment, and there’s a list of instructions you’ll need to follow for your lovely visit to the exam dungeon (they’re pretty strict).

    i think what you’re actually asking for is a little simpler, though. my guess is if you just wanted to see your exam grade and nothing else (ie. it wasn’t posted on quercus but you have a burning curiosity as to how your ACORN mark is broken down) you could probably try emailing your prof or TA, and if they can’t help you, then the department. i don’t think your college or faculty registrars would have access to that info.

    hope this helped and that you had a good holiday! enormous sorry for not getting back to you earlier– the aska inbox was super backed up over the break, and to keep myself sane i opted to sleep and recover from the semester instead of working my brains out, so i could come back in full force for january. thanks for understanding, friend.

    be Boundless,

    aska

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  • deferral,  exams,  petition

    on internships and deferred exams

    April 16, 2018

    Hi! Many of the summer internships I have applied to are during the summer exam period (june). Since I am planning on taking summer courses and would like to intern (if i get an offer lol) is there any way i could reschedule my exams if there’s a scheduling conflict? would i be allowed to take my exams earlier than the scheduled dates? I’m assuming employers wouldn’t like an intern taking a day off during a short 10-week internship period. thanks!

    ——————————————

    hi!

    to the best of my knowledge, you can’t write an exam BEFORE the date, you can only defer an exam to a later date.

    to defer an exam, you will need to file a petition.  you will need to make an appointment with your registrar’s office, where they can walk you through the petition process as well as help you with any aspect of  your petition that you may be unsure about. they can also give you information on any other options you may have– just in case the advice i’ve given you isn’t the greatest.

    this is still super in advance, though. and while i commend you for thinking ahead, there isn’t much that you can do right now except for wait. once you know when your internship will be and when your exam(s) in june will be, then you can start looking into deferring your exam.

    i hope this helps! good luck with everything!

    jane krakowski good luck GIF by A Christmas Story Live

    xoxo,

    aska

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  • arts & sciences,  engineering,  exams,  important dates

    google is a great tool that some of us use from time to time

    September 23, 2016

    What month do undergraduate students go on semester break and when do they return back to university?
    ———————————————

    hi,

    kudos to you for taking the extra effort to send us a question when it probably would’ve required less effort to just google it!

    the december exam period is for this year (2016-2017) is from december 9th to 20th, which means everyone will be done exams by the 20th of december and the university will be closed following these exams.

    classes start up again on january 5th for arts and science students and january 9th for engineering students.

    information regarding engineering and arts and science sessional dates can be found here!

    for future reference: feel free to google the following words: “u of t sessional dates” to find what you’re looking for!

    u of t is a great place to learn how to google things- you’ve come to the right place.

    cheers and #sorrynotsorry for the saltiness,

    aska

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  • exams

    exam black market

    February 2, 2016

    Hi i just wanted to find out, it is illegal (against uoft rules) to purchase past test from other students. I am feeling quite inclined to purchase past test from the first time from someone for one of my courses since there is Absolute no past exam/test on the uoft repository.

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    not as far as i can tell. at least, i can’t find any explicit rule prohibiting it. it seems that viewing of the exam is pretty carefully monitored, though, so i would be – if not suspicious, just careful – of what you’re buying, and from whom.

    also, i don’t presume to know your situation or how your program runs or anything, but here’s a friendly tip from aska: try to exhaust the study options presented to you by your professor before seeking alternative materials.

    if you got practice exams, textbook questions, passages/articles you need to focus on, lecture slides, etc. then become expert in those BEFORE seeking more help. because (and i’m just gonna put this bluntly here) sometimes these people are just out to make money. that doesn’t necessarily mean they don’t have something to sell you, but it also doesn’t mean you don’t have to be unwary.

    cheers,

    aska

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  • exams

    sleeping on the scantron machine

    January 4, 2016

    Hello,

    I know this is a crazy question but I did one of my exams and I went through all the questions I knew I got wrong and I calculated my mark and I was expecting an 86 the highest and like low 80s … But I get my mark on Portal and it says 68.67… is it possible at all that they put my mark in wrong or is it just one of those cases where you think you did really good but in fact did terrible (this was via scantron)

    Let me know, I’m loosing sleep over this. Thank you in advance

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    it’s definitely possible the mark is wrong. not PROBABLE, but possible. if you think the mark has been inputted/calculated wrong, you can request an exam recheck. all you have to do is fill out a form and pay a $15 fee (if the mark is changed).

    cheers,

    aska

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  • exams,  one programs

    just give me One exam

    December 15, 2015

    Do first year One courses have exams/tests?

