General Final Exam Information

Final exams will be generated by the Registrar’s Office according to an exam matrix on or about the last day of the add/drop period for the term for any course that has 'Yes' indicated for a Final Exam in the catalog. The day and time of the first class meeting during the week determine the date and time for each exam. Courses that meet outside the normal university block scheduling will be scheduled within the time block that best fits the schedule without creating conflicts for students.

Exam times are as follows:

  • 8 – 11 a.m.
  • 11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
  • 3 – 6 p.m.
  • 6:30 - 9:30 p.m.

While exam blocks are three hours long, the actual length of the exam is determined by the instructor.

If examination days are postponed because of weather conditions, the first make-up day is documented on the academic calendar.

Faculty should review their exam schedule just after the last day off Add/Drop. Please contact scheduling@uml.edu if:

  1. Exam needs to be generated (will be scheduled to final exam block based on course meeting pattern)
  2. Exam has been generated but is not needed (cancellation)
  3. Changing modality (i.e. “Take-home”, On-line, Virtual to in-person*, etc.)
    • *Please see: “Final Exams for Hybrid and Virtual Class Sections” below for further information.
  4. It’s been identified that the majority of the students in a section have a conflicting exam (we will run a conflict check on the individual class to verify this and adjust the exam).

Final exam date and time changes for any other reason are not permitted. If an instructor is not available for their assigned exam date and time, they must work with the department chairperson to assign a proctor to administer the exam. 

Requests to schedule final exams, combined exams, etc. will not be accepted after the mid-semester evaluation date for the term in question. Please refer to the academic calendar for specific date information.

Common Exams

  • Faculty should plan to administer a separate exam for each section of a course that they are teaching.
  • Requests for common exams must be approved by the Dean AND the course must have, at minimum, four (4) class sections to be considered for common exam scheduling.
  • Requests should be submitted by email to: scheduling@uml.edu no later than the mid-semester evaluation date for said term, and all requests are subject to classroom availability.
  • Common Finals will need to be applied to all sections of a course not to individual instructors.
  • Common Exam Finals will be assigned to a common exam block.
    • Students who are scheduled for two common exams at the same time should check with their instructors to see which exam has priority.

Note: Requests for combined exams will not be accepted after the mid-semester evaluation date for the term in question. Please refer to the academic calendar for specific date information.

Examination Conflicts

If a student has three (or more) finals scheduled on the same exam day, the student has the right to ask that a make up exam (or exams) be scheduled to reduce the number of exams in each day to two. Under these circumstances, required courses1 take priority, so the student should make every effort to arrange the make-up exam for a non-required course with the respective instructor. Likewise, if a student has two finals scheduled in the same exam period, the required course takes priority; the student should schedule a make-up exam for the non-required conflicting course with the respective instructor. If for any reason a mutually agreeable solution between the student and the instructor cannot be achieved, the student should see his or her college dean immediately.

Students – If you have questions regarding any of your final exams, please contact your instructor directly. Instructors should reach out by email to: scheduling@uml.edu if an exam update is needed in SiS.

1'Required courses' refers to whichever course is required toward that specific student’s degree pathway.

Final Exams for Hybrid and Virtual Class Sections

Exams (including final exams) for fully virtual classes should be administered virtually, as that is the modality which students selected. Exceptions to hold on-campus exams require deans' approval. An email (noting the approval) should be sent by email to: scheduling@uml.edu so that the exam location may be updated – exceptions are subject to room availability. If approved, faculty must indicate the alternate exam format in their course syllabus and accommodate students who are unable to attend in-person exams.

If a class section is hybrid (includes both an in-person meeting and either an online or virtual meeting pattern), then the final exam will be assigned as in-person, but the instructor may request the final exam to be virtual/online depending on the modes of instruction of the hybrid section. Hybrid courses also include courses that have more than one component with different modes of instruction (i.e., the lecture portion is virtual, but the recitation is in-person) and the instructor may decide whether or not the final exam is in-person in this scenario as well. Any requests for final exam updates should be sent by email to: scheduling@uml.edu.

Undergraduate and Graduate Final Exams (Day-school Sections)

  • Faculty are not required to administer cumulative final examinations and should assess their students as appropriate to their discipline and course content. If an exam is assigned and will not be taking place, please email: scheduling@uml.edu.
  • Faculty who opts to administer final examinations must do so at the time and place specified by the Registrar's Office and listed in SiS. All day-school sections that are noted in the catalog with 'Yes' for final exam, will have a final exam block generated.
  • Final take-home examinations or final papers must not be due earlier than the time that the Registrar's Office has scheduled the final examination for the course in question (although instructors may opt to allow such examinations or papers to be submitted early).
    • Note: If an academic program requires that students take final examinations for accreditation purposes, faculty are expected to adhere to the requirements of their accrediting organization.
  • Graduate class sections may opt to administer their final exams on the last day of regular class meetings (week prior to the final exam period) but should contact scheduling if this is what they decide and need to remove a final exam block that was generated for their class section.
  • For any course with a final exam during the exam period, no hour-examination (or major paper or project) shall be administered or due during the last five academic days of the semester unless the college dean has allowed an exemption.

Graduate, Online and Professional Studies Final Exams (GPS Sections)

Graduate, Online and Professional Studies sections (section number typically begins with '0') take place on the final on-campus meeting day for that section (usually the week prior to the final exam period) – please see the on-campus course dates on Graduate, Online and Professional Studies website for the final meeting date (not to be confused with the course session dates).

If a GPS section is 'matched' (combined) with a day-school section (example ACCT 2010 201 and ACCT 2010 001), the final exam will follow day-school guidelines and an exam block will be assigned for both sections in SIS.

Classroom Reservations During the Final Exam Period

Classroom reservations for ad hoc needs during the final exam period (review sessions, exam accommodations, makeup exams, etc.) will be accepted beginning three weeks after the mid-semester evaluation date (at which time, all requests for changes to exams should already be submitted and processed). Please email scheduling@uml.edu for these requests.

No Events during Final Exam Week

No events which require the participation of students may be scheduled from the beginning of Reading Day to the end of Final Exams. Exceptions to this policy may be granted ONLY by the approval of Academic Affairs.

Makeup Examinations

Individual makeup exams should be coordinated between the student and instructor as needed and should take place through the UMass Lowell Testing Centers or in a department location (please do not use academic classrooms for individual makeup exams without a confirmed reservation).

If an entire class needs to makeup an exam due to an unforeseen circumstance or emergency, the exam should be rescheduled by emailing: scheduling@uml.edu. Makeup exams for classes should take place during the regular examination period.

The university final exam makeup dates listed on the university calendar are only to be used for inclement weather or other unanticipated university closure and should not be used as final exam dates for individual student or class makeup exams.

Disability Services Support & Resources

Students who are registered with the Disability Services Office and have been approved for an extended time accommodation: if you have two exams scheduled on the same day, you may reschedule one of the exams if it has been confirmed that both exams are scheduled to use the entire 3-hour block. Please refer to the instructions under Examination Conflicts listed above to do so. For any other accommodation or disability-related question or concern, please contact by email: disability@uml.edu or visit Disability Services website for faculty and student resources.