Exams

EPC Midterm and Final Exam Policy

Midterm exams, final exams, or final papers must be given in most undergraduate Psychology courses; some graduate courses also have final exams. Most department classes use a Remark form or ZipGrade for grading. Please contact the Graduate Senior TA for exam grading training. More information on the Remark process can also be found here. 

Midterm

• A midterm examination, if given, must be scheduled during regular class hours.
• An alternative time is acceptable for examination if there is a valid reason (illness, family emergency, religious holidays, etc.).

Final Examinations

• Are required. Only if approved by EPC, a paper or special project is acceptable.
• Instructor must be present.
• The final exam schedule is printed in the schedule of classes each quarter.
• Must be during finals week (week 11). They may not be administered during week 10.
• Alternative times require written approval from EPC and a second exam possibility has to be offered at the originally scheduled time. To make arrangements for additional final exam times contact an undergraduate advisor in the Psychology Student Affairs office.
• The instructor may not require a "take-home" final examination to be turned in before the date and hour at which the examination in the course was scheduled by the registrar.
• No student may be excused from the final exam.

Retention of Examinations

Instructors are required to retain examination papers for at least one full quarter following the final examination period, unless the papers have been returned to the students. Grade books and reports should be retained for one year from when the course was taught.

Grading Exams

 In brief, here are your grading options:
A+,A,A- = Excellent
B+,B,B- = Good
C+,C,C- = Fair
D = Poor (There is no D+ or D-)
F = Fail
P = Pass (C- or better for undergraduate students)
NP = No Pass (D or below for undergraduate students)
S = Satisfactory (B- or better for graduate students)
U = Unsatisfactory (Below B- for graduate students)
X = Pending charge of academic dishonesty
I = Incomplete

Particular attention should be paid to awarding Incompletes. An "I" should be awarded only if a student is in good academic standing, passing the course at the time of request and has serious problems, health or otherwise, late in the course (typically with only the final remaining).  You can assign an "I" if the student meets these guidelines. If this is not the case, a student should withdraw from the course if unable to complete the work. Students are able to withdraw from courses through week 9 of the quarter.

Incompletes must be resolved by the end of the following quarter. It is your responsibility to help the student remove the "I" grade by accepting late work or administering a special final exam during that next quarter. If you will not be available, make arrangements with the Student Services office prior to leaving. A student may NOT retake the course; he or she can only complete the work that was missed.

Be cautious: an Incomplete is not a grade to be used lightly. Please discuss any questions with the student advisors in the Student Services office before assigning an "I". Retroactive Incompletes must be petitioned to EPC.  Once grades have been recorded for the course, an incomplete is no longer an option for the student.

Students with Disabilities

Accommodating Students with Disabilities

The Office for Students with Disabilities works with students who have documented disabilities and determines what reasonable accommodations we must provide for these students. Students should bring the instructor an official Authorization for Acommodation form signed by the Office for Students with Disabilities, which describes the accommodations needed. Most frequently, students need additional time on exams and/or a quiet location to take the exam. The undergraduate advisors in the Student Services office can help with administering these exams. Please see the Psychology Department OSD Exams page for more information.