Examination law FAQ

The Study Entry and Orientation Phase (STEOP) is a component of all regular Bachelor's programs. At Montanuniversität Leoben, it consists of STEM subjects such as Chemistry, Digital Competencies, Mathematics, Mechanics, and Physics. Additionally, students must complete University Basic Competencies, including chosen Transferable Skills and an Exciting Science course. STEOP is valued at 10 ECTS (8 for STEM subjects, 2 for Transferable Skills).

The European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) is a recognized unit of workload within Europa. One ECTS corresponds to approximately 25 hours of learning. The number of ECTS assigned to courses serves as an indicator of the expected effort for successfully completing the course.

Yes, but only for examination-related courses. These may include in-class exercises, tutorials (UEs), and the practical part of VUs. In such courses, attendance requirements of up to 80% can be stipulated (§16 MUL Statute).

Examination dates and assessment criteria must be communicated before the start of the semester, usually available in MUonline under course information (§76 (2) UG). For oral examinations, notification to students should ideally occur two weeks before the exam, or for non-oral exams, at least three days before the exam (§33 (7) MUL Statute).

Exam registration must not end earlier than 1 week before the exam date. In some cases, registration might be possible after this deadline by contacting the department's secretary or the lead professor. Withdrawal from an exam without stating reasons is permitted until 11:00 am on the last working day before the exam. Withdrawal is usually done through MU-Online, the relevant department's secretary, or directly with the examiner (§33 MUL Statute).

For exams conducted as a single process (lecture exams), exam dates must be scheduled at least three times each semester (§76 (3) UG).

Technical requirements for participating in online exams must be announced before the start of the semester. If technical issues occur, not due to the student's fault, the exam must be terminated immediately, and the attempt does not count as an official exam (§76a UG).

There are generally no legal remedies against exam assessments. In cases of serious flaws in assessment, students can request the annulment of the exam from the Dean of Studies within four weeks of receiving the result. An annulled attempt does not count as an official exam attempt (§79 (1) UG). Oral exams are public, but the number of observers may be limited by the size of the room. Students who have taken an oral exam must be informed of their assessment immediately after its conclusion. In case of a negative assessment, the examinee must be provided with a written explanation upon request (§79 (2) UG).

Within six months, students have the right to review exams or their protocols. Students are entitled to make copies of these documents, including both questions and answers, with the exception of multiple-choice questions and their answers (§79 (5) UG).

If a performance or exam registration is fraudulent, it will be declared void by the Dean of Studies. However, the attempt still counts as an official exam attempt (§73 UG). Using unauthorized aids or involving third parties in the exam is considered falsification of academic performance, also applicable to the creation of written works for assessment.

Without significant reasons for missing an exam, a ban on the next exam attempt is imposed, lasting a maximum of 8 weeks (§33 (8) MUL Statute).

If an exam is aborted without a valid reason, the exam is assessed as negative. The decision on whether there was a valid reason for the abortion is made by the Dean of Studies upon the student's request, which must be submitted within two weeks of the abortion (§36 (8) MUL Statute).

Students have the right to repeat negatively assessed exams up to a maximum of 4 times, resulting in a total of 5 attempts. The 4th and 5th attempts are conducted in a commission. If the 5th attempt is also unsuccessful, it leads to termination of the study program (§38 MUL Statute). Positive exams can be repeated upon request, but only once and within 12 months after the initial attempt. The first exam attempt becomes void when taking the repeat exam (§77 (1) UG).

A commission examination is held before a commission appointed by the Dean of Studies. In the case of an oral exam, the commission consists of at least three examiners, with one person serving as the exam chair. For a written exam, at least two independent individuals correct the exam. A verbal component is required for the 5th attempt (§35 MUL Statute). The Dean serves as the chair of every oral commission. Students are entitled to request specific examiners (§35 MUL Statute). Registration and withdrawal for a commission exam must always go through the Dean of Studies. Registration cannot end earlier than 3 weeks before the exam, and unexplained withdrawal is permitted up to one week before the exam (§34 (1) MUL Statute). The 4th exam attempt is not conducted as a commission if the exam is not in the form of a single examination process, as is the case with exercises or IVs (§38 (2) MUL Statute).

"Regular" commissional exams refer to all exams that are not part of a course with an inherent examination character. Commissarial exams are always scheduled on specific dates announced at the beginning of the semester. Multiple exams, not necessarily from the same subject, can be held on the same date. Registration ends 3 weeks before and withdrawal 1 week before the commission date, applicable only to oral or written-oral exams. For written exams, withdrawal is possible until 11 am on the last working day before the exam (§34 (6) MUL Statute). A commissional exam must not be terminated under any circumstances. The candidate is asked beforehand about their physical condition to endure the exam, rendering "sudden illness episodes" null and void. The commission must not leave the room during the exam (§36 (2) MUL Statute).

For the 4th attempt in a course with inherent exam character, commission-based examination is optional and only takes place if requested by a student. Otherwise, the attempt proceeds as usual. A commission-based session is mandatory for the last attempt (§33 (5b) MUL Statute). During commission-based sessions, the documented performances from previous attempts (e.g., knowledge certificates, lab reports, etc.) are submitted for assessment. Additionally, there is an oral component before the examination commission (§38 (3) MUL Statute). Registration for this commission-based exam must occur no later than 4 weeks after the start of the course, with the examination taking place 4 weeks after its conclusion (§33 (5b) MUL Statute).

The 4th attempt takes place at the respective departments and can be conducted in written and/or oral form. Application forms are available directly at the secretariats of the respective departments and should be filled out. The completed form is then submitted to the Dean of Studies for registration. For courses with inherent exam character, only one commission-based exam is required if requested by the student. Otherwise, the 4th attempt proceeds similarly to the previous ones (§38 (2) MUL Statute). Some departments/institutes offer a preliminary exam before the commission-based exam. Some institutes organize special commission-based review sessions, which can be registered for on MUonline. It is highly recommended to inquire about such offerings from the respective institutes before exam registration. Contacting the examiner directly is the best approach.

Some departments/institutes offer a preliminary exam before the commission-based exam. Some institutes organize special commission-based review sessions, which can be registered for on MUonline. It is highly recommended to inquire about such offerings from the respective institutes before exam registration. Contacting the examiner directly is the best approach. If the 5th attempt is negatively assessed, the student is expelled from the program, and admission to the program is revoked. Thus, the respective program and other programs that include this course as a mandatory subject in the curriculum cannot be completed (§38 (1) MUL Statute). If the negative exam is the last one to be completed in the program, there is an additional supplementary attempt. For this, the senate consists of 5 persons (§77 (2) UG) (§35 (4) MUL Statute).