Academic Exercises and Tests

The faculty has adopted term regulations governing:

  • class times
  • information on assignments, tests and grading provided at the beginning of the term
  • tests and other academic exercises held outside scheduled class time
  • end-of-term examinations and assignments

Faculty and students should become familiar with these regulations. They differ for undergraduate and graduate students.

Students are encouraged to discuss questions regarding individual subjects and the term regulations with the instructor as early in the term as possible. Visit Term Regulations for more information .

Student Absences for Religious Observances

Massachusetts state law regarding student absence due to religious beliefs has been adopted by the Institute as follows:

  • Any student who is unable to attend classes or participate in any examination, study, or work requirement on a particular day because of his or her religious beliefs is excused from any such activity. The student will be given the opportunity to make up the work that was missed, provided that the makeup work does not create an unreasonable burden upon MIT.
  • The Institute will not levy fees or charges of any kind when allowing the student to make up missed work. In addition, no adverse or prejudicial effects will result because students have made use of these provisions.

Advanced Standing Examinations

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Advanced Standing Examinations are given in August/September, December, January/February, and May. These examinations may be taken only by students who have never been registered for or attended class at MIT in the subject concerned. Special students are not eligible to take Advanced Standing Examinations.

Except for entering freshmen and transfer students, who may take Advanced Standing Examinations offered during Orientation, a student must petition to take an Advanced Standing Examination. The petition must be approved by the faculty member in charge of the subject and by the student's advisor. The petition must be submitted to the Student Services Center (SSC) or the Schedules Office at least three weeks before the first day of the examination period. For more information, see Advanced Standing Examination Procedures.

Students interested in taking higher-level examinations should check in advance what preparation is required. The instructor may require evidence of competence in addition to the examination if the subject normally involves measures of student performance that are qualitatively different from the examination. 

Freshmen who take Advanced Standing Examinations should be aware that grading and credit limit restrictions vary according to when the test is taken.

ASE Testing Date Freshman Grading Freshman Credit Limit
August/September P/NR: If exam is passed, P appears on transcript No credit is applied to the fall 54-unit credit limit
December P/NR: If exam is passed, P appears on transcript Credit is applied to the fall 54-unit credit limit
January/February ABC/NR: If exam is passed, A, B or C appears on transcript No credit is applied to the spring 57-unit credit limit
May ABC/NR: If exam is passed, A, B or C appears on transcript Credit is applied to the spring 57-unit credit limit

No record will be kept of D or F performance if the exam is taken during the September examination period; non-passing D or F grades on Advanced Standing Exams taken later in the freshman year will be posted on the internal record but not on the transcript.

An internal record is kept of all grades for Advanced Standing Examinations taken by transfer students. If a transfer student is granted ABC/No Record grade reporting in his or her first semester, grades for any Advanced Standing Examinations taken at the beginning or end of that semester will have only A-C grades reported on the transcript. If the examination is taken at the end of the semester, the credit earned would count toward the student's 57-unit credit limit.

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For all other students, including transfer students on regular grade reporting, a grade ranging from A through F will be recorded on the internal record and transcript.

A grade on an Advanced Standing Examination will not be incorporated in the student's term or cumulative rating. A passing grade entitles the student to full credit for the subject.

If a student is on academic warning, an Advanced Standing Examination taken during the semester will count toward the student's credit limit. Examinations taken in September or February will not count toward the credit limit.

If a student fails an Advanced Standing Exam, he or she may not retake the exam, but may register for the same subject in any subsequent term.

Being Excused from a Final Examination

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If an undergraduate student has a personal emergency or illness that prevents attendance at a final examination, the student should immediately contact Student Support Services (S^3) and notify the subject instructor.

An undergraduate who has been passing a subject may be granted permission to miss or postpone work during the last two weeks of the term, including the final, because of significant personal or medical problems. The student should discuss the circumstances with a dean in S^3, who will treat the information confidentially.

If possible the student should inform the instructor and the advisor of the need to miss a final or other work. If the counseling dean and the instructor conclude that the student has a valid medical or personal reason for the excused absence, the instructor will report the grade as an O, which is then changed to an OX by the dean. If the instructor does not believe the student deserves the O and the student has not been passing until that point, the instructor retains the option of failing the student.

Once a student receives an OX, she or he should make specific arrangements with the instructor to complete the coursework. This may involve scheduling a make-up final exam or finishing other assignments as determined by the instructor. An instructor may also decide to issue a grade based on the coursework that has been completed to date.

If a student does not take a make-up final according to the arrangement made with the course instructor, the instructor may assign a final grade, including an F, based on the work completed in the subject relative to all of the work required. Therefore, a student who has a legitimate reason for missing a scheduled make-up final should discuss the situation with the counseling dean and instructor who issued the OX grade.