Academic policies and procedures
» unable to take part in a test: fill in our test deregistration form (before the start of your test)
» unable to attend a lecture: contact your lecturer
When can you retake a test?
You can only deregister once with retention of the first test opportunity. You may retake (repair) a test in the following cases (all 3 need to apply):
- If you have an unsatisfactory mark for a compulsory partial test AND
- if you have obtained a final mark for a course between 4 and 5.5 AND
- if you have been unable to take a compulsory partial test or final test due to illness or force majeure and you have deregistered via our test deregistration form.
This applies to all types of tests, i.e. (partial) tests, presentations, oral examinations, papers or other forms of testing.
How to deregister for a test
- Fill in the deregistration form before your test starts. You will automatically receive a confirmation. Only the Study Advisors can see your input in this form.
- Inform your course coordinator by email about your absence in the test (e.g. by sending the confirmation of step 1). For reasons of privacy, you may remove the cause of your absence.
- Do you have proof of absence? In that case, submit your proof by email to your Study Advisor, no later than 5 days after your deregistration. Please mention:
- your name
- programme name
- student number
- course name
- course code
- If you are unable to submit some proof, then contact your study advisor and discuss your situation.
- Submit a resit request to the course coordinator as soon as possible.
The course coordinator will determine the test's form, content and date. If you miss the resit, you are NOT eligible for another resit.
If your request for a resit is rejected
In case your request for an additional or replacement test is rejected and you are of the opinion that you are entitled to it, you may submit your request to the board of examiners.
| You missed a test due to force majeure |
> You are entitled to an extra resit (final repair opportunity) |
|---|---|
| You have taken a test and your final mark for the course is between 4.0 and 5.4 |
> You are NOT entitled to an extra resit (repair) |
| You missed a test due to force majeure, or you scored a final course grade of 4.0 or lower |
> You are NOT entitled to an extra resit (repair). Report to your study advisor to discuss your situation. |
Absent for a longer period of time
- Lectures & Illness
Report to your lecturer. Ask a fellow student if you can take over the notes afterwards. Do you want to follow the lecture from home? Ask your lecturer if this is possible. - If you miss education for a longer period of time because of illness
The course manual states the requirements you need to meet for a course. In principle, you must attend 80% of all lectures. If your absence is prolonged, please contact your lecturer as well as your Study Advisor. If you are able to attend your study group online, you may ask a fellow student to switch Teams on for you during class. - Absence from an exam
Always use the test deregistration form to cancel your attendance. You may only be absent from an exam once to retain the first opportunity to take the exam.
Improving a low grade
It is possible to improve a low grade in case of:
- unsatisfactory marks
- if you received an unsatisfactory mark for a required partial test (ie. a test for which you need to obtain a minimum grade, see the course handout for additional instructions)
- if you received a low final grade (between 4 and 5.5) and if you have completed all the course requirements, you may be eligible for a one-off attempt to improve that final grade according to EER Article 5.5 (note that the course coordinator sets the exam’s form, content and date).
- missing an exam following illness or force majeure (see below)
- you can sit the regular extra or alternative exam as your first attempt
- if you missed the regular exam, so that the extra or alternative exam was your first attempt, you may be eligible to resit the exam once on condition your final grade is no lower than 4.
Illness or force majeure
In order to qualify for a resit you must make sure you deregistered for the test on time (ie. before the exam starts). You should do three things:
- Fill in the test deregistration form (only for Humanities students). The cancellation is confirmed automatically.
- Inform the course coordinator of the cancellation by email, for example by forwarding the automatic confirmation received. To preserve your privacy, don’t forget to remove the reason for absence before forwarding the confirmation of deregistration.
- If you have proof of the reason for the deregistration, please email this to the Study Advisor within five days of cancellation. Please state your name, programme name, student number, and the course name and course code. Below is a list of what can serve as proof.
This guideline applies to exams, partial tests, presentations, oral exams, papers or any other form of testing.
Contact the course coordinator as soon as possible to request a repair option. If you meet the conditions, you will be informed by the course coordinator about the additional or replacement test. The course coordinator will determine the test's form, content and date.
In case of illness or force majeure, you can send proof of this to your Study Advisor. Examples of evidence are:
- Statement from a doctor
- Statement from a doctor’s assistant, giving the appointment date and patient’s name
- Proof of a doctor’s appointment
- Proof of a corona test appointment
- A KNMG medical statement, stamped and dated
- A referral from a doctor, stating the date and patient’s name
- Copy of a medical prescription, stating the date and patient’s name
- Copy of a sticker for a prescribed medication, stating the date and patient’s name
- Statement from a therapist
- Copy of a funeral notice
- Copy of a personal wedding invitation
- Statement from a transport company stating the date, time, duration and nature of a delay
- Statement (report) from the police
Some important facts about grading at Urecht University:
- Utrecht University uses a 10-point scale: 1 being the lowest grade and 10 the highest grade.