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    there’s no cut and dry answer to this. like every other course in the faculty of arts & science, some of them do have final exams, and others don’t.

    i think the fact that One courses are, by definition, smaller seminar courses, means that they can get away with using forms of assessment other than exams, and so many of them won’t have exams. however, that’s definitely not true across the board, and i can’t even say whether the majority don’t use exams.

    for example, innis one has three courses, and only one of them, INI100H1, has a final exam. vic one’s northrop frye stream has three courses offered in the fall term, and of those, one of them has a final exam. a look at the exam schedule will tell you exactly which courses have exams, and which don’t.

    so there’s no rule, one way or another. but a snoop around old exam schedules will probably yield plenty of information about the courses you’re interested in.

    cheers,

    aska

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  • course conflicts,  exams,  petition

    just don’t do it, man

    August 7, 2015

    if I have a course conflict and those two courses also have an exam conflict, can I be allowed to take the exams at different times or bc I scheduled in a conflict will I not be allowed to? thanx

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    nah. general rule is: if you knowingly put yourself in a conflict, you knowingly accept that there is a possibility that you will have test and exam conflicts. if you have a test conflict, you can always ask one of the professors if you can write their test at another time. if they’re merciful, they might accommodate you – but they’re under no obligation to do so.

    as for exams, an exam conflict can only be resolved with a petition. if you submit a petition to reschedule an exam because you’re in a course conflict, you can expect that the Faculty probably won’t be so understanding in your request.

    basically: if you can avoid the conflict, do it.

    cheers,

    aska

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  • exams,  studying

    how 2 study for exams

    December 4, 2014

    it seems like it’s always the time of year when everyone’s saying “it’s that time of year again!” exams never really go away, do they? even when they’re not happening, you still carry around the weight of them somewhere deep in your soul.

    that’s why people have exam nightmares up until the age of like 90 or whatever. they let exams seep into their very bones, like a coca-cola?stain in a carpet. that stuff’ll never wash out.

    since exams are going to happen whether we want them to or not, here are some tips about how to get through the exam period alive. last year askastudent released this monolith of text?which is all about study tips. this year, i thought i’d write a follow-up of EVEN MORE HELPFUL tips. because the second time has always got to be BIGGER and BETTER, or so my friends in marketing keep telling me.

    TIP #1: SELF CARE.

    uoft has really tried to emphasize self care recently. i think that’s great. it’s important to take a break from studying so that you can feel energized when you get back to it. whatever you can do to de-stress is great. for example, there were recently therapy dogs at Sid Smith for people to cuddle and play with.

    i’m fatally allergic to dogs, so a CUTE TWIST on the therapy dog idea for myself, personally, is to go to one of these student spaces that are suddenly filled with dogs, stick my face into one of the puppy’s faces until it licks me, and then DIE.

    then, all i have to do is fill out a verification of illness and injury form, and i don’t have to write my exams! hashtag use your resources.

    TIP #2: CALL YOUR FRIEND WHO IS NO LONGER AND SCHOOL AND DOES NOT CARE TO COMPLAIN

    “hey, madison? what’s up? *sniffle*”

    “oh, nothing much, i just finished a 17-hour shift at work and i am absolutely exhausted. i had to get off the subway a stop early ’cause this guy was rubbing himself up against me. now i have to walk two blocks extra before i get home. i can’t feel my legs. my rent is due in two days and i don’t know how i’m gonna get the last $150 together because my roommate moved back to texas with her ex-boyfriend. i don’t even remember the name of the last guy who didn’t call me. anyway, what’s up with you?”

    “oh, i just…i’m just kinda stressed with…you know, exams and stuff…”

    “dude. i may have to sell my kidney to pay rent. you live with your parents. you’re studying instead of working at a horrible job you hate. you can buy food using OSAP money. stop complaining and get back to studying.”

    “o-okay…love you, madison.”

    “don’t call me again. i may not be able to pay my phone bill.”

    TIP #3: CRY

    here is my personal playlist of songs to cry to around exams!

    1. American Idiot, by Green Day

    2. Idiot, by Coldplay

    3. Dumb All Over, by Frank Zappa

    4. Dumb, by Jason DeRoulo

    5. Tonight I Wanna Cry, by Keith Urban

    TIP #4: GO INTO A CAFFEINE-INDUCED FRENZY 24 HOURS BEFORE THE EXAM. STUDY WITHOUT SLEEPING. STUDY SO HARD YOU GO A BIT CROSS-EYED. STUDY UNTIL YOUR EYEBROW STARTS TWITCHING. KEEP STUDYING EVEN AFTER YOUR EYEBROW FALLS OFF AND LIES IN SPASM ON THE FLOOR. GO INTO YOUR EXAM THE NEXT DAY WITHOUT SLEEPING. WRITE FOR THREE HOURS AS THE WALLS OF THE EXAM HALL CURVE?INTO YOU LIKE BENDY STRAWS. DON’T REALLY REMEMBER HOW YOU GET HOME. SLEEP FOR FIFTEEN HOURS INSTEAD OF PREPPING FOR THE NEXT ONE.

    and those are aska’s four TOP TIPS about how to prepare for your exams! tweet me @askastudentuoft letting me know how YOU study for exams!

    xoxo,

    aska

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  • exams

    let’s fly away

    December 1, 2014

    Hey, aska. Like anyone who’s dealing with student loans and having to deal with uni tuition, I enjoy saving money. I want to be able to go back to Korea this coming summer, but I also want the cheapest flight possible. If I get my plane ticket for the 30th of April by the end of December, I can save hundreds on the ticket. I know that the official calendar says that April 30th is the last day for exams, but I have a feeling that it’s for makeup exams. This is due to the fact that I looked at the exam schedule this semester and there arent any exams for Dec 19, the last day for exams this semester. I don’t want to buy the ticket and then find out that I have an exam on that day next semester. So is the last day for exams actually for exams or for make up exams? Do you think it’ll be ok for me to book my flight on the 30th to save some money or should I keep it safe and buy a ticket for later on in the month?

