For bachelor's and full-time and part-time master's programmes.

Hearing by the B/M study board on 20.1.2011 and the Part-time Master’s study board on 28. 2. 2011

Adopted by Faculty Management on 3.5. 2011.

• 1. Examination in general
• 1.2 Types of examination
• 1.3 Syllabus
• 1.4 Number of examination attempts
• 1.5 Registering for examination
• 1.6 Registering for re-examination
• 1.7 Cancelling your registration for an examination
• 1.8 How examinations are held
• 1.9 Illness
• 1.10 Aids
• 1.11 Assessment and assessment guidelines
• 1.12 Student copyright
• 2. Turning in reports and other material
• 3. Oral examination
• 3.1 The master’s thesis/ project examination
• 4. Written examination
• 4.2 Guidelines for written examination
• 4.3 Weighting of examination answers
• 4.4 Questions and corrections to the text of examination papers
• 4.5 Examinations answers
• 4.6 Leaving an exam
• 4.7 Reviewing the examination paper
• 5. Publication of examination grades
• 6. Special examination conditions
• 7. Re-examination
• 8. Cheating on examinations
• 9. Exam complaints and appeals
• 9.2 Appeal
• 9.3 Complaints about legalities in connection with a decision on a complaint or appeal

1.1   Purpose of examination

The purpose of examination is to assess the degree to which your actual competencies are in keeping with the expected gain from learning and academic requirements set for your programme as well as individual courses. The Ministerial order on bachelor and master’s programmes (candidatus) at Universities, the Executive Order on Part-time Programmes and the programme regulations set out the expected gain from learning and academic requirements, which are further delineated in the course descriptions for individual courses.

Examination can be written, oral, practical or a combination. Examinations are graded according to the 7-point scale or assessed as passed/failed.  All examinations must be planned as individual examinations.  The course descriptions set out the type of examination for each course.

If the course description allows a group of students to write an examination paper together, it must be made perfectly clear how each student has contributed to the result so that an individual assessment can be made.

The study board may approve holding an examination in a way that differs from the format set out in the course description, if the course examiner, external examiner and student agree.

If five students or less are registered for a written examination, the course examiner and external examiner may decide to hold an oral examination instead. 

The syllabus is the general academic framework for the course/course element, and provides the connection between the description of the course objectives, a possible reading list (=syllabus list) and the teaching and other activities that make up a given course.  The Study Board must approve the syllabus list, which is an overview of the literature and other material that make up the teaching material in the course. The syllabus list is not an exhaustive description of everything you must know in order to pass the examination. Most of the courses build on the knowledge, skills and competencies you have acquired during your prior education or which you can be expected to have acquired in connection with the education that qualified you for admission. The Study Board decides which courses should have a syllabus list. Students are informed about the approved syllabus lists on the course website or by other means.

You are allowed to register for the same examination a maximum of three times.  However, the Study Board may make an exception and allow a student to register for an examination more than three times if unusual circumstances prevail. It is not possible to define exhaustively what constitutes unusual circumstances, but a death in the nearest family or force majeure come into this category.  On behalf of the Study Board, the chairman takes a position on each case as it occurs.

If you are offered a re-examination in connection with a complaint or appeal, it does not count as one of the three attempts.

When you register for a course, you are automatically registered for examination. 

However, students under the MPRA programme should be aware that the Medicademy may have other registration procedure.

As a bachelor’s, master’s or MIND student, if you want to register for an examination for a course without attending classes, you must register separately using the University’s self-service system. 

MIND students must register for examinations before the deadlines given in the examination overview. Students in the MDM and MPRA programmes must register by agreement with the part-time master’s administration. See also section 7 on re-examination.

In general you must cancel your registration for an examination no later than 12.00 noon two working days prior to the day on which the examination will be held (Saturday and Sunday are not considered working days). Later cancellation or failure to show will be considered an examination attempt. Special rules apply to the first-year examination.

As a bachelor’s, master’s or MIND student, you can cancel your registration for an examination by cancelling your registration for the course (and thereby instruction) or by cancelling your registration for the examination separately. Either way you must use the self-service system during the period allowed for cancellation and subsequently make your decision known in writing to the student administration office.

As an MDM or MPRA student you can cancel your registration for an examination by sending an e-mail to the part-time master’s administration. Make sure that the mail includes the following information: which examination you mean (course code, date of examination) and who you are (full name and birth date).

For bachelor’s, master’s and MIND programmes, as a rule the examination overview on the Faculty’s website will show the following information approximately two weeks before the examination: the dates, times and places each examination will be held, names of course examiners and external examiners, aids allowed and deadlines for written assignments.  

