diff --git a/examples/flax/language-modeling/run_bart_dlm_flax.py b/examples/flax/language-modeling/run_bart_dlm_flax.py
index 8603482218b422..f5369299a6d4c9 100644
--- a/examples/flax/language-modeling/run_bart_dlm_flax.py
+++ b/examples/flax/language-modeling/run_bart_dlm_flax.py
@@ -558,9 +558,10 @@ def main():
         data_files = {}
         if data_args.train_file is not None:
             data_files["train"] = data_args.train_file
+            extension = data_args.train_file.split(".")[-1]
         if data_args.validation_file is not None:
             data_files["validation"] = data_args.validation_file
-        extension = data_args.train_file.split(".")[-1]
+            extension = data_args.validation_file.split(".")[-1]
         if extension == "txt":
             extension = "text"
         datasets = load_dataset(
diff --git a/examples/flax/language-modeling/run_clm_flax.py b/examples/flax/language-modeling/run_clm_flax.py
index 48d924f9bb3948..2145b242bb1c18 100755
--- a/examples/flax/language-modeling/run_clm_flax.py
+++ b/examples/flax/language-modeling/run_clm_flax.py
@@ -449,9 +449,10 @@ def main():
         dataset_args = {}
         if data_args.train_file is not None:
             data_files["train"] = data_args.train_file
+            extension = data_args.train_file.split(".")[-1]
         if data_args.validation_file is not None:
             data_files["validation"] = data_args.validation_file
-        extension = data_args.train_file.split(".")[-1]
+            extension = data_args.validation_file.split(".")[-1]
         if extension == "txt":
             extension = "text"
             dataset_args["keep_linebreaks"] = data_args.keep_linebreaks
diff --git a/examples/flax/language-modeling/run_mlm_flax.py b/examples/flax/language-modeling/run_mlm_flax.py
index 39fc5e7836376e..d0aa82c6b8fed9 100755
--- a/examples/flax/language-modeling/run_mlm_flax.py
+++ b/examples/flax/language-modeling/run_mlm_flax.py
@@ -485,9 +485,10 @@ def main():
         data_files = {}
         if data_args.train_file is not None:
             data_files["train"] = data_args.train_file
+            extension = data_args.train_file.split(".")[-1]
         if data_args.validation_file is not None:
             data_files["validation"] = data_args.validation_file
-        extension = data_args.train_file.split(".")[-1]
+            extension = data_args.validation_file.split(".")[-1]
         if extension == "txt":
             extension = "text"
         datasets = load_dataset(
diff --git a/examples/flax/language-modeling/run_t5_mlm_flax.py b/examples/flax/language-modeling/run_t5_mlm_flax.py
index 45d3fe32bcf9f1..fa6a5742236ca5 100755
--- a/examples/flax/language-modeling/run_t5_mlm_flax.py
+++ b/examples/flax/language-modeling/run_t5_mlm_flax.py
@@ -599,9 +599,10 @@ def main():
         data_files = {}
         if data_args.train_file is not None:
             data_files["train"] = data_args.train_file
+            extension = data_args.train_file.split(".")[-1]
         if data_args.validation_file is not None:
             data_files["validation"] = data_args.validation_file
-        extension = data_args.train_file.split(".")[-1]
+            extension = data_args.validation_file.split(".")[-1]
         if extension == "txt":
             extension = "text"
         datasets = load_dataset(
diff --git a/examples/pytorch/language-modeling/run_clm_no_trainer.py b/examples/pytorch/language-modeling/run_clm_no_trainer.py
index 15d513b0c928b6..d2855a514a82a6 100755
--- a/examples/pytorch/language-modeling/run_clm_no_trainer.py
+++ b/examples/pytorch/language-modeling/run_clm_no_trainer.py
@@ -345,9 +345,10 @@ def main():
         dataset_args = {}
         if args.train_file is not None:
             data_files["train"] = args.train_file
+            extension = args.train_file.split(".")[-1]
         if args.validation_file is not None:
             data_files["validation"] = args.validation_file
-        extension = args.train_file.split(".")[-1]
+            extension = args.validation_file.split(".")[-1]
         if extension == "txt":
             extension = "text"
             dataset_args["keep_linebreaks"] = not args.no_keep_linebreaks
diff --git a/examples/pytorch/language-modeling/run_mlm_no_trainer.py b/examples/pytorch/language-modeling/run_mlm_no_trainer.py
