Final and Midterm Examinations

Faculty can find the scheduled date and time of their final exams in Schedule Builder or the Class Search Tool. The Office of the University Registrar publishes the final exam schedule by the first day of student registration for each term.

In most cases, final exams take place in the same room where the class meets during the quarter. For courses with both a lecture and a discussion/lab component, the final exam will be held in the lecture room. If a room conflict arises, the OUR will assign an alternate location and notify the instructor of record prior to the exam.

Instructors may request additional classroom space for final exams starting the seventh week of instruction by submitting the Classroom Reservations Form. Assignments are made on a space-available basis.

Final exams are scheduled based on the day and time of the course’s first scheduled activity—typically the lecture. Courses that do not align with standard meeting patterns, as well as online classes, are assigned to a TBA exam slot. Please note: Davis Division regulations allow online courses to require in-person exams. For more details, see the COCI Policies and Procedures.

Common final exams are not based on regular class meeting times. Instead, they follow a separate schedule. Courses with common finals include elementary and intermediate foreign language courses (including hybrid formats), as well as WLD 055M, WLD 041C, CHE 002A/B/C, and PHY 007A/B/C. These are assigned specific common final exam time slots listed in the official exam calendar.

Student Final Examination Conflicts

Students with multiple final exams on the same day should contact their instructors to discuss possible arrangements. However, there is no policy requiring instructors to reschedule exams for this reason. It is the student's responsibility to avoid scheduling conflicts when selecting their classes. For more information on final exam policies, see Davis Division Regulation 538, below.

Accommodation for Disabilities

Students requiring accommodated exam services should be referred to the Student Disability Center.

Religious Observances

UC Davis is committed to accommodating students who face unavoidable conflicts with exam schedules due to the observance of their religious creed. Students are responsible for notifying the instructor in writing about the potential conflict and requesting accommodation as early as possible.

Instructors will review these requests on a case-by-case basis to determine if the conflict can be resolved without causing undue hardship to themselves or other students. If accommodation is possible, the instructor will work with the student to schedule an alternate exam time that does not result in a penalty or violate the student’s religious beliefs.

For more information, see UC Davis Policy, Chapter 210, Section 50, below.

Final Exam Day Assistance Contact List

Issue	Who to Contact
Classroom AV/Technology	Classroom Hotline—530-752-3333
Facilities and Furniture	Classroom Hotline—530-752-3333
Classroom/Building Lockout	Classroom Hotline—530-752-3333
Classroom Assignment	Scheduling Team—OUR

Midterm Examinations

Information and policies regarding midterm examinations are located in Davis Division Regulation 538, see below.

Instructors can request additional classroom space for midterm examinations starting the second week of instruction using the Classroom Reservation Form. Assignments are made on a space-available basis.

Davis Division Regulation 538; Examinations

Davis Division Regulations 538; Examinations

(A) Except under certain specified circumstances, Senate Regulation (SR) 772 requires that final examinations be given in all undergraduate courses. Final examinations may be given in graduate courses. (Am. 4/26/82)

(B) At the instructor’s option, a final examination may be wholly or in part of the take-home type. In accordance with SR 772(A), in undergraduate courses, the writing time of a take-home final examination and an in-class final examination together may not exceed three hours. (Am. 5/4/04) (Am. 9/1/2017)

(C) In each course for which a final examination is required, each student shall have the right to take a final examination (or, when the instructor has so opted, to submit a take-home examination) at the time and on the date published in the Class Search Tool. For on-line courses, the University Registrar will offer to the instructor of each on-line class the option to have the final in any of the TBA slots. Additional options for administration of final exams in on-line courses include the use of testing centers, on-line proctoring services, and take-home examinations. Students shall be notified of the time and place of the final on or before the first day of instruction. (Am. 5/4/04) (Am. 9/1/2015, 9/1/2017)

(D) In each course for which a midterm examination is required, each student shall have the right to take a midterm examination (or, when the instructor has so opted, to submit a take-home examination) during one of the scheduled meetings of the class published in the Class Search Tool. (Am. 4/26/82; 5/4/04) (Am. 9/1/2017)

(E) Holding a final or midterm examination (or setting a deadline for submission of a take-home examination) at a time not specified in (C) or (D) requires the mutual consent of the instructor and all students involved in the change. Any student who does not consent in writing to the different time must be permitted to take an examination (and/or submit a take-home examination) at the officially scheduled time. A student who consents in writing to the change of examination time waives the right cited in (C) or (D). (Am. 3/13/95 and effective 9/1/95; 5/4/04) (Am. 9/1/2017)