For MDM and MPRA programmes, course descriptions give the examination dates, deadlines for written assignments, allowed aids and the names of the course examiners. You will receive an e-mail telling you where the examination will be held and your examination number.

It is important to orient yourself as to precisely how your examination will be held. Remember to bring valid picture identification with you to the examination (passport, driving license, student ID card). If you do not have valid picture identification with you, you may be denied access to the examination. See section 4 for more detailed information on how written examinations are held. 

Examinations are usually held in the language in which the course is taught, which is stated in the course description.

If you are unable to take an examination or deliver a report on time due to illness, you must immediately report this information to the study administration, and turn in a signed certificate from your doctor as soon as possible (the certificate, formerly called a lægeerklæring in Danish, is now called a friattest).

If you become ill during the examination and must leave the examination room, you can choose to consider the examination as never having been started. Your work will not be assessed, and the examination will not count as an examination attempt. It is important that before you leave the examination room, you tell the invigilator that you are leaving due to illness, so that your absence will be registered accordingly.

You must turn in a certificate from your doctor (friattest) to the study administration as quickly as possible, and no later than 14 days after the day on which the examination was held. You must pay for the doctor’s certificate yourself. Note that if you are hospitalised or treated at casualty, you can use your “receipt/casualty report” instead of a doctor’s certificate (friattest).

Illness or other serious events in your closest family is considered in line with your own illness. The Programme Administration evaluates each case on its own merits.

Only those aids listed in the course description are allowed in the examination room (for bachelor’s and master’s programmes, the examination overview also lists the aids allowed). If you have forgotten to bring aids that are allowed, the invigilators will make them available to you if possible. 

For two-part written examinations (first part without aids and second part with aids), you may not take out your aids until all answers to the first part of the examination have been collected and the invigilator has given permission to do so. You may not leave the examination room between the two parts of the examination in order to get your aids.

If you are a foreign student taking an examination in Danish, you will be able to use your own relevant dictionaries if you have a prior agreement with the study administration to do so. If you have been granted permission, you must bring the relevant dictionaries to the student administration office the day before the examination for inspection. The dictionaries will be handed out at the start of the examination. 

The invigilator can check on aids before and during the examination. It is not allowed to share aids. You must turn over briefcases and handbags if the invigilator asks you to do so. 

The following rules are in force for electronic aids:  

• The use of certain electronic calculators is permitted, unless the course description specifies otherwise
• All equipment that can communicate with the outside world is banned. If you have your mobile telephone with you in the examination room, it must be turned off and handed to the invigilator 
• It is not allowed to use a computer unless the course description specifies otherwise
• It is not allowed to use electronic dictionaries

For some examinations (internal examinations), one or more of the Faculty’s teachers (examiners) will assess your performance. Internal examinations graded according to the 7-point scale will always be assessed by two examiners.

For other examinations (external examinations), your performance will be assessed by one or more teachers (course examiners), plus one or more external examiners officially appointed by The Danish University and Property Agency.

As a student, you are entitled to a fair and uniform assessment of your exam performance. Your performance will be assessed only in relation to the requirements set out in the programme regulations/course description, and not in relation to the other students taking the same examination. Course examiners and external examiners may not aim for a specific distribution of grades, so-called relative grading. An examination may be assessed according to the 7-point grading scale or as passed/failed.  You must earn an assessment of ‘pass’ or a grade of 02 or above to be considered as having passed the examination.

If the course examiner and external examiner cannot agree on a grade when assessing an examination, they calculate the average. If the average falls between two grades, the external examiner’s assessment has the greater weight.

To ensure uniform assessment of students taking written examinations, the examiner must prepare guidelines for assessment when academically possible. Assessment guidelines may, for instance, consist of examples of answers. The form and content of the guidelines may be agreed individually between the course examiner and external examiner. The guidelines must be made available to students after the examination.

As a student, you have the copyright to the results, products and similar produced in connection with an examination.  If the course of the examination involves parties outside the university, including companies, institutions, etc., the university, the student and the company must agree on the extent to which the three parties are entitled to use and publish results produced in connection with an examination.

Some types of examinations require you to hand in some type of material for assessment, possibly before an oral examination. Each course has its own rules for handing in material and the extent of such material, including deadlines. The course description for each course sets out the rules. If you do not hand in the material within the deadline, it counts as an attempted exam.

As a starting point, oral examination is public with the limitations set by the Faculty or the companies/supervisors involved with regard to confidentiality and to the student. 

Video and/or audio recording is not allowed during an examination, unless the recordings are part of the examination. In such case, the University does the recording.