index d9b8120a98e883..68253c33a35f3b 100755
--- a/examples/pytorch/language-modeling/run_mlm_no_trainer.py
+++ b/examples/pytorch/language-modeling/run_mlm_no_trainer.py
@@ -351,9 +351,10 @@ def main():
         data_files = {}
         if args.train_file is not None:
             data_files["train"] = args.train_file
+            extension = args.train_file.split(".")[-1]
         if args.validation_file is not None:
             data_files["validation"] = args.validation_file
-        extension = args.train_file.split(".")[-1]
+            extension = args.validation_file.split(".")[-1]
         if extension == "txt":
             extension = "text"
         raw_datasets = load_dataset(extension, data_files=data_files)
diff --git a/examples/pytorch/language-modeling/run_plm.py b/examples/pytorch/language-modeling/run_plm.py
index 66451247e06a7f..1a744083b18a94 100755
--- a/examples/pytorch/language-modeling/run_plm.py
+++ b/examples/pytorch/language-modeling/run_plm.py
@@ -328,9 +328,10 @@ def main():
         data_files = {}
         if data_args.train_file is not None:
             data_files["train"] = data_args.train_file
+            extension = data_args.train_file.split(".")[-1]
         if data_args.validation_file is not None:
             data_files["validation"] = data_args.validation_file
-        extension = data_args.train_file.split(".")[-1]
+            extension = data_args.validation_file.split(".")[-1]
         if extension == "txt":
             extension = "text"
         raw_datasets = load_dataset(extension, data_files=data_files, cache_dir=model_args.cache_dir)
diff --git a/examples/pytorch/multiple-choice/run_swag.py b/examples/pytorch/multiple-choice/run_swag.py
index a1cfcfdddafa4a..2eaf97b70335b9 100755
--- a/examples/pytorch/multiple-choice/run_swag.py
+++ b/examples/pytorch/multiple-choice/run_swag.py
@@ -311,9 +311,10 @@ def main():
         data_files = {}
         if data_args.train_file is not None:
             data_files["train"] = data_args.train_file
+            extension = data_args.train_file.split(".")[-1]
         if data_args.validation_file is not None:
             data_files["validation"] = data_args.validation_file
-        extension = data_args.train_file.split(".")[-1]
+            extension = data_args.validation_file.split(".")[-1]
         raw_datasets = load_dataset(
             extension,
             data_files=data_files,
diff --git a/examples/pytorch/multiple-choice/run_swag_no_trainer.py b/examples/pytorch/multiple-choice/run_swag_no_trainer.py
index 9ad72548329184..529ce2eae3cbcc 100755
--- a/examples/pytorch/multiple-choice/run_swag_no_trainer.py
+++ b/examples/pytorch/multiple-choice/run_swag_no_trainer.py
@@ -357,9 +357,10 @@ def main():
         data_files = {}
         if args.train_file is not None:
             data_files["train"] = args.train_file
+            extension = args.train_file.split(".")[-1]
         if args.validation_file is not None:
             data_files["validation"] = args.validation_file
-        extension = args.train_file.split(".")[-1]
+            extension = args.validation_file.split(".")[-1]
         raw_datasets = load_dataset(extension, data_files=data_files)
     # Trim a number of training examples
     if args.debug:
diff --git a/examples/pytorch/question-answering/run_qa_beam_search_no_trainer.py b/examples/pytorch/question-answering/run_qa_beam_search_no_trainer.py
index 905189d0d41a88..4103dd0014ec53 100644
--- a/examples/pytorch/question-answering/run_qa_beam_search_no_trainer.py
+++ b/examples/pytorch/question-answering/run_qa_beam_search_no_trainer.py
@@ -362,11 +362,13 @@ def main():
         data_files = {}
         if args.train_file is not None:
             data_files["train"] = args.train_file
+            extension = args.train_file.split(".")[-1]
         if args.validation_file is not None:
             data_files["validation"] = args.validation_file
+            extension = args.validation_file.split(".")[-1]
         if args.test_file is not None:
             data_files["test"] = args.test_file
-        extension = args.train_file.split(".")[-1]
+            extension = args.test_file.split(".")[-1]
         raw_datasets = load_dataset(extension, data_files=data_files, field="data")
