Exam Central

Welcome to Exam Central!

Are You Ready for Exams?

Use this page as your one-stop-shop for everything exam related. From when and where your exams are, to study tips, exam accommodations and where you can eat during exams, all of your exam related questions can be answered below. As always, if you have any questions about exams, please do not hesitate to contact one of the various offices listed below for support. We are here to support you through the stress of exams!

 

 

Select one of the questions below to obtain further information on that topic:

When and where are my exams?

Exam Time & Location

The date, time and location of your exams can be found on the Exam Timetable:

If your class(es) do not appear on the exam timetable, you may not have a scheduled final exam, and you will need to contact your instructor for more information.

What kind of academic supports do I have access to during exams?

Student Success Centre

Need help with studying, time management, course material, or exam prep? These are only a few things that the Student Success Centre (SSC) can help you with. The SSC provides academic support to all Lakehead students - you can access their website by clicking here, or you can book an appointment with a Student Success Advisor by logging into the mySuccess portal!

Some of the resources that can be accessed through the SSC are as follows:

  • Time Management Strategies
  • Reading & Note Taking tips
  • Study Skills & Exam prep
  • Getting back on track with your academics
  • Lynda.com

Study Skills/Exam Prep Sessions:

  • TBD

Exam Support

During exam time, you are encouraged to reach out to Student Success to make use of the various resources they have available. If you don't feel ready for your exams, or if you're not the best test-taker, Student Success can assist in understanding exam formats, preparing a study plan, and helping to learn strategies for writing different types of exams (i.e. multiple choice exams, essay exams, etc.).

Academic Support Zone

In addition to the resources offered through the SSC, students also have access to unlimited free group tutoring through the Academic Support Zone. Here, students can receive free tutoring from experts in the field. This also provides a great opportunity to meet some of your classmates and discuss some common problems that you might face with the work. Furthermore, you are able to work together to better understand the concepts you need to know.

For information on the Academic Support Zone click here, and for a complete schedule of which classes are being tutored and at which times on the Thunder Bay campus, check out the Tutoring Support schedule found here. For more information on Peer Tutoring Support in Orillia, please email orillia.ssc@lakeheadu.ca.

Contacting the Student Success Centre:

Thunder Bay Campus:

SC 0008
Phone: (807) 343-8018

Hours: 

  • 8:30 am - 4:30 pm (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday & Friday)
  • 10:00 am - 4:30 pm (Wednesday)

Orillia Campus:

OR 1031
Phone: (705) 330-4008 ext. 2118

Hours: 

  • 8:30 am - 4:30 pm (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday & Friday)
  • 10:00 am - 4:30 pm (Wednesday)
How do I look into getting accommodations for my final exams?

Student Accessibility Services

If you are registered with Student Accessibility Services (SAS), or if you have questions about how to access accommodations for your scheduled final exam(s), there are a number of supports available to help assist you. For example, SAS can provide accommodations such as extra time to complete your exam, or a distraction reduced environment to write in.

For further inquiry into accessing accommodations for your exams, we recommend contacting SAS to begin the registration process. If you are already registered or if you have just registered with SAS, you will still need to submit an Online Exam Form to request the specific approved accommodations that you will require for each of your exams. Please keep in mind that you may not require all of your accommodations depending on the type of exam, thus it is recommended that you connect with your instructor regarding the format of the exam prior to submitting the request. The due date for the Online Exam form is typically in November for the December Exams and in March for the April Exams.

Contacting Student Accessibility Services:

Thunder Bay Campus:

SC 0003
Phone: (807) 343-8047

Hours: 

  • 8:30 am - 4:30 pm (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday & Friday)
  • 10:00 am - 4:30 pm (Wednesday)

Orillia Campus:

OA 1030
Phone: (705) 330-4008 ext. 2103

Hours: 

  • 8:30 am - 4:30 pm (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday & Friday)
  • 10:00 am - 4:30 pm (Wednesday)
What can I do to help ease the stress of exams?

Stressed about Exams? Student Health & Wellness is here to help!

Whether you're stressed about exams, or having a hard time coping with other life events, Student Health & Wellness is here to support you. Between their highly trained team of physicians, nurses, counselors and staff, Student Health & Wellness provides holistic, evidence-informed health and wellness services to meet the diverse needs of the Lakehead population. These services are available for both full- and part-time students enroled at Lakehead.

Don't Stress the Test

TBD

Mindfulness Meditation:

TBD

Same Day Counseling

TBD

Contacting Student Health and Wellness

Student Health and Counseling
Prettie Residence (Entrance at roadside)
Phone: (807) 343-8361

The hours of operation for Student Health & Wellness are as follows:

  • 8:45 a.m. - 4:15 p.m. (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday & Friday)
  • 8:45 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. (Thursday)

If you are experiencing an emergency, please reach out to one of the following services:

  • Urgent Help: 911
  • Campus Security: (807) 343-8911
  • Crisis Response Services: (807) 346-8282
  • Post-Secondary Student Helpline: 1 (866) 925-5454
What happens if I fail an exam? Do I have any options?

