What happens in university if you don't go to class on the day of a test?

Nobody cares. It depends entirely on YOU to attend lectures and labs and stuff. Of course, some labs etc. require attendance and you fail class if you don't complete them all.

Originally Posted by chelseac

What happens in university if you don't go to class on the day of a test?

Depends on the course. It will be in your course outline on the first day of class. It usually ranges from an alternate write time, to getting the mark shifted onto your exam, to a make-up assignment, to losing the mark entirely (which doesn't happen all that often).

Also, not all tests are during class time, especially in larger first-year courses. In that case, nobody cares if you don't go to class on the day of a test, it only matters that you go to the test itself.

It may seem like a good idea to defer a test, but you will learn the hard way that it is not.

Originally Posted by nerual

Depends on the course. It will be in your course outline on the first day of class. It usually ranges from an alternate write time, to getting the mark shifted onto your exam, to a make-up assignment, to losing the mark entirely (which doesn't happen all that often).

Also, not all tests are during class time, especially in larger first-year courses. In that case, nobody cares if you don't go to class on the day of a test, it only matters that you go to the test itself.

This sounds much more relaxed than any courses I've ever taken!
In my experience, if you don't have a documented reason (ie. a doctor's note), you get zero. Some profs are lenient and might let you rewrite or shift the marks onto something else, but some profs might not.

McMaster now uses the MSAF which is the McMaster Student Absence Form. You have one "freebie" per term where you can report missed work online and not have to provide documentation. If you were to miss a test, you can fill out the MSAF if you have not used your one freebie, and then contact the instructor asap for follow-up. On ONE MSAF form you can list as much missed work as you want as long as you fill it out within 5 days of the missed work (including the day that you missed). If you exceed the one freebie, then you have to go to your Faculty Associate Dean's Office.

Originally Posted by wolfgang

McMaster now uses the MSAF which is the McMaster Student Absence Form. You have one "freebie" per term where you can report missed work online and not have to provide documentation. If you were to miss a test, you can fill out the MSAF if you have not used your one freebie, and then contact the instructor asap for follow-up. On ONE MSAF form you can list as much missed work as you want as long as you fill it out within 5 days of the missed work (including the day that you missed). If you exceed the one freebie, then you have to go to your Faculty Associate Dean's Office.

I think it might actually be 2 per term, unless they changed it for the upcoming year, because I know a couple of people that used the form at 2 different times in second term last year.

Yes, it was two. And as our luck would have it, they're probably going to be revising that again this year because of the 'unusually high number of people who deferred the Chem/Bio/Probablyothercourse's (second) midterm'. *facepalm* People just love to misuse convenience.

For all they care you can even miss the test. They will just fail you. University does not care TBH, they get their money from you September 1st, and after that, you're on your own!

Originally Posted by Faer

Yes, it was two. And as our luck would have it, they're probably going to be revising that again this year because of the 'unusually high number of people who deferred the Chem/Bio/Probablyothercourse's (second) midterm'. *facepalm* People just love to misuse convenience.

yea it did change. according to prof hannah homles, the new rule states students get one deferral per term and it has to be below 30% in order to use the MSAF. anything above 30% cannot be deferred by the MSAF, and can only be done through the faculty with proper documentation. also, using "personal reasons" as an excuse is no longer available in the MSAF.

Originally Posted by icecubz

yea it did change. according to prof hannah homles, the new rule states students get one deferral per term and it has to be below 30% in order to use the MSAF. anything above 30% cannot be deferred by the MSAF, and can only be done through the faculty with proper documentation. also, using "personal reasons" as an excuse is no longer available in the MSAF.

Good.

The number of people that deferred EJ4 midterm 4 and 3PI4 midterm because of "personal reasons" was getting annoying, since they mooch off you after for tips :p