     # See more about loading any type of standard or custom dataset (from files, python dict, pandas DataFrame, etc) at
     # https://huggingface.co/docs/datasets/loading_datasets.
diff --git a/examples/pytorch/question-answering/run_qa_no_trainer.py b/examples/pytorch/question-answering/run_qa_no_trainer.py
index 1a58f6ce442f0e..0c6794b16f2198 100755
--- a/examples/pytorch/question-answering/run_qa_no_trainer.py
+++ b/examples/pytorch/question-answering/run_qa_no_trainer.py
@@ -410,11 +410,13 @@ def main():
         data_files = {}
         if args.train_file is not None:
             data_files["train"] = args.train_file
+            extension = args.train_file.split(".")[-1]
         if args.validation_file is not None:
             data_files["validation"] = args.validation_file
+            extension = args.validation_file.split(".")[-1]
         if args.test_file is not None:
             data_files["test"] = args.test_file
-        extension = args.train_file.split(".")[-1]
+            extension = args.test_file.split(".")[-1]
         raw_datasets = load_dataset(extension, data_files=data_files, field="data")
     # See more about loading any type of standard or custom dataset (from files, python dict, pandas DataFrame, etc) at
     # https://huggingface.co/docs/datasets/loading_datasets.
diff --git a/examples/pytorch/summarization/run_summarization_no_trainer.py b/examples/pytorch/summarization/run_summarization_no_trainer.py
index 96ccb552ed164f..826c8b64a4ec90 100644
--- a/examples/pytorch/summarization/run_summarization_no_trainer.py
+++ b/examples/pytorch/summarization/run_summarization_no_trainer.py
@@ -404,9 +404,10 @@ def main():
         data_files = {}
         if args.train_file is not None:
             data_files["train"] = args.train_file
+            extension = args.train_file.split(".")[-1]
         if args.validation_file is not None:
             data_files["validation"] = args.validation_file
-        extension = args.train_file.split(".")[-1]
+            extension = args.validation_file.split(".")[-1]
         raw_datasets = load_dataset(extension, data_files=data_files)
     # See more about loading any type of standard or custom dataset (from files, python dict, pandas DataFrame, etc) at
     # https://huggingface.co/docs/datasets/loading_datasets.
diff --git a/examples/pytorch/token-classification/run_ner.py b/examples/pytorch/token-classification/run_ner.py
index 8d7a67cd1571a6..13ce7d98771d25 100755
--- a/examples/pytorch/token-classification/run_ner.py
+++ b/examples/pytorch/token-classification/run_ner.py
@@ -311,11 +311,13 @@ def main():
         data_files = {}
         if data_args.train_file is not None:
             data_files["train"] = data_args.train_file
+            extension = data_args.train_file.split(".")[-1]
         if data_args.validation_file is not None:
             data_files["validation"] = data_args.validation_file
+            extension = data_args.validation_file.split(".")[-1]
         if data_args.test_file is not None:
             data_files["test"] = data_args.test_file
-        extension = data_args.train_file.split(".")[-1]
+            extension = data_args.test_file.split(".")[-1]
         raw_datasets = load_dataset(extension, data_files=data_files, cache_dir=model_args.cache_dir)
