Appealing a Grade at a Canadian University

Canadian universities normally distinguish between an informal grade reappraisal, requested from the instructor or department, and a formal appeal on procedural grounds. Reappraisal can raise or lower the mark at some institutions, which is a risk worth confirming before requesting one.

Two Different Processes

• Reappraisal or re-read. A request that the work be marked again, usually by the instructor or another faculty member. Deadlines are short, and a fee is sometimes charged and refunded if the mark changes.
• Formal appeal. A challenge on procedural grounds heard by a faculty or senate committee. Not a re-marking exercise.

Start With the Instructor

Most Canadian policies require this first, and most disputes end here. Ask a specific question: "Could you explain how the analysis criterion was assessed?" rather than asserting the mark is wrong. Arithmetic errors and criteria left unmarked are genuinely common and are corrected without any formal process.

Put your rubric beside the marked work before you email. Frequently the answer is visible.

Grounds for a Formal Appeal

1. Procedural irregularity — the published process or syllabus was not followed.
2. Bias or conflict of interest, evidenced rather than inferred.
3. Circumstances not previously known, with a reason for the delay.
4. Manifest error — arithmetic or recording.

Academic judgement is excluded at essentially every Canadian institution. A committee will not substitute its own view of the work's quality for the instructor's.

Deadlines

Typically 10 to 20 business days from the release of the grade, and enforced. Some institutions run a shorter window for reappraisal than for appeal. Lodge within time even if evidence is still coming, and say so.

Get Help

Canadian universities fund student advocacy through the students' union, ombudsperson office, or both. An ombudsperson is independent of the faculty and can advise on whether you have grounds before you commit. This is free and materially improves outcomes.

Writing the Submission

1. Name the ground using the policy's own language.
2. State the remedy sought.
3. Give a dated factual account.
4. Attach evidence — the syllabus, the rubric, correspondence, the marked work.
5. Keep it to two pages plus attachments.

International Students

A failed course affecting full-time status can affect study permit conditions and post-graduation work permit eligibility. Speak to your international student adviser before withdrawing or accepting an outcome that changes your enrolment status.

Frequently asked questions

Can my grade go down if I ask for a reappraisal?

At several Canadian universities, yes — the new mark stands whether higher or lower. Confirm your institution’s rule in writing before requesting one, particularly if your current grade is close to a passing threshold.

What is the difference between reappraisal and appeal?

A reappraisal is a request that the work be marked again, handled within the department. A formal appeal challenges the process on procedural grounds and is heard by a faculty or senate committee, which does not re-mark the work.

What grounds succeed in a Canadian grade appeal?

Procedural irregularity, evidenced bias or conflict of interest, circumstances the assessor did not know with a reason for the delay, and manifest arithmetic or recording error. Disagreement with academic judgement is excluded at essentially every institution.

Who can help me with a grade appeal in Canada?

Your students’ union advocacy service and, where one exists, the university ombudsperson, which is independent of the faculty. Both are free and can advise whether you have grounds before you commit to a formal process.