The University has made changes to the applicability of the ACORN Absence Declaration Tool. As of the Fall 2023 term, the Absence Declaration Tool will no longer be considered as supporting documentation for petition requests.
While writing a final exam, if you experienced a situation that prevented you from completing the exam, you can request another opportunity to write your final exam. Keep in mind that the exam rewrite petition is rarely granted because you are expected to complete the final exam if you have started it or defer the exam if you are feeling unwell before the exam.
If you still wish to submit an exam rewrite petition, you should seek advice from your College Registrar’s Office and ask for their help in planning for all outcomes. If you are granted an exam rewrite, a standing deferred (SDF) notation will be applied to that course on your ACORN academic record.
Deadline to Submit an Exam Rewrite Petition
Arts & Science courses: The deadline to submit an exam rewrite petition is five business days after the end of a final exam period. In the case of the December final exam period, the deadline is five business days after the University reopens in January.
UTM and UTSC courses: The deadline to submit an exam rewrite petition for UTM or UTSC courses is 72 hours after the missed exam.
The deadline to submit any supporting documentation is three weeks from when you initiate your petition with your College Registrar’s office.
You are encouraged to submit your petition and supporting documentation as soon as possible without delay.
Personal Statement & Supporting Documentation for an Exam Rewrite Petition
In addition to the recommendations listed in Preparing a Petition, your personal statement should explain what circumstances prevented you from completing the final exam. Try to answer these questions in your exam rewrite statement:
- Did you seek help with your circumstances at the time or immediately after you left the exam? If not, why not? If so, what happened?
- Did you connect with an exam facilitator (invigilator or instructor) when you stopped writing? If not, why not? If so, what happened?
- If you were aware of your circumstances prior to starting the exam, why did you choose to attempt the exam instead of submitting a deferred exam petition?
If you abandoned your final exam due to illness or injury, your supporting documentation should include the U of T Verification of Student Illness or Injury form (VOI) dated for the day of your exam. This form should be completed by a medical practitioner listed on the form. If you are not able to meet with a medical practitioner on the day of the exam, you should meet them as soon as possible to validate your relevant date(s) of illness or injury on the VOI form. You will need to explain why you were unable to obtain medical documentation on the date of your exam in your petition statement.