I get this a lot during an exam. A student sees a problem and insists that type of problem was never covered in class. This is almost always false. Typically, once the exam is turned in, I point out exactly when we covered this topic or this type of problem. I then usually get a response of “I wasn’t here that day.” That doesn’t mean it will not be on the exam.
If you miss class, it is your responsibility to learn what it was that you missed. You can check a previous blog on what you should do if you miss a class. If you miss a class, you are still responsible for that information.
I will rarely put a question on an exam that wasn’t directly covered in class. When I do, it still uses topics that we have discussed. I am testing your ability to use the information that we learned, and apply it in various situations. While students tend to not like this, one of the main points of a college class is to get you to use the information in various situations. In real life, every problem is not going to be exactly like the set up covered in class. It is good to be able to apply this information.