Study portals

Illness at exams

Here, you can find out what to do if you fall ill in connection with an exam at Aarhus BSS and which options you have. How you should proceed depends on the specific type of examination.

As a general rule:

  • If you’re ill on the day of the examination, you can report sick for the exam.
  • If you fall urgently ill during a commenced oral or written exam, you can also report sick.
  • You report sick for an exam via mystudies.au.dk (Self-service). You must use the form titled ‘Exemption’ and state the specific exam you are ill for.
    - Remember to attach a doctor’s certificate that covers the period for the stated exam(s).
    - The notification of illness must be issued by the doctor no later than on the day of examination.
    - If you report sick for an exam, it is your responsibility to register for the reexamination.
    - If you haven’t reported sick for the exam and fail to turn up, you have used an examination attempt.
  • The approval of your notification of illness is conditional upon valid documentation. Read more about requirements for doctor’s certificates on your study portal under "Student Counselling".
  • The approval is also on the condition that you do not participate in the exam, if you are too ill to complete the exam. You must absent from the exam or discontinue the exam if you fall ill along the way.

If your exam is on a Saturday

  • If your exam is on a Saturday and you fall ill on the day of the exam, you must report sick via mystudies.au.dk before the start of the exam.
  • You must submit a medical certificate, which must be issued no later than the first working day after the exam has taken place. The medical certificate must be sent to dispensationsansogninger.bss@au.dk.
  • The medical certificate must describe whether symptoms of illness have been found at the time of the consultation. If you are ill in the days leading up to an exam, which takes place on a Saturday, you must be given a notification of illness by your doctor no later than the last working day before your exam.

On-site exam (oral or written)

Illness on the day of examination:

If you fall ill prior to a written or oral on-site exam, you can report sick for the exam.

  • Contact a doctor on the same day and get a doctor’s certificate that documents your illness.
  • You report sick via mystudies.au.dk (Self-service). Use the form titled ‘Exemption’ and remember to state which exam the illness concerns.
  • Remember to attach the documentation from your doctor.

Acute illness during the actual examination

If you fall urgently ill during an on-site exam and aren’t able to complete the exam, you can also report sick.

  • Contact the exam supervisor and inform them that you’re discontinuing the exam due to illness.
  • Submit a blank paper (by clicking the 'Submit Blank ' button in Wiseflow) before leaving the exam room.
  • Contact a doctor on the same day and get a doctor’s certificate that documents your illness.
  • You report sick via mystudies.au.dk (Self-service). Use the form titled ‘Exemption’ and remember to state which exam the illness concerns.    
  • Remember to attach the documentation from your doctor.

Note: If you don’t meet the requirements above but have discontinued the exam, you have used an examination attempt.

If you choose to carry out the exam, you have also used an examination attempt.

Set take-home assignment

If you fall ill during a set take-home assignment and aren’t able to carry out the exam, you can report sick.  

Contact a doctor immediately and get a doctor’s certificate documenting that your illness is of a nature that prevents you from carrying out the exam.

You report sick via mystudies.au.dk (Self-service). Use the form titled ‘Exemption’ and remember to state which exam the illness concerns.    

Take-home assignment on topic of student’s choice

If you’re unable to hand in a take-home assignment on topic of student’s choice in relation to the ordinary exam due to illness, you can apply for dispensation to go straight to the reexamination.

If you’re unable to hand in a take-home assignment on topic of student’s choice in relation to reexamination due to illness, you can apply to be withdrawn from the exam after the deadline. 

Contact a doctor and get a doctor’s certificate documenting that your illness is of a nature that prevents you from handing in the assignment within the deadline.

Submit your application via mystudies.au.dk (Self-service) and attach documentation for your illness.

You have used an examination attempt if you don’t participate in the exam and haven’t applied for an exemption.

If you are granted dispensation and get direct access to the reexamination, you must register for the reexamination yourself.

Active participation as form of examination

If you fall ill during the course and aren’t able to live up to the defined requirements for participation, you can apply for dispensation to be placed on sick leave to avoid using an examination attempt. 

Contact a doctor immediately and get a doctor’s certificate documenting that your illness is of a nature that prevents you from meeting the outlined requirements.

The following conditions must be stated clearly in the doctor’s certificate:

  • What are your symptoms?
  • During which specific period are you or have you been ill?
  • When was the first time you consulted a doctor with your symptoms?

If you are granted dispensation to be placed on sick leave, it is your responsibility to  sign up for the exam again unless otherwise stated in your ruling.

Master’s theses

If you fall ill while working on your Master's thesis and are unable to hand it in within the deadline, you can apply for dispensation to postpone the deadline for handing in the Master's thesis. 

Contact your doctor as soon as the symptoms arise and get a doctor’s certificate.

The following conditions must be stated clearly in the doctor’s certificate: 

  • Which symptoms prevent you from working on your Master's thesis?
  • When was the first time you were seen by a doctor in connection with the symptoms?
  • What is the prognosis of your illness, i.e. when are you expected to be fit for work?
  • To what extent is your study performance affected by your illness? The degree of study performance may be stated in percentages, where 100 per cent is equivalent to full study performance and 0 per cent is equivalent to complete absence due to illness.

Apply for dispensation to extend the deadline for handing in your Master's thesis. The application must be sent via mystudies.au.dk (Self-service).

If your illness is assessed to be of prolonged duration, you can look into the possibility of applying for ordinary leave. Please read more about ordinary leave.

When you are on leave, your Master's thesis is set on hold. This means that you have the same amount of time for your Master's thesis, when you return from leave, as you had when your leave started.

Oral defense

If you fall ill in relation to an oral defense, you can report sick for the oral exam.

Contact a doctor and get a doctor’s certificate that documents your illness.

You report sick via mystudies.au.dk (Self-service). Use the form titled ‘Exemption’ and remember to state which exam the illness concerns.    

If your notification of illness is approved, we will set a new date for the oral defense.

How to report illness at exams

  • Log in to mystudies.au.dk 
  • Go to 'Self-service systems'
  • Click on 'Submit an application to your board of studies'
  • Click on ’Apply for exemption' and please state which exam(s) you are too ill to participate in.
  • Attach a doctor’s certificate that covers the period for the stated exam(s).

Contact

Contact The Student Counsellors’ Office at Aarhus BSS if you need guidance on how to report illness at an exam.