Final Exams
Final examinations are held according to a published schedule and cannot be taken before the scheduled time. Students can see their final exam schedule in their MaineStreet Student Center.
The University of Maine reserves the right to revise, amend or change items set forth in the Final Examination Schedule. Accordingly, readers of the schedule should inquire as to whether any such revisions, amendments or changes have been made since publication.
Fall final exams are scheduled for the following two hour periods:
- 9:30am (Monday-Friday)
- 12:15am (Monday-Friday)
- 2:45pm (Monday-Friday)
- 5:30pm (Monday-Thursday)
- 7:45pm (Monday-Thursday)
- No final exams will be scheduled outside of these standardized times.
Not all sections of classes have a final examination. Students should check with their instructor if a class is not listed on the schedule and verify if there is to be a final exam.
Students who have a conflict in the examination schedule or more than three exams in one day will be notified and instructions given as to what to do to resolve the matter. For Fall 2026, please make such arrangements no later than November 16, 2026. If the student has difficulty reaching a reasonable compromise with their instructor(s), the Office of Student Records will provide further assistance.
Students with questions on final exams for Division of Lifelong Learning (DLL) or Continuing Education (CED) courses should consult their instructors.
Inclement Weather Procedure
In the event of a weather cancellation, exams will be rescheduled to Friday in the order which they were cancelled.
For the fall semester, the first cancelled block will be rescheduled to Friday 9:30am, the second block to 12:15pm, the third to 2:45pm, the fourth to 5:30pm and the fifth to 7:45pm. For example, if all finals on Monday were cancelled they would be rescheduled to Friday in the same time blocks. If only Tuesday afternoon finals were cancelled starting at 2:45, the three time blocks would be rescheduled to the first three blocks on Friday (9:30am, 12:15pm, 2:45pm). Some finals are scheduled for the first three time blocks on Friday.
In the event that the rescheduling of a cancelled final conflicts with a previously scheduled final on Friday, the student should attend the originally scheduled final and make individual arrangements for the conflicting final. If the cancellation is on Friday, morning finals will be moved to the afternoon for a delayed opening and individual arrangements will need to be made if the University closes for the entire day.
Athletic Events during Final Exam Period
The University of Maine will not schedule athletic events during final examination periods in December and May. The President, in consultation with the Executive Vice President and Provost, determines whether or not athletic teams will participate in post-season tournaments during final examination week.
Faculty Information
- Faculty can find their final exam schedule in the Faculty Center in the box labeled “My Final Exam Schedule,” located just below the “My Teaching Schedule” box which displays their semester’s classes.
- The final examination should count no more than one-third of the course grade, although exceptions may be made by the instructor in consultation with the chairperson of the department in which the course is offered.
- No examination of any kind may be scheduled during the last week of classes, except by permission of the appropriate Associate Dean or Director. A final examination may be scheduled only during final exam week. If a final is not planned, and the instructor wishes to schedule a prelim covering the last weeks of the course, this prelim must be given during the final exam week.
Final Examination Policy for Changes/Additions
Once the official Final Examination Schedule has been created and posted by the Office of Student Records, no additions or changes to the schedule will be made without approval from the appropriate Associate Dean/Director. This includes changes to classroom assignments, time and/or day of exam, and additions of final exams to the schedule. Deletions of scheduled Final Examinations do not require Associate Dean/Director approval. (Associate Deans and Directors Meeting – December 2, 2010)