Exemptions

What can you apply for exemption from?

You can apply for exemption from many of the rules that apply to your degree programme. The rules are set out in a number of ministerial orders: The study programme order, The admission orders, The examination order, etc. All ministerial orders can be found at www.retsinformation.dk. Other rules may be stipulated in the academic regulation for your degree programme – from which you in some cases also can apply for an exemption.

Examples of situations in which you must apply for an exemption:

  • Need for more than three examination attempts in a given exam.

  • Need to postpone the deadline for participating in/passing the first-year exam.

  • Need to postpone the maximum duration of study.

  • Need for extra time for the exam due to exceptional circumstances.

  • If you wish to deregister from an exam – exceptional circumstances must exist.

  • If you regret a course election, you can apply for an exemption for re-election. Explain why you want to re-elect. The re-election must be academically justified and must be approved by your head of degree programme in your study contract.
  • If you wish to postpone the submission deadline for your Master's thesis. Must always be substantiated by documented exceptional circumstances.

Too many exams or a tight exam schedule will not normally grant an exemption.

How do you apply?

For the Board of studies to be able to process your application for exemption, you must submit the application via mystudies.au.dk. You can find the application module under "Apply to your Board of studies" and then "Apply for exemption". Please note that the application cannot be submitted until you have entered all relevant information and that you do not receive a receipt email. Therefore, remember to save your application.

Use the following rules of thumb when you write an application for exemption:

  1. Your basic information: Fill in the relevant contact information (student registration number, name, address, AU email and mobile number) so that the Board of studies knows how to contact you.
  2. What do you apply for?: Write briefly and specifically what you are applying for and which rules you apply for an exemption from. You can learn more about the exemption options on these pages, or you can contact your student counsellor or Study Service for further guidance.
  3. What is your reason for the application?: Here, you must clearly state the reason why you are applying for exemption from one or more rules. Please note that according to the academic regulation (and the current ministerial order), 'exceptional circumstances' must be present for an exemption application to provide a sufficient basis for an exemption. As a general rule, exceptional circumstances must be documented. You can find examples of exceptional circumstances on this page.

  4. Attach documentation: Attach documentation of the conditions you have accounted for. This may, for example, be a doctor's certificate or other written documentation. There must be a correlation between the conditions you are applying for, your reasons and the documentation that you attach.

All exemption applications are normally processed within 6-8 weeks (July excepted). However, it may take longer if documentation or similar is missing. Please note that enquiries from the Board of studies will take place via your AU email address.

In special situations, you may be summoned to an interview in order to clarify your application.

Remember that your student counsellor can advise you on what an exemption application may contain and which rules you should be aware of. You are also welcome to contact Study Service or an employee of Nat-Tech Studies Administration If you are unsure about the rules and guidelines.

Documentation requirements for exemptions in connection with COVID-19

Documentation requirements for exemptions in connection with COVID-19

What does 'Exceptional circumstances' mean?

Exceptional circumstances:

  • will typically be something external and unpredictable, something that is independent of your will, and something you have not been able to plan yourself out of or adapt to.
  • is something that affects the individual, and which is not frequently or habitually occurring among students.
  • must, as a general rule, be of a scope and timing that prevents you from complying with a given rule.
  • must be documented.

When you apply for an exemption, you must explain that the reason why you were unable to follow the given rule is exceptional circumstances. You must describe the circumstances surrounding the exceptional circumstances fully, and you must enclose relevant documentation that supports your account.

Conditions that lie within your control, or which you have the opportunity to plan for, cannot be described as unusual.

Examples of conditions that cannot be considered exceptional:

  • delay due to public transport
  • that it took longer to upload an assignment in the Digital exam system than you had expected
  • that you want to go to holiday
  • that you have been offered a job or a work placement.

Conditions which are frequently or regularly found among students will not normally be considered exceptional.

Examples of 'exceptional circumstances'

  • Elite sport athletes
  • Pregnancy/maternity/paternity leave
  • Impairment
  • Documented illness in yourself or your immediate family
  • Death in the immediate family
  • Civic duties as adjudication or jury

Special terms and conditions for exams

Aarhus University offers special terms and conditions to students with physical or mental functional impairments.

Apply for an exemption as early as the beginning of the semester

  • The Board of studies will process your application.
  • We recommend that you apply for an exemption for special terms and conditions for your exam(s) as soon as possible.
  • Remember to attach relevant documentation of your functional impairment.
  • You apply for the exemption via mystudies.au.dk.
  • If you do apply for your exemption until late in the semester, the consequence may be that we do not have time to process your application and grant you special terms and conditions for your exam(s).

This is how we process your application – APPLICABLE FROM FALL OF 2021

From the fall of 2021, the Board of studies begins a new process regarding how to process applications for special terms and conditions for exams.

  • Prior to this, you had to apply for special terms and conditions before every exam period.
  • During your studies at Aarhus University, you now only have to apply once for the same functional impairment.
  • If you are affected by your functional impairment over multiple exam periods, you are automatically granted special terms and conditions for the coming exams in the semester.
  • You will hear from the Board of studies in the middle of every semester, so please keep an eye on your e-Boks

It is important that you register for the right exams within the deadline

We assess your options for special terms and conditions for your exam(s) based on your exam registrations.

You need to do the following from now on:

  • You apply for exemption via mystudies.au.dk.
  • We will contact you on your AU-email if we need information and/or documentation.
  • You will receive the letters from the Board of studies in your e-Boks.

You can read about the new process in the sections below here:

Practice of the Board of studies

We grant exemptions for

Aarhus University can offer special terms and conditions for exams when we deem it necessary in order to ensure that the student is placed on an equal footing with other students in connection with a specific exam.

However, the level of the exam may not be altered by the special terms and conditions. 

The practices of the Boards of studies at Nat and Tech in granting exemptions are as follows:

  • Extra time for written exams – 25 % extra time
  • Extra time for preparation for oral exams, if there is already preparation time for the exam – 100 % extra time
  • IT tools (e.g. co-spelling and recitation programs)
  • Private room (requires special documentation)

Please note that if you attend courses at other faculties and universities, there may be other practices for special terms and conditions for exams.

  • Are you attending elective courses at another university? Please contact the studies administration at the other university to learn more about your options.
  • Are you attending elective courses at another faculty at Aarhus University? The administration at the other faculty will be informed about your chronic functional impairment, that may grant exemption for special terms and conditions for exams.

We do not grant exemptions for

The practices of the Boards of studies at Nat and Tech is that we do not usually grant exemptions for:

  • Extra time for the oral exam itself, as the exam time is estimated. We recommend that you contact your teacher, if you need special considerations.
  • Extra time for written exams based on another mother tongue than Danish, when the student meets the entry requirements – e.g. Danish A.
  • Extra time for fixed-time home assignments of 24 hours or more, as we expect that you can plan your work effort within the time frames.
  • Changing the exam language, as we deem that this will lower the level of the exam.

If you have any questions for the above, please contact us at:

Illness in connection with exams

Read more about exemption applications for illness in connection with exams in the menu under 'Examination' > 'Illness in connection with exams'.

About doctor's certificates

You need a doctor's certificate if you fall ill in connection with an exam and in connection with some exemption applications.

You can read more about what you need to be aware of regarding a doctor's certificate here.