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    listen, man, if you do this, you do it at your own risk. yeah, the chances aren’t great that you’ll have an exam on the very last day. and yeah, as someone whose living prospects for the near future include living in a cardboard box, i get the whole being tight on cash thing.

    BUT if you book that flight and then it turns out you’re supposed to be writing an exam when you’ve planned to be halfway to Korea, then you’re in a bit of a sticky situation. especially if you’re aware beforehand of the risk.

    basically, if you’re gonna do this, i’m not gonna stop you. but i’m also not gonna hold your hand if you have to go to the registrar’s office and straighten out a big mess a few months down the line.

    best,

    aska

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  • deferral,  exams

    deferral squared

    May 15, 2014

    Hi!

    I know this question might sound odd and rare… But…I was wondering if it’s possible to be granted a further deferral for a deferred exam? I was supposed to write a deferred exam but the night before I had an internal cyst ruptured, ended up in the ER and had a minor surgery done. I missed an exam that I prepared a whole semester for! I saw on the UofT website that it says “it is not easily granted.” How difficult is it? And what will happen if I don’t get a deferral? Do I get an F? I feel like my luck can’t be worse now.

    Thank you so much!!!

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    “odd and rare” – you make it sound like you’re an exotic bird or something. i hope you are. i hope you’re a toucan.

    if you take a look here and go to ‘Adjustments to the Deferred Examination Schedule,’ you’ll see that “[i]f you have extraordinary reasons creating a conflict (e.g., court appearance, citizenship hearing) you may have to file a further petition with full documentation through your college registrar.”

    now, i know uoft students are tough and all, but even for us, i think a ruptured cyst qualifies as a serious conflict. i’d definitely go to your college registrar and try to get a further deferral. if the deferral isn’t granted, then you wouldn’t be able to write your exam, however, i think that you have pretty legitimate grounds to attempt to get one.

    good luck and i hope they sort out that cyst, geez louise.

    best,

    aska

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  • exams,  failing

    how important is an exam anyway?

    August 26, 2013

    Hello!

    I was wondering, if I fail the final exam, does that mean I automatically fail the course?

    Thanks,
    M

    ———————————————

    M,

    For the most part, nope.

    I know there are a few science/math courses that do require you to pass the exam, but the best way to know for sure is to check your syllabus.

    Cheers!

    aska

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  • deferral,  exams

    i’d actually rather not go back to december

    December 19, 2012

    hi aska,

    i recently had a really bad breakup with a long term partner. it happened the day before one of my exams, and i was a huge mess mentally.
    i ended up not being able to write the exam for one of my courses which happened that day due to severe anxiety issues (many panic attacks), constant unstoppable crying, and the inability to think rationally. i talk to my college registrar and they told me to obtain a medical note, and i did go see the doctor on that day.

    what im afraid of is if mental issues are not legitimate reasons for being able to defer and exam. i realize that i wasn’t physically ill, and that mental problems are harder to explain and prove.

    is exam deferrals due to medical reasons usually limited to physical emergencies being worried about not being granted an exam deferral is adding anxiety to all the problems i already have, and would like some insight into the process that will ensue after i apply for a deferral on these grounds.

    ———————————————

    Hey there!

    I’m sorry to hear about your break up. I’m going to go ahead and remind you that Taylor Swift recently released a new album full of depressing love songs sooooo… Ahem.

    Now on a more serious note, I assume if your registrar was the one who told you to get a medical note, they gave you the UofT medical certificate form that needed to filled out, right? As long as that one is filled out, you should be fine, according to my sources! So don’t worry — a broken heart can be just as bad a broken leg sometimes and as long as you’ve got a valid medical note from the day of the exam to explain your issues, you should be fine.

    But to be clear, I need to do the spiel: there is no guarantee about whether or not your exam will be deferred. Essentially, your medical note will contribute to a petition, which your registrar will read over, give their opinion on (or no opinion), and then pass on to the petitions committee to make a decision. But again, as long as you’ve got your valid note, I don’t see why you’d have any problems.

    now singing swifty,

    aska

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  • exams

    I just had seeeeex, and I want to keep a copy of my exam

    January 17, 2011
    Hello,
    is it possible to get a photocopy of any of the exams you have written? Thanks in advance,
    LR———————————————

    yo yo LR,

    Here’s what I’ve got, once you’ve written an exam, it becomes property of the faculty of Arts and Science. Here’s information on viewing your exam.
    So, you can view an exam, only once for free and at that there’s a chance it might just be a portion of the exam. I have heard a rumor that you can pay a fee and keep a copy of the exam, but I’m going to doubt that based on how strict they are with just viewing it.
    And as always you can see most exams (not answers, but that would be awesome) with the exam database.

    Love Always,
    Aska
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