You have three attempts to pass an exam. It counts as a used examination attempt if you don’t pass, fail to withdraw on time, choose to leave an exam, submit a blank exam or fail to turn up to an exam you’re registered for.

If you’ve used three examination attempts in a course without passing, you’ll be withdrawn from the university.

Special exam rules apply to the courses included in your first-year exam in your first academic year. Read more on the page 'First-year exam rules'. 

If you’ve used three examination attempts in a course without passing, you can apply to the board of studies for dispensation to get a fourth examination attempt. To be granted dispensation to get an extra examination attempt, you must be able to document exceptional circumstances (e.g. with a doctor’s certificate) in connection with one of the previous examination attempts.

It is not possible to provide an exhaustive list of what can be referred to as exceptional circumstances. However, an exceptional circumstance could be a sudden situation such as illness or the loss of a close relative in immediate connection with an exam.

Doctor’s certificates documenting illness in connection with an exam must, as far as possible, be from the exam date or period.