When you sign up for courses, you are automatically signed up for the examination. As a rule, you cannot cancel neither course nor examination registrations (unless exceptional circumstances come into apply).
The rules applying depend on whether you did not pass the exam:
If you fail, are absent or report sick at the 1st examination attempt (ordinary examination), it is your own responsibility to sign up for the 2nd examination attempt (re-exam). Once you have signed up for the re-exam, you cannot cancel the registration. Information about the time for re-exam you will find in the course description.
Please note that the re-exam may differ from the ordinary exam. You may read about types of exams in your curriculum.
If you have previously been signed up for a course but did not pass the exam, you need only sign up for the exam. Please note that the syllabus may vary from one semester to the next.
If you do not pass the exam in the 1st and 2nd examination attempt, you still have the 3rd examination attempt.(An exception is the First Year Examination, see below). As a rule, it is up to you whether you choose to use the 3rd examination attempt when the exam is next available, or if you prefer to wait to a later date, but the attempt can only be placed in the ordinary examinations periods, if it is not an direct extension of an other ordinary attempt. However, you may be told when to do the exam, if e.g. the course is no longer available.
From September 2016 you may also, as a rule, decide when you are ready for the 2nd attempt.
Note the First Year Examination!
- Started in 2016: the First Year Examination must be completed within the first academic year. As a result of that you have only 2 examination attempts on subjects in the spring semester.
- Started before 2016: check your curriculum to find out whether you have 1 or 2 years to complete the First Year Examination.
Note the Study Start test!
The Study Start Test (SST) is meant to show whether you have actually started on your programme or not. The SST must be held within the first two months after study start, and you only have 2 examination attempts. If you do not pass the SST, you will be withdrawn from the programme. Check your curriculum to see if the SST is part of your programme.
What do I do, if I fail at the 3rd examination attempt?
If you do not pass the exam in the 3rd examination attempt, you do not have any more attempts and may, as a rule, not continue your studies. However, you may be granted a deviation from the regulations, i.e. be granted a 4th examination attempt if exceptional circumstances have been the reason for your not having passed the exam in a specific course in one or more examination attempts. Remember, that exceptional circumstances must be documented when you apply for exemption.
Did you fail one or more exams and have lost track of what courses you still need to do and when to do them? You may try to make your own syllabus. If you get stuck in the process, you are welcome to contact the academic student advisor.
There are various ways of cancelling an examination registration if you are prevented from attending an exam because of illness or due to other exceptional circumstances. It is important that you understand the difference between acute and long term conditions/circumstances.
Acute exceptional circumstances
If you fall ill just before or during the exam or are prevented from attending/sitting the exam in case of acute exceptional circumstances, you will, of course, not be using an examination attempt. Instead you should report yourself sick. This is done on SPOC.
Read more on Illness and Examinations.
You must also report sick to the study secretariat.
Long term exceptional circumstances
If the exceptional circumstances are not acute - i.e. if you already months before the exam know that you'll be unable to attend it due to exceptional circumstances - you may apply to your Study Board for permission to deviate from the general regulations on examinations and registration requirements. You need to apply to your Study Board for a reduction of the registration requirements, and thus the registrations will be cancelled for the course(s) and exam(s) that you'll be unable to attend.
Learn more under FAQ.
Read about requirements for applications for exemption.
Exemptions at examinations
Perhaps exceptional circumstances make passing exams more challenging for you? If that is the case you may apply to your Study Board to be exempted from the examination regulations.
Exemptions may vary. E.g. you may apply for:
- for additional time at the exam,
- to change of type of exam or
- for something else that may improve your chances of being able to pass the exam as well as your fellow students.
If you need help, you are welcome to contact the academic student advisor.
If you have a permanent physical disability or mental disorder you may be eligible for relevant support for your studies through the Special Educational Support (SPS).
Do you get nervous before an exam to the extent that it affects you negatively? Perhaps then, you suffer from examination anxiety…
Find out who you can contact.
You are also welcome to contact the academic student advisor, if you need to talk to someone about how to cope with and learn how to master your anxiety.
The majority of students have no intentions of cheating at the exams. Still, occasionally, students are caught cheating. Sometimes the intention has been to make it through a difficult exam that way, other times it is because the students are simply not familiar with the principles for academic integrity and formalities concerning good academic practices.
Read more about how to avoid cheating at exams
You may appeal
It is not a good feeling to have participated in an exam where you feel that the way in which the exam was conducted or the grading was not fair. Sometimes it results in a need to file an appeal on the conduct of the exam or the grade or both.
Considerations before filing an appeal
However, before writing and submitting an examination appeal, it may be a good idea to contact your examiner and ask for the detailed reasons for your assessment. We also recommend that you consider what you expect to gain from the appeal. Are you hoping for a re-assessment and a higher grade? Or perhaps a re-examination?
Please note that should you decide to appeal, the appeal must be submitted within a two-week deadline from the time of publication of the examination results. We suggest that you spend those two weeks talking your exam experience over with e.g. your lecturer/examiner, fellow students or a guidance counsellor, and reflecting on your reasons for appealing and writing the appeal.
Appealing because of a failed exam?
If you failed an exam and have filed an appeal, we recommend that you register for the re-exam anyway. That way you’ll avoid lagging behind in your studies, should the appeal not be judged in your favour.
You can read more about the Faculty of Business and Social Sciences' rules regarding appeals here.
Under the Student Self-Serviceyou'll find an overview of which subjects you have passed, how many examination attempts you have used etc. You may also make a transcript of your examination results.
When you have completed your programme, a diploma will automatically be sent to you personally.