- A 5 (or lower) counts as Fail; a 6 (or higher) as Pass.
- You will need a passing grade for all courses that are part of your degree programme in order to be able to graduate.
- Only passing grades are recorded on the International Diploma Supplement (addendum to your diploma).
- Did you fail a course with a score of 4 or more? In that case, you can take 1 additional or substitute test in order to pass, if you have fulfilled all obligations during the course. If you fail this test as well, you must retake the course.
- You cannot take an additional or substitute test if you have been awarded a pass.
- Final course grades are rounded off according to this table:
Final course grades
| From 5 to 5.5 | Round off to 5 |
|---|---|
| From 5.5 to 6.25 | Round off to 6 |
| From 6.25 to 6.75 | Round off to 6.5 |
| From 6.75 to 7.25 | Round off to 7 |
| From 7.25 to 7.75 | Round off to 7.5 |
| From 7.75 to 8.25 | Round off to 8 |
| From 8.25 to 8.75 | Round off to 8.5 |
| From 8.75 to 9.25 | Round off to 9 |
| From 9.25 to 9.75 | Round off to 9.5 |
| From 9.75 to 10 | Round off to 10 |
Your UU grades abroad: Grading Tables
To help foreign universities interpret the value of our grades, we publish Grading Tables that show which percentage of all passing grades in the past 3 years were a 6.0, a 6.5, a 7.5, etc. The tables are published on your International Diploma Supplement.
More information
An alphanumeric grade is assigned in the following cases:
- NP (Not Participated): You are registered for a course, but have not participated in any of the tests.
- NC (Not Completed): You are registered for a course, but have not completed one or more of the tests, or you have not passed a test with a required minimum grade.
- P (Pass) or F (Fail): You have taken part in a course for which no numerical grades are given.
- EX (EXemption): You have received an exemption for a course.
For each course, Osiris states the following information:
- which tests determine your final course grade
- how the result of each test factures in (weighing)
- whether or not you have to pass a minimum grade for a test
All test results can be entered in decimals. The final course result is rounded off.
Together with your diploma, you will receive an International Diploma Supplement (IDS). The IDS contains the following information:
- information about the name and level of your studies
- formal accreditation of your programme
- a list of your courses and grades (only passing grades are recorded on the IDS)
- a weighted average grade on the 10-point scale
At Utrecht University a weighted average grade is calculated by multiplying all numerical grades on the IDS with the credits obtained for that course, and by dividing this by the sum of credits. The average is built up gradually, and only the final average will be recorded on the International Diploma Supplement. Utrecht University includes grades obtained in the first year of studies in the calculation of the weighted average. - information on the grading system at Utrecht University including grading tables
At Utrecht University, we expect a certain standard of both students and staff. Please read our Code of Conduct. Students at Utrecht University…
Behave honestly and respectfully towards each other and towards members of staff
Perform to the best of their abilities by actively participating in teaching and extracurricular activities
Respect each other’s possessions and are careful when making use of university facilities
Enable lecturers and students to teach and learn under optimal condition
Utrecht University considers any form of academic dishonesty to be a very serious offense. Utrecht University expects each student to be familiar with and to observe the norms and values that ensure academic integrity.The most serious forms of deception that can impair this integrity are fraud and plagiarism. Plagiarism is a form of fraud and is defined as the wrongful appropriation of another author’s work without proper citation. See the further elaboration on what may be considered fraud or plagiarism.
If the university discovers a case of fraud or plagiarism, then the study programme’s Examination Committee may implement sanctions on the offender. The most serious sanction that the Examination Committee may implement is the submission of a request for expulsion to the Executive Board.
If you feel you have not been treated properly by someone employed by Utrecht University, or if you disagree with a decision that affects you personally, you can respond in a number of ways. You can submit a complaint, an objection or an appeal.
For the full details about the various procedures and which procedure is applicable for your situation, visit Complaints, objections and appeals.
Utrecht University processes a substantial volume of personal data. In accordance with the Personal Data Protection Act (Wet Bescherming Persoonsgegevens) the university is responsible for ensuring that personal data is processed properly. Also see the Privacy Statement on the Utrecht University website.