Illness in connection with exams

There are different scenarios regarding illness in connection with exams. Below you can find information about what to do depending on whether you wish to deregister for an exam due to illness before, on or after the day of the exam.

Cancellation of an examination attempt due to illness

You can apply for exemption from cancellation of an examination attempt prior to the actual examination. You can be granted exemption provided there are exceptional circumstances such as illness. You must submit documentation for the conditions that justify your application.

If you are ill in the period/days leading up to an examination, you must immediately consult a doctor and obtain a medical certificate. Submit this documentation along with an application for exemption from cancellation. The case will be processed and, if you are granted exemption from cancellation, this means that you have not used an examination attempt and you can register for re-examination.

Exemption from cancellation prior to an examination is not normally granted in cases of too many examinations or a tight examination schedule. 

Illness on the actual day of examination

If you are ill on the day (1) of examination or during the examination (2), you must

(1) contact your doctor the same day or immediately after the day of examination and obtain a medical certificate. You must submit this documentation along with an application to be registered for re-examination instead. Provided you still have an examination attempt remaining, you should use this for your next attempt. If this was your last attempt, you should at the same time apply for a further examination attempt. Emphasis will be placed on the fact that you documented that you were actually ill on the day and were therefore unable to attend. Ensuring documentation of your illness is crucial.

(2) If you are ill during the examination and are unable to submit a completed paper, you must leave the examination after notifying the examination supervisor. You thus submit a blank examination paper, and will be recorded as having left the examination. You must consult your doctor at once or immediately after the day of examination, and obtain a medical certificate. You should then submit this documentation along with an application to be registered for re-examination. If this was your last examination attempt, you should at the same time apply for a further examination attempt. Emphasis will be placed on the fact that you documented that you were ill during the actual examination, and were therefore unable to complete it. Ensuring documentation of your illness is crucial.

If you have a sudden onset of illness and, in spite of this, choose to continue the examination and submit a paper for assessment, this will count as a used examination attempt – regardless of whether you can subsequently document that you suddenly became ill on the day. In this case, emphasis will usually be placed on the fact that you personally chose to sit the examination and submit a paper or take part in an oral examination. 

Subsequent cancellation of an examination attempt due to illness

Applications for cancellation of an examination attempt after the expiry of the examination period – i.e. after your examinations have been held – are only approved to a very limited extent. If you do not sit an examination due to illness and fail to follow the guidelines in points 1 and 2 above, you must use your remaining examination attempts in the relevant courses. If you have used your examination attempts, you must apply for a further examination attempt, and attach documentation for the illness that prevented you from sitting the examination at the time in question. Here it is important that you obtained documentation at the time of illness and not several days/months after the day of examination.

Please note that a medical certificate obtained long after the illness and the examination does not necessarily carry the same weight as one obtained during the illness.

In addition to your own illness, exceptional circumstances in connection with your examination can also include serious illness or death of close relatives (parents, spouse, partner, children).

If you refer to close relatives, you are not required to submit documentation for their illness or death – but submit documentation for how the situation affected you, and you can obtain this from your doctor.

If you are in doubt about your own situation, please contact the student counsellors or studieservice.nat-tech@au.dk.

PLEASE NOTE: You must have made an ordinary examination attempt to be entitled to register for re-examination.

Contact

Please send any questions from your AU-mail to Studieservice.Nat-Tech@au.dk