Please note: All information on this page is always subject to the relevant examination regulations from the applicable SPO. This also expressly applies where information on this page deviates from examination regulations.
General information on examinations and the term examination
The study and examination regulations (SPO) for the KIT degree programs use the term examination
1) for the direct and graded assessment of a course or - more rarely - several courses.
2.) in connection with system terms of a degree program to designate a structural unit in a modular degree program. At its center is the module examination. In the WiWi degree programs, one or more individual examinations according to point 1 and/or also ungraded coursework must be completed to prove a module examination. Most modules are assigned to the examination subjects of a degree program. Some modules are not linked to a subject (final thesis, work placement, etc.).
- Examination as a direct and graded performance assessment (in a module)
The direct assessment of a course is carried out during the course of study, usually after completion of the course at the end of the semester (individual examination).
Also possible: The overall examination for several courses after a corresponding course offer over e.g. 2 semesters (then usually - but not necessarily - via the complete module examination, cf. 2.2. below).
The direct examination is always graded. A grade (in the SPO-compliant grade increments) is therefore the main formal characteristic of an examination in this category. The assigned credit points (CP) are acquired when the examination is passed.
(Sections B - D below refer solely to examinations in this category).
Examination performance vs. coursework. Non-graded performance assessments count as coursework; they can, but do not have to be assigned their own CP.
Coursework is not graded and therefore does not count as examinations.
Unlike examinations, performance assessments can be repeated more than once, unless otherwise specified in the module handbook.
Successful completion of these assessments is usually defined as a prerequisite for admission to an examination.
The SPO differentiates between direct examinations according to the following 3 types of examination:- Written examinations (standard: face-to-face examination for lectures)
- Oral examinations (note: not to be confused with oral re-examination after failing a repeat examination)
- Other types of examinations (the performance assessment can consist of several individual components, e.g. for seminars)
- Examination to identify a structural unit in the (modular) degree program
- (Module) partial examination. Generally corresponds to the direct individual examination (cf. 1. above) as a performance assessment for a KIT course that is structurally assigned to one or more module examinations.
- Module examination: The most important structural level in the current modular degree programs. May consist of one (overall examination covering all components of the module examination) or several associated partial examinations. It can be part of an examination subject or integrated into the curriculum in a subject-independent manner. It does not necessarily have to be graded. This means that a module examination can only be completed via coursework. Where a module grade is provided, this is determined according to the specifications of the SPO and/or the specific module examination description in the module handbook. If the grade is calculated from several individual grades, it is cut off after the first decimal place. This grade value is then also used as the basis for further calculations (subject grade, overall grade).
- [Subject examination]: Does not exist officially (in the SPO). However, there are designated and structurally used subject grades and a performance documentation in the certificate based on examination subjects with the respective assigned modules, which is why the subject examination should at least be considered in practice.
- Bachelor's or Master's examination: Top level. Includes all other examination structure levels. Is completed when all assigned required module examinations in or outside of examination subjects have been successfully completed.
A. Examination entitlement
A.1 Definition
Students who are admitted to and enrolled in a degree program have the right to participate in all examinations and course offerings specified in the curriculum,
in accordance with the examination regulations and the curriculum (module handbook). In the elective area, however, it is possible
that free access to some courses and examinations is restricted.
A.2 Loss of the right to take examinations
The right to take examinations in the degree program is lost due to
- Failure to meet the deadline for providing proof of an achievement defined in the SPO of the degree program (orientation examination, degree, not in all SPOs: taking the repeat examination, Failure to meet the deadline for proof of module examinations explicitly named in the SPO (e.g. mathematics in the WiInf BSc degree program);
- Attempted cheating / disruptions during examinations, plagiarism, etc. (as a possibility, not mandatory in every case);
- Cancellation of admission to the degree program/exmatriculation;
- Final failure of an examination. An examination is definitively failed if the repeat examination is not passed.
- By obtaining at least an equivalent degree in this degree program.
A.3 Consequences of losing the right to take examinations
- Blocking of registration for further examinations in the first attempt;
(Existing registrations for a first attempt remain valid and the examination can be taken under regular conditions). - It is still possible to register for upcoming repeat examinations;
- Admission to the degree program expires / re-registration block;
(At KIT, exmatriculation is usually carried out ex officio at the end of the current semester via a re-registration block).
A.4 Restoration of the examination entitlement
Where the Study and Examination Regulations (SPO) provide for it, a justified application (and its approval by the Examination Board or the KIT Vice President for Studies and Academic Affairs) can result in the restoration of the right to take examinations at the end of the semester, which is then regained if , in the case of deadline applications, an outstanding or explicitly specified achievement is proven within a specified deadline, or - after approval of an application for a second repetition - the second repetition is successfully proven under the set conditions .
