General Exam Modalities

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If you sign up to take an exam you are required to take part.

Nonappearance, missed deadlines for submissions or revocation before or after the beginning of the exam without an acceptable excuse will be seen as having tried and will be marked as having failed (“nicht ausreichend, 5.0”)!

(§ 20 Abs. 1 BAPO, § 19 Abs. 1 POLBA, § 24 Abs. 1 MagPO).

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Illness

If you are unable to attend an exam or make a deadline due to sickness, you are required to submit a certification from a doctor to the examination office or academic office. In accordance with the order by the Ministry of Education (Ministerium für Bildung, Wissenschaft, Jugend und Kultur (MBWJK)) the examination offices are encouraged to the following course of action:

  • On the first instance a simple certification by a doctor, which states that you are unable to take the exam without going into further detail, is sufficient.
  • From the second instance on you must present either:
    1. A certification by an official medical examiner (Amtsarzt).
    2. A qualified certification by the attending doctor.
      The qualified certification must contain amongst other things information on the impairment caused by the illness (description of symptoms) and how these negatively affects your ability to take the exam.
      See e.g. OVG Lüneburg, Urteil vom 15.09.1998 - 10 L 3178/96, KMK-HSchrR/NF 21 C.1 Nr. 30; VG Minden, GB vom 25.01.2000 - 2 K 3874/99, NWVGl. 2000, 232 sowie VG Saarlouis, Urteil vom 21.05.2001 - 1 K 7/99 - (n.v.).
  • A certification of unfitness for work is insufficient! You necessarily need a certification which states that you are unable to take the exam. Please use the form below for the faculty conducting the examination and have your doctor fill them out. The form then has to be submitted to the faculty’s examination office.
    Attestformular_FB 01,02,05,06,07,08,09
    FB 03 Jura
    FB 03 WiWi - WiPäd
    FB 04 Medizin
    Faculty 10 Biology doesn't use a form. A doctor's certification is sufficient.
  • If you are unable to take the exam or make the deadline, you are required to bring this to the attention of the examination office immediately. For the most part before the exam begins or before the deadline arrives.
  • A certification by a doctor must, as a general rule be submitted in the course of 3 days. A certification by a hospital physician or a certified Psychologist / psychological Psychotherapist is comparable to a certification by an official doctor and will principally be accepted.
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Disability and chronic illness

  • In the case of a recognized disability or chronic illness exam accommodations in the form of an extension of writing time or other may be granted.
  • This has to be applied for at the examination office before the exam (Application for exam accommodations).
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Recognized Dyslexia

If you have recognized Dyslexia (not reading and writing difficulty) you can also apply for accommodations.

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Acceptable Excuses

  • A serious illness certified by a doctor, hospitalization or (severe) accident on the day of the exam.
  • Sudden stroke of fate like the death of a near relative in temporal connection to the exam/ deadline or being the victim of a crime. A temporal connection is given if the death occurs within one week of the exam / deadline. Near relatives are spouses, siblings, children, parents, parents-in-law, grandparents and grandchildren.
  • Non-foreseeable, considerable burdens in your private life
    • Loss of lodgings
    • Illness of a child or spouse if no other person can be found (certification necessary)
    • Parents need permanent care
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Principally Unacceptable Excuses

  • Long-term illnesses unless the symptoms occur in acute phases with unforeseeable intensity and impairment ( e.g. Malaria, MS, Rheumatism, psychiatric issues)
  • Exam nerves / exam psychosis (serious nervous impairment in connection with the exam) even if it is diagnosed by a psychologist / psychological psychotherapist unless it is a symptom of another underlying issue.
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Other Unacceptable Excuses

  • Problems getting the necessary material (Bachelor thesis). Exemptions are decided by the chairman of the examination board after a substantiated request by the first examiner.
  • Technical difficulties. Computer virus, data loss or defective printer are unacceptable because backups are a prerequisite and you can use the equipment at the ZDV.
  • Pregnancy insofar as there are no complications in the course of it. Acute disorders are to be treated like an illness.
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