9.1 Complaint

You have the option to lodge a complaint about an examination.

An exam complaint may concern:

1. Legalities, such as whether the relevant legislation and regulations were followed
2. Basis for examination
3. Examination process
4. Assessment

Before you lodge a complaint about a written exam, you have the right to receive a copy of your exam paper. You must contact the examiner yourself. 

If you decide to complain, you must send a written complaint with an explanation of your reasons for making the complaint to the programme administration not later than 2 weeks after your assessment has been published (the deadline may be extended under exceptional circumstances). It is your responsibility to keep informed of the date when grades are published via the course website. 

If the complaint concerns the assessment or other circumstances regarding the assessors, the programme administration will present the complaint to the assessors, who must provide an opinion within 2 weeks (not counting the month of July). The deadline may be extended under special circumstances. You will then have one week in which to comment on the opinion.

The programme administration will make the final decision (if the complaint has been presented to the assessors, the decision will be made on the basis of the assessors’ opinion and your comment on their opinion). The decision may be one of the following:

1. To offer a new assessment (reassessment) by new assessors (written examinations only)
2. To offer a new examination (re-examination) by new examiners
3. Rejection of the complaint

If your complaint is rejected, you have the option to appeal the decision; see section 9.2.

If you are offered reassessment or re-examination, you have 2 weeks to accept the offer. If you accept the offer, a new examiner and external examiner will be selected. In the case of reassessment, the new assessors will be given all of the case files (the complaint, the assessors’ opinion, the complainant’s comments to this and the decision of the programme administration).

Reassessment or the assessment of a re-examination may mean that you get a lower grade, a higher grade or that the grade remains the same. The new assessors will report their decision to the programme administration, which will report the decision to you.

The results of a reassessment or re-examination cannot be appealed. However, you may complain about legalities (see section 9.3).

If you are offered reassessment or re-examination, it does not count as one of your three exam attempts.

If your complaint is rejected, you may appeal the decision. The appeal must be in writing and include an explanation of the reasons for the appeal. The appeal must be submitted to the programme administration within 2 weeks of your having received the decision on your complaint (the programme administration may allow a longer deadline under exceptional circumstances). A Board of Appeal will then be set up consisting of four members: two external examiners, one of the course teachers entitled to conduct examinations and a student.

The Board of Appeal may choose one of the following options:

1. To offer to assess the exam paper, including raising or reducing the grade or changing the assessment Fail/Pass to another assessment (written examinations only)
2. To offer a new assessment (reassessment) by new assessors (written examinations only)
3. To offer a new examination (re-examination) by new examiners
4. To reject the appeal

The Board of Appeal must report its decision to the programme administration no later than two months (not counting July) after the appeal has been submitted. The programme administration will send the decision to you.

If the Board of Appeal offers to assess the exam paper or offers reassessment or a new examination by new assessors/examiners, you have two weeks to accept their offer. In the case of reassessment (with new assessors), the new course examiner and external examiner will be given all the case files (the complaint, the assessors’ opinion, the complainant’s comments to this, the decision of the programme administration and the appeal). 

Assessment by the Board of Appeal or reassessment or re-examination by new assessors/examiners may result in a lower grade, higher grade or the same grade. The Board of Appeal/new examiners/assessors will report their decision to the programme administration, which will report the decision to you.

You may not appeal the decision of the Board of Appeal or of the new assessors. However, you may complain about legalities (see section 9.3).

If you are offered reassessment or re-examination, or if the Board of Appeal assesses the exam paper, it does not count as one of your three exam attempts. 

If you want to complain about a legality in connection with a decision on a complaint or appeal, you must submit your complaint to the programme administration within 2 weeks of your having received the decision on your complaint or appeal. The programme administration will provide an opinion, and you will have 1 week in which to comment on it. Then the programme administration will send the complaint, with any comments you may have made, to the University Education Services at the University of Copenhagen, which will consider the complaint and inform you of the result.