     # See more about loading any type of standard or custom dataset (from files, python dict, pandas DataFrame, etc) at
     # https://huggingface.co/docs/datasets/loading_datasets.
diff --git a/examples/pytorch/token-classification/run_ner_no_trainer.py b/examples/pytorch/token-classification/run_ner_no_trainer.py
index 02bbd12d22ba50..439730e77d261e 100755
--- a/examples/pytorch/token-classification/run_ner_no_trainer.py
+++ b/examples/pytorch/token-classification/run_ner_no_trainer.py
@@ -339,9 +339,10 @@ def main():
         data_files = {}
         if args.train_file is not None:
             data_files["train"] = args.train_file
+            extension = args.train_file.split(".")[-1]
         if args.validation_file is not None:
             data_files["validation"] = args.validation_file
-        extension = args.train_file.split(".")[-1]
+            extension = args.validation_file.split(".")[-1]
         raw_datasets = load_dataset(extension, data_files=data_files)
     # Trim a number of training examples
     if args.debug:
diff --git a/examples/pytorch/translation/run_translation_no_trainer.py b/examples/pytorch/translation/run_translation_no_trainer.py
index c4764b5ee4a7d7..87f7ba6bcfad4c 100644
--- a/examples/pytorch/translation/run_translation_no_trainer.py
+++ b/examples/pytorch/translation/run_translation_no_trainer.py
@@ -384,9 +384,10 @@ def main():
         data_files = {}
         if args.train_file is not None:
             data_files["train"] = args.train_file
+            extension = args.train_file.split(".")[-1]
         if args.validation_file is not None:
             data_files["validation"] = args.validation_file
-        extension = args.train_file.split(".")[-1]
+            extension = args.validation_file.split(".")[-1]
         raw_datasets = load_dataset(extension, data_files=data_files)
     # See more about loading any type of standard or custom dataset (from files, python dict, pandas DataFrame, etc) at
     # https://huggingface.co/docs/datasets/loading_datasets.
diff --git a/examples/research_projects/jax-projects/model_parallel/run_clm_mp.py b/examples/research_projects/jax-projects/model_parallel/run_clm_mp.py
index 4ff4bd559d8ced..a72e5cff861c8b 100644
--- a/examples/research_projects/jax-projects/model_parallel/run_clm_mp.py
+++ b/examples/research_projects/jax-projects/model_parallel/run_clm_mp.py
@@ -297,9 +297,10 @@ def main():
         data_files = {}
         if data_args.train_file is not None:
             data_files["train"] = data_args.train_file
+            extension = data_args.train_file.split(".")[-1]
         if data_args.validation_file is not None:
             data_files["validation"] = data_args.validation_file
-        extension = data_args.train_file.split(".")[-1]
+            extension = data_args.validation_file.split(".")[-1]
         if extension == "txt":
             extension = "text"
         dataset = load_dataset(extension, data_files=data_files, cache_dir=model_args.cache_dir)
diff --git a/examples/research_projects/luke/run_luke_ner_no_trainer.py b/examples/research_projects/luke/run_luke_ner_no_trainer.py
index e03c665e4ec2cd..cac487b059d71f 100644
--- a/examples/research_projects/luke/run_luke_ner_no_trainer.py
+++ b/examples/research_projects/luke/run_luke_ner_no_trainer.py
@@ -285,9 +285,10 @@ def main():
         data_files = {}
         if args.train_file is not None:
             data_files["train"] = args.train_file
+            extension = args.train_file.split(".")[-1]
         if args.validation_file is not None:
             data_files["validation"] = args.validation_file
-        extension = args.train_file.split(".")[-1]
+            extension = args.validation_file.split(".")[-1]
         raw_datasets = load_dataset(extension, data_files=data_files)
     # Trim a number of training examples
     if args.debug:
diff --git a/examples/research_projects/mlm_wwm/run_mlm_wwm.py b/examples/research_projects/mlm_wwm/run_mlm_wwm.py
index 3a7326d38219c0..629026bdb20a63 100644
--- a/examples/research_projects/mlm_wwm/run_mlm_wwm.py
+++ b/examples/research_projects/mlm_wwm/run_mlm_wwm.py
@@ -271,9 +271,10 @@ def main():
         data_files = {}
         if data_args.train_file is not None:
             data_files["train"] = data_args.train_file
+            extension = data_args.train_file.split(".")[-1]
         if data_args.validation_file is not None:
             data_files["validation"] = data_args.validation_file
-        extension = data_args.train_file.split(".")[-1]
+            extension = data_args.validation_file.split(".")[-1]
         if extension == "txt":
             extension = "text"
