Schedule Make-Up Exams Without Losing Eligibility Evidence

Start from the eligibility decision, not the request

A make-up request is not an eligibility decision. The instructor, the accommodation office, or another named authority decides whether the student may sit at another time. The scheduling queue begins only after that decision is documented with a date and a scope.

Record who approved the make-up, what the approval covers, and whether any condition remains. An approval for a documented illness may not cover a second missed sitting, and an accommodation approval may apply to the format rather than to the date.

If the request arrives before the decision, the assistant can hold a tentative window and tell the student what is still missing. Do not confirm a room or a proctor as though eligibility were settled.

Record the original sitting and the missed event

Link the make-up to the original exam identifier, the scheduled date and time, the delivery mode, and the duration. Without that link, a later reviewer cannot tell which assessment the make-up replaces or whether the format was comparable.

Record the missed sitting as a distinct event with the reason category supplied by the approving office. Do not paste medical detail into the scheduling queue. The queue needs enough context to act, not a copy of the student's private explanation.

If the student missed only part of the exam, record the portion and the time used. A partial sitting may need a different accommodation or a different make-up length than a full absence.

See how the related specialist service can support this operating lane while your team retains accountable decisions.

Collect evidence with a named owner

Each reason category should have a defined evidence owner. The instructor may accept a brief absence notice; the accommodation office may require documentation under its own process; a licensing or clinical program may have a separate rule.

The assistant checks that the required item is present and legible, then routes it to the owner. The assistant does not assess whether the reason is credible or whether the documentation is sufficient.

Keep the evidence in the approved system and reference it by a case identifier in the scheduling record. Sending documents between personal inboxes creates a second uncontrolled copy.

Separate instructor approval from accommodation approval

An instructor can approve a make-up for a missed exam under the course policy. An accommodation office can approve a change in timing or setting as an accessibility measure. These approvals answer different questions and should be recorded separately.

If both are needed, the record should show both. A scheduling clerk who sees an accommodation letter should not assume the instructor has accepted the proposed date, and an instructor's willingness to offer a make-up should not be read as an accommodation decision.

When the two approvals conflict, pause the booking and route the conflict to the accommodation office and the instructor together. The assistant should not choose which approval takes precedence.

Continue with this related education workflow guide.

Match the format and duration to the original exam

Record whether the make-up will use the same paper, the same online form, an oral format, or a different version approved by the assessment owner. Note any change in time allowed and the reason for it.

A make-up that is materially easier or shorter than the original sitting can create a fairness question. The assistant should surface the difference to the instructor rather than resolve it.

If the original exam used a lock-down browser or a specific calculator, record that requirement before the room is booked. A compatible device and a charged battery are part of scheduling, not an afterthought.

Reserve the proctor, room, and delivery window

Book the proctor and the space from the approved list, then record the confirmation numbers. Check the room's accessibility, the expected noise, and whether the session overlaps another exam that uses the same secure materials.

Send the proctor the exam identifier, the student's approved name, the start and end time, the allowed materials, and the contact path for a problem. Do not send the answer key or the full exam file unless the proctor's role requires it.

If the make-up is online, confirm the student can access the shell and that the availability window matches the approved duration. A window that opens early and closes late gives the student more time than the approval allows.

Protect exam security across sittings

Assume that students in different sittings may communicate. Record whether the make-up uses the same items, a parallel form, or a later release of the same form, and who approved that choice.

Keep the make-up materials out of shared folders that the whole class can reach. If the original exam has already been returned, note that exposure and ask the assessment owner whether a different form is required.

Log who opened the secure file and when. A security log does not need to be elaborate, but it should be possible to reconstruct the chain from the assessment owner to the proctor.

Confirm the student's instructions in writing

Send one message with the date, time, location or link, arrival expectation, allowed materials, and the name of the office to call if something changes. Ask the student to confirm receipt, but do not make confirmation a condition of eligibility.

State what happens if the student misses the make-up. A new request may need a new decision, and the message should say so without threatening a penalty the instructor has not authorized.

Keep the message in the case file. If the student later says the time was unclear, the record should show what was sent and when.

Reconcile attendance and grading after the sitting

After the sitting, confirm the proctor's attendance record, the materials returned, and the time used. Send the completed exam to the instructor through the approved channel and record the handoff.

Check that the gradebook shows the make-up result against the original assessment, not as an extra credit item that changes the course total. A misplaced score can distort the final grade even when the exam itself was handled correctly.

Close the case with the final status: completed, no-show, cancelled, or still pending. Review no-shows for a scheduling barrier such as a wrong room or a broken link before treating them as a student choice.

Common questions