In the case of applications for deadline extensions the approved deadline extension usually only covers one semester, even if more than one semester is required to prove the defaulted performance. A follow-up application must be submitted for each additional semester. And the approval of this usually depends on whether the performance defined in the previous approval has been proven in the meantime.
Approvals are generally only granted in exceptional cases. This means that there must be sufficiently valid and comprehensible reasons for approval that relieve applicants of their own responsibility. For the KIT Faculty of Business Administration and Economics, it is not the case that the first application in this regard is always approved.
With the approval of the second repetition, the admission ban for other success checks is also conditionally lifted. Examinations registered in this way in the first attempt are conditionally approved(this is then not done via the system, but via a responsible office at KIT. This is currently the Examinations Office of the WiWi Faculty). The reservation consists of the fact that only when the approved second repeat examination has been taken and passed as specified, the result of the examinations admitted and taken in the first attempt in the meantime will be finally evaluated. If the second resit is not passed, these examinations are not assessed. In other words, they are deemed not to have been taken; they are neither documented nor certified, not even for other purposes.
B. Registration for examinations
B.1 Online registration
As a rule, registration for examinations for Bachelor's and Master's degree programs takes place online via the student portal. The following functions are available on the examination registration page after registration :
- Register/deregister for exams
- Query examination results
- Create grade transcripts
Note: We strongly recommend creating a printout of the registered examinations after registration. This serves as proof in case of doubt. If the registration process does not work, e.g. message "Prerequisite error", please contact the SLE/Student Services or the faculty immediately for clarification. (It is therefore better not to wait until the last day of registration to register online).
This recommendation also applies to online deregistration. After deregistration, check again whether the list of registered examinations has been updated accordingly and, if not, contact SLE/Student Services or the Examinations Office immediately (also by e-mail) so that the intention to deregister is documented. (In the case of non-attendance without deregistration, the SPO provides for a penalty of 5.0 and most institutes apply this rule).
B.2 Coursework (SPO from 2015)
Coursework is not graded and therefore does not count as examinations.
Registration for the performance assessment for a course achievement is also done either online or directly at the institute by entering it in a registration list (posted list or list handed out in the tutorial).
B.3 Registration for examinations via e-mail
Online registration for examinations is not always possible. In this case, the admission and - depending on the case - also the registration by e-mail is carried out directly by the examination secretariat of the faculty. This includes, for example, registration for examinations
- under reserve (after an approved second repeat application);
- in the semester of leave;
We recommend applying for the examination via this form as a pdf attachment to an e-mail:
https://www.sle.kit.edu/imstudium/pruefungszulassung.php
However, this should all be done well before the registration deadline.
C. Deregistration and withdrawal from examinations // Default
Anyone who has registered or has been registered for an examination can deregister or withdraw from an examination subject to the following regulations.
C.1 Withdrawal from the examination
Deregistration from examinations always takes place before the examination and does not have to be justified.
A deregistered examination does not count as an examination attempt. A deregistered first attempt does not constitute a commitment to the deregistered examination. It is reset in the system to its status prior to registration.
The SPO of the degree program regulates the deadlines by which a deregistration from the examination can be made. For written ex aminations, the deadline for deregistration is before the examination papers are handed out at the allocated examination venue. For oral ex aminations, the deadline is usually no later than 3 days (not counting weekends and public holidays) before the examination date. The deadline for canceling examinations of other types is either regulated in the module handbook or communicated directly by the lecturer. In the case of seminars whose performance assessment is part of this type of examination, it is generally no longer possible to deregister after confirmation of participation and registration.
The deregistration of written and oral examinations is carried out via the system until a date entered by the examining institute in the same way as the examination registration. For organizational reasons, this date is often before the official deregistration deadline. After this date - and still within the official deregistration period - deregistration must always take place at the examining institute. For example, in person or by calling the secretariat of the institute or by e-mail. However, it is the candidate's responsibility to deregister in good time. If no one can be reached by telephone or in person at the secretariat of the examining institute or if an e-mail is not received by the institute for technical reasons or is not received in time, this is not considered a timely deregistration and a 5 will be awarded for the registered examination.
To be on the safe side, you should always cancel your registration by e-mail via your own KIT account. The e-mail must contain the exact name of the examination (title/date/time/location/examiner) and in the subject line "eilt - Prüfungsabmeldung [Prüfungstitel]". A current printout from the system with the student data, e.g. current certificate of enrollment, as a PDF attachment as proof of identity.
On-site deregistration before the start of the examination (for written examinations). Usually, the respective exam supervisor will point out this last withdrawal option and students who use this option will be noted accordingly in the minutes or in the attendance list.
Tip: It often happens that withdrawals outside of the examination management system are not documented in the system for a long period of time. This can lead to registration problems at a later examination date. Affected students should therefore make sure that the deregistration is recorded in the system within a reasonable period of time and, if necessary, ask the examining department.