Only the course examiner and external examiner may be present during the assessment process after oral examinations. However, the course examiner may permit a prospective examiner to attend the assessment discussion.

The Study Boards have drawn up Joint guidelines for the full–time master’s thesis and part-time master’s project examination. The assessment of master’s theses/projects must have been completed no later than one month after the thesis/project has been turned in to your supervisor (the month of July does not count).

4.1 Examination anonymity and examination numbers

Written exams are normally conducted anonymously. You will automatically be allotted an examination number when your exam registration is recorded in the Faculty’s Programme Administration System   (STADS). You will be allotted an examination number for every exam for which you are registered, and you can see the examination numbers in the self-service system immediately after you register. You must write your own exam number on both final copies and draft pages.

The following guidelines have been set for written exams to ensure a punctual start and quiet atmosphere in which to take exams:

• You must be in the examination room no later than 15 minutes before the exam is scheduled to start.
• If you are delayed up to 30 minutes after the scheduled start of the examination, you will not be allowed extra time for taking the exam. If you are more than 30 minutes late, you will not be allowed to take the exam.
• You may choose your own seat in the allocated examination room, unless the invigilators have decided on specific placement.
• You may not leave the examination room in either the first or last 30 minutes of the allotted examination time.
• If you want to leave the examination room to go to the toilet before you have handed in your paper, you may do so accompanied by an invigilator.
• Communication between examinees is viewed as an attempt at cheating and may lead to your being ordered to leave the exam.
• Any attempt to use non-permitted help or to help other students will immediately be reported to the Programme Director, who will decide what steps should be taken and whether the matter should be reported to the Dean. 
• If you want to hand in your paper before the time has expired (but not the last 30 minutes), you must leave the examination room as soon as you have handed in your paper to the invigilators, and you will not be allowed to return until the examination has ended.
• When the examination has ended, you must remain seated until the invigilators have collected all the exam papers. You may leave the examination room when the invigilators have made sure that they have received all papers. 
• No smoking is permitted while the examination is in progress

The cover page of examination papers set for written examinations has a description of the weighting that will be given to each question when the paper is assessed. 

The following indications may be used:

• The examination answer will be assessed as a whole
• Answers to individual questions will be given equal weight
• Answers to individual questions will be given the following weights: . . .

Alternatively, weighting will be indicated next to each question or assignment. Combinations of the mentioned indications may also be used, provided that the formulation is unambiguous, for example: “The individual questions are given equal weight. Each question is assessed as a whole.”

If the text of an examination paper seems to contain errors or the wording is unclear, you should bring this to the attention of the invigilators. The examiner will be contacted and will decide whether to make a correction to the text or possibly provide an elaborating comment. In that case the examiner has to put the correction to the text or the elaborating comment into writing and read it aloud to the examinees in every exam room.  For each correction, the examiner must decide whether the time allocated for the exam should be extended. An extension of exam time must be at least 15 minutes.  The time extension must be added to the written correction. The written correction must be handed over to the chief invigilator responsible for overseeing the exam, and the external examiner must subsequently be informed of the correction.

The teachers have requested that you write your answers in indelible ink, that is with a ballpoint pen or similar, to the extent possible. You may use pencil for formulas, curves, drawings, etc. You must bring your own writing instruments. 

You may only use the paper handed out at the exam.

Examination answers have to be in easily legible writing. The course examiner and external examiner have the right not to consider illegible sequences of an examination answer in their assessment.

Each sheet of the examination answer has to be provided with the exam number, a sheet number and the total number of sheets, including the number of attached appendices (sheet no. … of …sheets). You may only write on one side of the paper. 

If you hand in sheets of your draft, they will only be considered in the assessment if you have expressly referred to specific paragraphs. In that case, the paragraphs must be provided with clear markings (framing), and you have to point out to the invigilators that the draft has to be attached to your paper.

In written exams, you may only keep your draft sheets and the text of the exam questions if you do not hand in your paper until the exam time has expired. If you hand in your exam paper before the examination time has expired, you can pick up your draft sheets and exam questions up to a week after the exam. They will be in a box in the corridor by study administration, if both are provided with an examination number. 

If you write answers directly on the exam paper and therefore must turn everything in, the exam paper will be available on the course website as soon as the examination is over. 

If you want to leave the examination room before the exam is over, you must turn in your examination answers to the invigilators before leaving the room. Your presence at the exam will count as an exam attempt and your work will be assessed.

You have a right to a copy of your examination answers.

If you fail a written examination, you have the right to have the examiner review your exam paper in order to clarify how you can improve your performance on the next exam. The examiner sets the framework for the review.

For oral exams, you will receive your grade as soon as the examination and subsequent assessment discussion are completed.