Failing exams happens - what's important is that you address the situation as soon as possible. If you have failed an exam, you have a few options moving forward:

Special Exams:

The privilege of writing special examinations is limited to any undergraduate student who has:

(i) Failed the course but attained a grade of at least 40% in each course for which a special examination is requested; OR
(ii) Passed the course but failed to attain the minimum grade required in the course; OR
(iii) Passed the course but failed to attain the required cumulative average to carry on with his/her program.

Furthermore, students can only request to write a special exam for official final exams found on the exam timetable - that is, if your final exam was not an official final exam, you cannot request to write a special exam for that course.

Keep in mind that students can write a maximum of two full course equivalents (2.0 FCEs) in special exams while in any one program, and only the weight of the final exam will be be replaced - not the entire course mark.

Repeating Courses

If you are not eligible to write a special exam, or if you choose not to, you also have the option to retake the course in a future term. Keep in mind, if the course that you failed was a requirement for your program, you will need to retake the course at some point prior to graduation. If on the other hand the course that you failed was an elective, then you wouldn't necessarily have to retake the course if you didn't want to - with that being said, that grade will remain on your transcript and continue to be included in your average.

When repeating courses, there are some important regulations to note. In particular, all courses can be repeated twice, meaning that a course can be taken a total of three times. Additionally, if a course is repeated, the most recent mark is always used in the average calculation, regardless of whether it is better or worse than the previous attempt. In addition, if a credit is obtained on a previous attempt (i.e. you pass the course the first time but repeat it for a better mark) and then failed on the next attempt, that credit is lost.

Ultimately, if you decide to repeat courses, this may add some extra time to your studies, or you may need to go into course overload or take courses during the Spring/Summer term to catch up. With that being said, there's always options, and you are encouraged to contact Student Central if you have any questions about this.

What if I miss an exam due to illness?

Please refer to this webpage for additional information on what to do should you become ill. 

What if I can't write an exam during the formal exam period due to religious or creed-based holidays, leaves or ritual observances?

A student who is unable to write an exam during the formal exam period (e.g. December, April) for religious or creed-based holidays, leaves and ritual observances, must submit a Creed and Religious Accommodation Agreement (Exams) to Enrolment Services no later than three weeks prior to the start of the final exam period for that term.

Deadlines: November 15th (December Exam Period) and March 15th (April Exam Period)

Upon approval, Enrolment Services, in conjunction with the instructor, will schedule an alternative exam date within the examination period for that term. Students will be notified of the reschedules date via their Lakehead University email address.

The Creed and Religious Accommodation Agreement (Exams) for can be found here.

Where can I study during exams?

During exam time, Lakehead keeps many services open late to accommodate those late night study sessions. There are a number of places on campus where students can study, and many of them have extended hours during exam time.

Chancellor Paterson Library

TBD
Which food vendors are open during the exam period?
 
The Outpost
TBD
 
The Study

TBD

Library Cafe

TBD

 

Contact Information

If you are looking for support throughout the exam period, the entire Student Affairs team is here to help. For your convenience, you can find below contact information for all of the departments/resources that have been mentioned above:

Student Health and Wellness

Thunder Bay Campus:

Student Health and Wellness
Prettie Residence (Entrance at roadside)
Phone: (807) 343-8361

Hours:

  • Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday & Friday: 8:45 AM - 4:15 PM
  • Thursday: 8:45 AM - 3:30 PM

Orillia Campus:

Wellness Centre
OR 1015
Phone: (705) 330-4008 ext. 2115

Hours: 

  • Monday - Friday: 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Student Accessibility Services

Thunder Bay Campus:

SC 0003
Phone: (807) 343-8047

Hours:

  • Monday, Tuesday, Thursday & Friday: 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
  • Wednesdays: 10:00 AM - 4:30 PM

Orillia Campus:

OA 1030
Phone: (705) 330-4008 ext. 2103

Hours: 

  • Monday, Tuesday, Thursday & Friday: 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
  • Wednesdays: 10:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Student Central

Thunder Bay Campus:

UC 1002
Phone: (807) 343-8500

Hours: 

  • Monday, Wednesday, Thursday & Friday: 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
  • Tuesday: 10:00 AM - 4:30 PM

Orillia Campus:

Front Desk, Simcoe Hall
Phone: (705) 330-4008 ext. 2100

Hours: 

  • Monday - Friday: 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Aboriginal Cultural & Support Services

Thunder Bay Campus:

RC 0002
Phone: (807) 343-8085

Hours: 

  • Monday - Friday: 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM

Orillia Campus:

OR 1016
Phone: (705) 330-4008 ext. 2018

Hours: 

  • Monday - Friday: 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Student Success Centre
 

Thunder Bay Campus:

SC 0008
Phone: (807) 343-8018

Hours: 

  • Monday, Tuesday, Thursday & Friday: 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
  • Wednesdays: 10:00 AM - 4:30 PM

Orillia Campus:

OR 1031
Phone: (705) 330-4008 ext. 2118

Hours: 

  • Monday, Tuesday, Thursday & Friday: 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
  • Wednesdays: 10:00 AM - 4:30 PM