Grades - explanations and appeals

Explanation of grades

You have the right to be given an explanation of your grades.

How: For most courses, the procedure is described on the course page. If this is not the case, you can contact the institute which is responsible for the course (cf. the course page).

Deadline: If it is an oral or practical examination, the deadline is immediately after you have received your grade. If it is a written examination, the deadline is one week after the grade is published. If the grade is published earlier than the announced date of publiucation, the deadline is one week after the announced date. 

Processing: The examiner decides whether the explanation will be given in writing or orally. The explanation shall normally be given within two weeks after your request.

Appeal about grades

You have the right to submit an appeal about your grades. We recommend that you request an explanation of your grade before you decide to submit an appeal. 

You cannot submit an appeal about oral or practical examinations, since the performance is not documented for future purposes. Preliminary examinations may only be challenged if the examination was not passed.

How: Appeals about grades must be written and signed. Some faculties/departments have their own appeal form that must be used. Deliver or send your appeal or your appeal form to the institute which is responsible for the course (cf. the course page). Incomplete appeals may be rejected. 

Deadline: Three weeks after the grade was published. If the grade is published earlier than the announced date of publication, the deadline is three weeks after the announced date. If you have asked for an explanation of your grade, or made a complaint based on formal examination errors, the appeal deadline runs from the date you have received the explanation or an answer to your complaint.

Processing: Answer papers are processed by two new examiners, and at least one of them should be external. The result may be better than, the same as or poorer than the original grade. The appeal is normally processed within three weeks, and you will receive the result in writing. You cannot appeal about the new grade.  

Complaints about formal examination errors

You have the right to complain about formal examination errors. Formal errors can occur, e.g., in the examination question papers, in conducting the examination or during grading.

How: Contact the faculty or the institute which is responsible for the course (cf. the course page).

Deadline: Three weeks after you know or should have known about the condition on which the complaint is based. If you have previously asked for an explanation of grades or submitted an appeal about grades, the deadline for complaints about formal errors is extended until after you have received the explanation or the appeal about grades has been settled.

Processing: The complaint will first be processed by the faculty. If the faculty maintains the original decision, the complaint is sent to the university's appeals committee. If formal examination errors have taken place, a new grading might have to be determined, or a new examination might have to be arranged.