—| B1-B2 (intermediate) |—

In Canada, university students end their first semester either at the end of November or the beginning of December. After this date, these students no longer attend class, but instead focus on studying for their final exams: comprehensive tests that evaluate their knowledge on the entire curriculum of each (typically) three-month course that they have just taken. These exams, also known simply as “finals”, take place throughout the entire month of December leading up to Christmas. Each one generally ranges from two to three hours in length (though this may vary depending on the program).

The average university student in Canada takes five courses per semester, though due to the rigour of the Canadian post-secondary education system a minimum of three courses per semester qualifies a student as having full-time study status. This means that once a student completes all five final exams they are free to relax for the rest of the month until semester two begins in the first or second week of January. For some, this means that they receive a month-long vacation, commonly referred to as “Christmas vacation". For others, however, their Christmas vacation may only be two weeks in length. It really depends on a student’s final exam schedule.

Do university students have final exams in your country? When do they typically write them? Let us know in the comments below.