(F) Any departures from the published examination schedule should be carried out so as not to disadvantage students who are unable to accept the alternative examination schedule. An in-class final examination may not be rescheduled for a date earlier than the first day of final week. The due date for a take-home final examination may not be rescheduled for a date earlier than the first day of finals week. In the case of on-line courses, the published examination schedule is that announced no later than the first day of class in accordance with 538(C). (Am. 10/26/87 and effective 9/1/88) (Am. 3/13/95 and effective 9/1/95; 5/4/04) (Am. 9/1/2017)

(G) A student who is improperly denied the right cited in (C) or (D) may file a petition with the Executive Council by the end of the next regular term, for appropriate action.

(H) In accordance with current law, students with documented disabilities may be entitled to in-class accommodations. The student shall provide a letter from the campus Student Disability Center (SDC) with a recommendation for those academic accommodations that the instructor is responsible for providing. It is the student’s responsibility to request accommodations as soon as possible; this notification must be made within a period of time which allows the university a reasonable opportunity to evaluate the request and offer necessary adjustments. The instructor has a legal obligation to provide recommended academic accommodations, unless the instructor can demonstrate that the accommodations will fundamentally alter the nature of the academic demands made of the student, or decrease the standards and types of academic performance. It is the responsibility of the University to provide recommended physical accommodations. No accommodation shall require facilities or personnel that can be demonstrated to result in undue financial and administrative burdens to the University. The instructor should consult with the student and the SDC if there are any questions or concerns. If the instructor and the SDC cannot arrive at a mutually agreeable accommodation, the matter shall be resolved by a committee convened by the Vice Chancellor - Student Affairs that includes the instructor, the department chair, and a representative from the SDC. (En. 6/8/87; Am 11/25/96; Am 4/14/08) (Am. 6/8/2012)

(I) An instructor may release to individual students their original final examinations (or copies thereof) at any time. Otherwise the instructor shall retain final examination materials, or a copy thereof, until the end of the next regular term, during which period students shall have access to their examinations. (En. 5/25/77; Renum. 6/8/87)

UC Davis Policy, Chapter 210, Section 50; Religious Accommodation

UC Davis Policy, Chapter 210, Section 50

I. Purpose
This section provides the requirements and procedures needed to comply with the California Education Code 92640, Accommodation of Religious Creed for granting schedule changes for examinations to students requesting accommodation for religious creed.

II. Policy
A. The University accommodates requests for alternate examination dates, without penalty, at a time when the activity would not violate a student’s religious creed.
B. Instructors must accommodate students’ requests for alternate examination dates for religious creed when accommodation does not impose an undue hardship that cannot reasonably be avoided.

III. Roles and Responsibilities
A. Students
1. Request, in writing, the rescheduling of an examination as soon as possible after learning of the conflict. Requests should generally be made no later than two weeks after the start of the term.
2. Work in good faith directly with the instructor to find a mutually agreeable resolution to the scheduling conflict.

B. Instructors
1. Attempt to schedule examinations to avoid conflicts with religious creed (see https://excellence.ucdavis.edu/resources/multicultural-calendar).
2. Should provide a syllabus for the course that specifies exam dates.
3. Consider all requests for the rescheduling of examinations for religious creed.
4. Work in good faith directly with the student to find a mutually agreeable resolution to the scheduling conflict.
5. If a resolution cannot be found, document the reason for rejecting any request, describing the nature of the undue hardship the request would impose and the reason the hardship cannot be avoided.

C. Department heads
1. Ensure all instructors are aware of their responsibilities to accommodate students based on their religious creed.
2. Provide appropriate support or resources (e.g., alternative test locations, proctors) to accommodate requests.

D. Deans provide support to departments in providing accommodations to students.

IV. Further Information
A. Additional information is available from Student Affairs and Campus Diversity, 530-752-2416.
B. Complaints regarding the violation of this policy can be submitted to the Harassment and Discrimination Assistance and Prevention Program, http://hdapp.ucdavis.edu.

V. References and Related Policies
A. California Education Code 92640, Accommodation of Religious Creed.
B. UC Policy Addressing Religious Holiday Conflicts with Residence Hall “Move-In” Days.
C. UC Davis Policy and Procedure Manual Section 200-05, Academic and Administrative Calendar.