         datasets = load_dataset(extension, data_files=data_files)
diff --git a/examples/research_projects/performer/run_mlm_performer.py b/examples/research_projects/performer/run_mlm_performer.py
index 7c1f418815bed8..4261d9c184b7a7 100644
--- a/examples/research_projects/performer/run_mlm_performer.py
+++ b/examples/research_projects/performer/run_mlm_performer.py
@@ -517,9 +517,10 @@ def generate_batch_splits(samples_idx: np.ndarray, batch_size: int) -> np.ndarra
         data_files = {}
         if data_args.train_file is not None:
             data_files["train"] = data_args.train_file
+            extension = data_args.train_file.split(".")[-1]
         if data_args.validation_file is not None:
             data_files["validation"] = data_args.validation_file
-        extension = data_args.train_file.split(".")[-1]
+            extension = data_args.validation_file.split(".")[-1]
         if extension == "txt":
             extension = "text"
         datasets = load_dataset(extension, data_files=data_files)
diff --git a/examples/tensorflow/language-modeling/run_mlm.py b/examples/tensorflow/language-modeling/run_mlm.py
index 5be9e0219b7182..38bdc71d984d91 100755
--- a/examples/tensorflow/language-modeling/run_mlm.py
+++ b/examples/tensorflow/language-modeling/run_mlm.py
@@ -341,9 +341,10 @@ def main():
         data_files = {}
         if data_args.train_file is not None:
             data_files["train"] = data_args.train_file
+            extension = data_args.train_file.split(".")[-1]
         if data_args.validation_file is not None:
             data_files["validation"] = data_args.validation_file
-        extension = data_args.train_file.split(".")[-1]
+            extension = data_args.validation_file.split(".")[-1]
         if extension == "txt":
             extension = "text"
         raw_datasets = load_dataset(
diff --git a/examples/tensorflow/multiple-choice/run_swag.py b/examples/tensorflow/multiple-choice/run_swag.py
index 8572ec98e1ae96..4706fbc7e6dd9b 100644
--- a/examples/tensorflow/multiple-choice/run_swag.py
+++ b/examples/tensorflow/multiple-choice/run_swag.py
@@ -320,9 +320,10 @@ def main():
         data_files = {}
         if data_args.train_file is not None:
             data_files["train"] = data_args.train_file
+            extension = data_args.train_file.split(".")[-1]
         if data_args.validation_file is not None:
             data_files["validation"] = data_args.validation_file
-        extension = data_args.train_file.split(".")[-1]
+            extension = data_args.validation_file.split(".")[-1]
         raw_datasets = load_dataset(
             extension,
             data_files=data_files,
diff --git a/examples/tensorflow/token-classification/run_ner.py b/examples/tensorflow/token-classification/run_ner.py
index 84b2ab702a17ab..c6921f9f9aa39c 100644
--- a/examples/tensorflow/token-classification/run_ner.py
+++ b/examples/tensorflow/token-classification/run_ner.py
@@ -260,9 +260,10 @@ def main():
         data_files = {}
         if data_args.train_file is not None:
             data_files["train"] = data_args.train_file
+            extension = data_args.train_file.split(".")[-1]
         if data_args.validation_file is not None:
             data_files["validation"] = data_args.validation_file
-        extension = data_args.train_file.split(".")[-1]
+            extension = data_args.validation_file.split(".")[-1]
         raw_datasets = load_dataset(
             extension,
             data_files=data_files,
diff --git a/templates/adding_a_new_example_script/{{cookiecutter.directory_name}}/run_{{cookiecutter.example_shortcut}}.py b/templates/adding_a_new_example_script/{{cookiecutter.directory_name}}/run_{{cookiecutter.example_shortcut}}.py
index f01283ae08fc7c..2ed4a4d8af909a 100755
--- a/templates/adding_a_new_example_script/{{cookiecutter.directory_name}}/run_{{cookiecutter.example_shortcut}}.py
+++ b/templates/adding_a_new_example_script/{{cookiecutter.directory_name}}/run_{{cookiecutter.example_shortcut}}.py
@@ -730,9 +730,10 @@ def main():
         data_files = {}
         if args.train_file is not None:
             data_files["train"] = args.train_file
+            extension = args.train_file.split(".")[-1]
         if args.validation_file is not None:
             data_files["validation"] = args.validation_file
-        extension = args.train_file.split(".")[-1]
+            extension = args.validation_file.split(".")[-1]
         raw_datasets = load_dataset(extension, data_files=data_files)
     # See more about loading any type of standard or custom dataset (from files, python dict, pandas DataFrame, etc) at
     # https://huggingface.co/docs/datasets/loading_datasets.