Examination Policies
From the University of Illinois College of Medicine Student Academic Policies and Professional Standards, 2022-23
Intro Heading link
The College requires that students take all examinations at the time that they are scheduled, unless they have secured an excused absence in advance. Students will still be required to sit for the exam prior to their successful completion of the course.
Excused absence
An excused absence from a required College of Medicine examination will be granted only for serious personal illness, death in the immediate family, or other similar extenuating event. Students are expected to obtain prior permission for an absence from the appropriate administrative campus officer. The student must provide written documentation when attempting to secure this permission. Documentation from the student health service (or its equivalent as specified by the appropriate administrative campus officer) is required for all such illnesses.
If prior permission for an absence is not obtained in advance or provided after the fact per College policy, the absence will be treated as an unexcused absence. A failing score (zero) will be assigned to the missed examination. The College will count unexcused absences in its determinations of permissible attempts a the exam. For example, if the student was absent without permission from the first administration of an examination, the missed examination will count as the student’s first attempt.
Retake examinations
Retake exams are offered to students who fail these exams but who are entitled by course policy to sit for those examinations again in order to pass the course.
Chicago Request for Exam Absence Heading link
If possible, students must notify the Office of Curricular Affairs of the circumstance prior to the examination, or as soon as feasible by completing an Absence Request Form. If internet access is unavailable, call the Office of Curricular Affairs at (312) 996-9030 and you’ll be directed to the appropriate absence coordinator.
Late Arrival to a Computer-based Exam Policy Heading link
A student who arrives late to an exam is eligible to sit for the exam if they arrive within 20 minutes from the exam start time. For example, if an exam is scheduled to start at 8:00 am, a student may arrive to the check-in table as late as 8:20 am and still be allowed to sit for the exam.
A student who arrives after the 20-minute grace period will be directed to the Course Coordinator. If a student is not given an excused absence, he/she will receive a score of zero for the exam.
Exceptions to this policy
This policy applies to computer-administered exams and not to other exams, such as OSCEs.
This policy was approved by CCIA on August 2, 2017