A standing deferred (SD) exam is an exam written at a later date, while a supplemental exam is an exam provided in addition to the usual exams for a course. Find more details on the Academic Calendar.
Once your faculty has approved your request for a Standing Deferred, you'll need to apply through your Student Service Centre (SSC) to write your SD and supplemental exams. Connect with your academic advising office to learn how to apply for a Standing Deferred.
If you miss the deadline to apply for an SD exam, or if certain circumstances prevent you from writing the exam during the official SD exam period, contact Academic Advising for next steps. Departments and instructors are not obligated to make alternative arrangements for students.
If you’ve been granted a Deferred Standing for a missed final exam, you’ll normally be expected to apply to write the SD exam during the official deferred exam period unless otherwise indicated by your instructor, your home advising office or the department offering the course. While some instructors may be able to offer you an earlier opportunity to take a deferred exam, they are under no obligation to do so.
Please immediately contact your instructor, your home advising office or the department offering the course, to find out if an earlier exam session will be offered and how to register for it or whether you should apply to write the exam through Enrolment Services.
Some departments set alternate exam dates that are different from the official deferred exam. These exceptions are not handled by Enrolment Services, unless otherwise specified. If your course is listed below, please follow their specific instructions.
BIOL 200 SD exams must be written with the final exam of a subsequent offering of the course. For more information about the date and location of these exams, please contact the BIOL 200 coordinator at biol200@zoology.ubc.ca.
SD exams for CHEM 121, 123, 233, and 235 should be written during the next formal exam period in which the course is offered. Students should write their exam with the next course offering’s class.
For Winter Session Term 1 (September to December) courses, the Chemistry Department offers a special SD exam writing session in the first 2 weeks of January (Term 2). Otherwise, students write during the Summer SD exam period.
All other Chemistry SD exams for winter courses must be written during the Summer SD exam period by submitting an application on the Student Service Centre (SSC).
Chemistry SD exams for summer courses must be written either in December with the Term 1 course, or during a special exam writing session in the first 2 weeks of January.
The Chemistry Department only participates in the Summer SD exam period, not in the Winter SD exam period.
Do not contact the course instructor. For detailed information about the regular exam schedule, please review the UBC Exam Schedule. If you have additional questions about these courses, please submit an online request to the Chemistry Department.
Students with deferred standing in COMM 393 must write the final exam with the next offering of the course.
Students with deferred standing in COMM 298 or COMR 473 from:
Students with deferred standing in COMM 335 from:
* If the course is not offered in one of the Winter or Summer sessions, students with a deferred standing are expected to write in the official Deferred Standing exam period in late July or November.
Students must contact their home faculty's academic advising office to request an academic concession. Once your SD status is approved, deferred exams must be written with the subsequent challenge exam or final exam of the subsequent offering of CPSC 107 or CPSC 110. For more information about challenge exams, visit the CPSC 110 Info page.
For permission to write the exam and the exam date and location, contact the instructor or course coordinator for the appropriate course at least 1 month before the exam.
Note that CPSC 107 and CPSC 110 students write equivalent final exams.
Deferred exams must be written with the final exam of the subsequent offering of the course, if the final exam occurs before the deadline for completing the SD exam.
For permission to write the exam and the exam date and location, contact the instructor or course coordinator for the appropriate course at least 1 month before the final exam period.
If there is no course offered before the deadline for completing the SD exam, contact your own term’s course instructor or Scheduling Services at student.exams@ubc.ca to schedule an exam before the deadline. You may also be able to request an extension to your SD through your faculty’s advising office.
LAW Distance Learning Courses (Sections 99A, 99C, & 98A) SD/S exams will be scheduled by the Allard Online Learning Program. Please email distancelearning@allard.ubc.ca to confirm the date of your exam. For all other law exams, students will be advised by the Director, Academic Services, Allard School of Law, about the date of their SD exams. Do not apply through the Student Services Centre (SSC) to write your Law SD exams.
For all Math SD exams, please email the Math Undergraduate Coordinator at ugrad-coord@math.ubc.ca for your next steps. Do not contact your instructor.
The Math Department expects students with deferred standing to write the final exam at the next regularly scheduled exam. This is usually at the end of the following term.
For any course offered in the following Summer Term, the Math Department will not offer an additional examination during the Summer SD exam period.
The Math Department only participates in the Summer SD exam period, not in the Winter SD exam period.
You're expected to write your Winter Term 1 SD exam during the Winter Term 2 exam period or the summer exam period of the course, if the course is offered in those terms.
Please contact the instructor of the course in the term that you will be writing your SD exam. For example, if you will be writing your SD exam in 2022/23 Winter Term 2, contact the instructor who is instructing that course in that term to arrange for you to write the exam with that class.
For Winter Term 2 SD exams, you'll be expected to write them during the summer exam period, if the course is offered.
If the course is not offered in Winter Term 2 or the Summer session, you're expected to write your SD exam during the official SD exam period in July.
Your faculty must approve your request for a Standing Deferred before you can apply to write your SD exam.
Only choose the Centre for Accessibility as your exam location if you typically write with exam accommodations. If you are writing SD exams through the Centre for Accessibility, you do not need to apply using the Centre of Accessibility's exam booking system.
After you have applied for your SD Exam on the Student Service Centre (SSC), your exams will be scheduled by the Exam Coordinators in mid-July. Please log into the Centre for Accessibility’s booking system to confirm your date and time in mid-July.
If you plan to write an exam outside of the UBC Vancouver campus, you'll be required to complete an exam application by the deadline. Get more information about off-campus exams.
You'll be able to view your detailed and personalized exam information in your Student Service Centre (SSC) by clicking "Exam Application" under Exams. Select the academic session from the drop-down menu and then click "View" beside each exam.
Please review your exam schedule for exam clashes or hardships. In the case of an exam clash or hardship, email student.exams@ubc.ca at least 3 weeks before the exam period.
Please email the Enrolment Services Scheduling Coordinator at student.exams@ubc.ca.