C.2 Withdrawal from an examination
General regulations. After the deregistration deadline for examinations has expired, it is possible to withdraw from an examination for valid reasons if you are unable to participate or continue to participate in the examination. The withdrawal and the reason for withdrawal must be reported immediately. Supporting documents must be submitted immediately, at the latest within 3 days. Delays must also be justified and comprehensible. If these rules are not adhered to, or if the reasons are not deemed to be sufficiently valid or the evidence is not recognized as sufficient, the examination in question will be graded with 5.0. The decision on this is made by the responsible examination board.
Students who fail to appear for a registered written examination without prior notice of withdrawal must immediately notify the examination board of their withdrawal for valid reasons, otherwise the absence will be penalized with a 5.0. If the reasons are recognized by the examination board, the examination attempt will not be assessed. Withdrawal must be reported immediately (according to the respective situation) to the examining institute, as well as requested in writing (letter form), supporting documents (e.g. medical certificate) must also be submitted to the institute immediately, by e-mail as a pdf attachment, but no later than 3 working days after the examination date in the original.
Anyone who withdraws from an oral examination after the deadline for deregistration for valid reasons must also notify the examining institute immediately (as soon as the reason for the hindrance occurs). This also applies if the obstacle occurs e.g. 2 days before the examination date. Copies of supporting documents can be submitted as pdf attachments in an email. The written and justified application and the original supporting documents must be submitted within 3 working days of the examination date at the latest.
ImportantThe following must be separated
- the immediate notification of withdrawal to the examining institute and
- the written request together with the original supporting documents within 3 working days of the examination date at the latest.
The withdrawal in the course of the examination must be justified and recorded. If health reasons are invoked, a medical certificate may be requested by the examining institute or the examination board(contents of medical certificate). A doctor must therefore be consulted immediately after the examination has been discontinued. The necessary documents must be submitted immediately (after receipt in copy), at the latest 3 working days after the examination date in the original to the examining institute or the examination secretariat of the faculty.
In principle, everything that has been processed or expressed up to the withdrawal will be evaluated and taken into account for the grade determination after a new, adjusted examination attempt. A change of examination is generally not permitted. If the examination can no longer be passed overall after the examinations taken up to the withdrawal, the performance is assessed with 5.0. A withdrawal that is only made credible after the assessment does not affect this assessment.
C.3 Default:
Default describes the basis under examination law for the sanction of 5.0 for a related examination.
This includes the cases described above for withdrawal from the examination, in which the requirements are not met or the examination board does not consider the reasons for withdrawal to be sufficiently valid and does not approve the withdrawal. This also includes
- unexcused absence from an examination
- failure to appear on time for an examination without valid and comprehensible reasons
C.4 - Withdrawal from a seminar
Performance reviews for seminars are considered to be examinations of a different kind. The performance assessment formally begins with registration for the seminar. For most seminars, registration for the seminar is understood to mean the confirmation of participation following an offer of a seminar place. This confirmation is binding. This means that a binding commitment with consequences under examination law does not necessarily only come about when the student registers for the seminar in the system. It can already arise in advance. Depending on the seminar, different regulations may exist in detail. It is strongly recommended that you obtain detailed information on these points from the respective seminar leaders.
It is important for their planning and the success of the seminar that the binding commitment to participate can be relied upon. The rules on withdrawal are correspondingly strict: after a binding commitment to participate, withdrawal is only permitted with valid reasons. If these do not exist, are not clearly documented or are not recognized, withdrawal without valid reasons will be penalized with 5.0.
The performance review for the seminar is not a point-by-point assessment. It includes regular attendance, the preparation of a seminar paper on a sub-topic of the seminar and the presentation on this at one of the seminar dates.
D. Repeat examination / oral re-examination
In all WiWi courses, a failed examination can be retaken once (a retake is not permitted for passed examinations.) However, the retake option does not apply if a deadline specified in the SPO has not been met.
D.1 Deadline for providing proof of the repeat examination
The deadline for providing proof of the repeat examination is regulated in the SPO. If such a deadline is not adhered to without comprehensibly valid reasons, the examination will be graded 5.0.
D.2 Repeat examination offer
The faculty handles the offer of repeat examinations differently. There are exclusive repeat examinations in which only candidates who have previously failed the examination are admitted. In most cases, these examinations follow in the same examination period as the main examination period, but at the latest before the start of the next examination period. However, most examinations can be taken by both first-time participants and repeaters. These dates are usually offered once per semester. Once directly in the examination period following the course and then again in the examination period of the next semester.
D.3 Type of repeat examination (oral/written)
Examinations are offered either in written form (as a written exam) or orally. As a rule, the repeat examination is conducted in the same way as the first attempt. However, the type of examination can also be changed. (This is usually done, depending on the number of candidates, from written to oral), or at the individual request of the candidate - with credible reasons - and with the agreement of the examiner. If the type of examination is changed from the first attempt, the examination board must give its approval.