For written examinations, the examiner must publish the grades awarded not later than three weeks after the date of the exam or deadline for turning in written assignments. If you are a bachelor’s, master’s or MIND student, you must use the self-service system to see your grades. The part-time master’s administration will inform MDM and MPRA students of their grades. 

The assessment of pharmacy internships must be available not later than three weeks after the end of the internship period. Assessments of master’s projects and master’s theses must be available no later than one month after the thesis or the project report has been delivered to your supervisor. The month of July does not count.

You cannot be informed of your grades over the phone, because we must be able to identify you before we can disclose your grades. 

If the deadline for making the exam grades public cannot be met, the examiner must ensure that you are informed of the changed deadline and the reason for the change via the course website or by e-mail. 

If you are in a less favourable position than your fellow students generally or in relation to a single exam, you may apply to your Study Board for exemption from the exam requirements, so that you will have special examination conditions that will put you on a par with other students. This applies to students with some form of functional impairment or other special circumstance. The level of the exam must under no circumstances be lowered when special exam conditions are permitted. If you have been granted exemption, you must point this out when you register for an exam and no later than the deadline for registration, so that study administration can take that into account when planning the examination.

6.1   Extra examination time
If you have a permanent or temporary functional impairment, you may apply for extra examination time. Before the exam is held, you must be sure that you will be placed in an examination room allocated to examinees who have been granted extra examination time.

6.2 Foreign bachelor’s students without a Danish education background qualifying for admission
If you are a foreign student in the bachelor’s programme and do not have a Danish education that has qualified you for admission, you may be allocated extra examination time for the examinations listed below when you register for the programme.  However, extra examination time cannot be allocated to foreign students who have been enrolled at the Faculty for six years or more.

• Programme regulations of 2003 and 2010 (bachelor’s programme): Drug formulation, drug production, pharmacognosy and  chemistry of naturally occurring compounds , pharmacology, organ-related pharmacology, microbiology, instrumental analytical chemistry. Previous programme regulations.

6.3   Examinations held in a language other than the course language
Examinations are held in the language in which the course is taught. If you ask the study board for an exemption, you must do it when you register for the course in question. If you are granted an exemption regarding an ordinary written examination, the exam paper will be formulated in the course language, but your answer may be written in the language approved by the course examiner and external examiner. 

6.4   Replacement papers
In very special circumstances, an exam for a course may be replaced by a significant written assignment in the course subject. Replacement papers may be used after approval from the study board upon recommendation from you and/or the teacher responsible for the course. It must be prepared individually. 

Replacement papers must be assessed by the same rules that apply to the assessment of the exam that the paper replaces. The examiner will determine the deadline for handing in replacement papers.

6.5   Spelling and writing requirements
For major written assignments, you may seek exemption from the requirement of assessment of your spelling and writing skills, if special circumstances so warrant.

You are entitled to three examination attempts. If you do not pass the regular examination or are ill, you may register for re-examination.

If you are a bachelor-level student, you may also sit a re-examination if you cancelled the ordinary examination.
Special rules apply to the first-year examination.

If you are a student in one of the full-time master’s programmes, you lose the right to the associated re-examination if you cancel your registration for the ordinary examination or you miss the ordinary examination without a certificate from your doctor (called a friattest in Danish, formerly a lægeerklæring).

If you are a student in a part-time master’s programme, you lose the right to re-examination within two months if you cancel your registration for the ordinary examination or you miss the ordinary examination without a certificate from your doctor (called a friattest in Danish, formerly a lægeerklæring).
If a re-examination is arranged for other students, you may also take it. However, if there are no other students who need re-examination, you must wait to take the re-examination until the next time the course if held (see exam schedule)

• For the bachelor’s programme, re-examination is generally held in May/June and in August. There are special rules for the first-year examination.
• For full-time master’s programmes, re-examination may be held in the re-examination periods shown in the schedules on the website. Re-examination must take place not later than six months after the ordinary examination.
• For part-time master’s programmes, you will be offered re-examination within two months. 

The date for holding a re-examination must be agreed between the relevant parties (student or students, course examiner and external examiner) or set by the examiner and external examiner with at least one month’s notice.

If you are offered a re-examination in conjunction with a complaint or an appeal, it does not count as one of your three examination attempts.

If an examination is found deficient, the Faculty can annul the examination and arrange for an extraordinary examination for all the students who took part in the first one.

It is considered cheating if, for example, you get help on an examination for yourself or others, bring illegal aids to the examination or present someone else’s work as your own. The procedures and sanctions in force in connection with cheating on examinations are set out in the Disciplinary measures toward students at the University of Copenhagen.

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.