D.4 Oral re-examination for a failed written repeat examination
The examination procedure for repeating a written examination has a special feature. On the one hand, the repeat examination is completed when the written examination is passed. However, if the written examination is not passed, an oral re-examination follows, which gives the candidate another opportunity to successfully complete the examination (grade: always 4.0). Students who do not take or fail this re-examination lose their right to take the examination. (Exmatriculation between the repeat examination and the oral re-examination does not prevent this). Please note: Neither the registration/deregistration requirements nor the notice periods of the "oral examination" type of examination regulated in the KIT-WiWi-SPO apply to the oral re-examination. You will be invited (in person) to the examination date. The date can only be a few days after the candidates have been informed. There is no subject-specific preparation time. Attendance is mandatory for the candidates concerned. Unjustified deregistration is not permitted. An absence must be reported immediately, on the same day after the reason for the hindrance occurs, even if this is before the day of the examination, stating the reason and providing comprehensible evidence. The examination board will decide on the admissibility of the reason. If health reasons are cited, a medical certificate must be submitted immediately. An unexcused or justified but unaccepted absence from the oral re-examination will result in the final failure of the examination. Scheduling: From the winter semester 2022/23, oral re-examinations - regardless of the actual examination date - will be assigned to the failed repeat examination.
D.5 Replacing the repeat examination with an alternative in the module (only possible for elective examinations)
D.6 Repeat examination for a failed seminar
For the repeat examination of a failed seminar, it is not possible to work on the same topic again.
However, it is permissible to attend the same seminar again in a later semester and work on a different sub-topic there.
In the WiWi degree programs, failed seminar examinations can be repeated via equivalent work. In the respective seminar module, this means that - in compliance with the curriculum requirements - any alternative seminar can be taken that is also offered in the module.
Miscellaneous information on examinations
Examination period
From WS 2022/23 there will no longer be an extended examination period. The regular semester dates also determine the semester assignments of examinations.
Modules
All degree programs at the KIT Faculty of Business Administration and Economics are modular. The courses offered in the degree program are structured and made accessible via modules. Each module contains at least one course, but in the WiWi degree programs usually several courses that are related to each other in terms of content. The scope of each module is characterized by credit points, which express the associated workload. These are credited upon successful completion of the module. Success is demonstrated by the module examination, which can be divided into one or more performance assessments (examinations, exercise certificates, presentations, assignments, etc.). Some modules in the WiWi degree programs are compulsory (usually Bachelor's basic studies); however, most modules are optional alternatives (elective modules). There are also often options within modules. However, it may also be stipulated that all, some or one of the courses listed in the module must be examined. All in all, students are given the opportunity to tailor their interdisciplinary studies to their personal plans, situation, interests and career prospects, both in terms of content and time.
Which modules are compulsory or optional in which subject is specified in the module handbook of the degree program.
Most modules are assigned to one of the subjects specified in the curriculum of the degree program (e.g. business administration, mathematics, computer science, operations research, etc.) and can therefore be described as specialist modules. There are also non-subject-specific modules such as the final thesis or the seminar module.
In addition to the curricular offerings in the module handbook, further modules can be approved by the examination board upon request. However, each student may only integrate one such unscheduled engineering module into the assessment area of their degree program.
The modules selected and successfully completed during the degree program are listed in the transcript of records (an attachment to the certificate) with the credit points and grades achieved. In this way, the individual profile of the graduate can be clearly documented for outsiders.
Credit points (LP)
According to the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS), the effort required for each achievement in a degree program is expressed in credit points. 1 CP corresponds approximately to 30 hours of work. For the successful completion of a degree program, a defined minimum number of credit points must be demonstrated. This is 180 CP for the KIT-BSc degree programs and 120 CP for the KIT-MSc degree programs. Students acquire the required credits by completing performance assessments as part of the curriculum.
Beginning and completion of a module examination
Each module and each examination may only be taken once. The decision on the assignment of an examination to a module (e.g. if a course can be selected in several modules) is made by the student at the time he/she registers for the corresponding examination.
A module is completed or passed when the module examination has been passed (grade of at least 4.0).
For modules in which the module examinations are carried out via several partial examinations, the following applies: The module examination is completed as soon as the selected module partial examinations have been passed to the defined minimum extent in compliance with structural requirements (grade of at least 4.0).
Overall or partial examinations
Module examinations can be taken as an overall examination or as partial examinations. If the module examination is offered as a comprehensive examination, the entire scope of the module examination is examined on one date. If the module examination is divided into partial examinations, the module examination can be taken over several semesters, e.g. in individual examinations for the associated courses.