Examinations Offices
All you need to know about examinations
The following links give information on registration periods, deadlines and forms for your examinations.
Registration periods for module examinations: Registration period for module examinations in summer semester 2024 from May 27 (00:01) until June 16 (23:59)
General information
General information: Accreditation of achievements
Examination regulations allow for achievements gained in other institutions to be credited towards a degree. Achievements are only accredited after an application has been submitted. The relevant application forms are available at “Information and forms” on the websites of the Examinations Offices for the various faculties, the links to which are located on the tabs below.
Without an approved application for accreditation, students are automatically enrolled in the first semester. This is subsequently adjusted accordingly if any semesters are accredited.
General rules on taking examinations, withdrawal, illness and adjustments to examination arrangements
Taking examinations, withdrawal, and illness
General rules for taking university examinations (updated: June 15, 2023)
Students must register correctly via campo in order to take examinations.
Please note that you must withdraw from an examination properly if you do not intend to attend the examination after registering for it. If you are unable to sit an examination due to illness, you require a medical certificate from a doctor. Further information is available in the examination regulations for your degree program.
You are not allowed to withdraw from a resit examination. De-registration, leave of absence or change of degree program does not release you from the obligation to take a resit examination.
Showing symptoms of illness on the day of the examination (updated: February 28, 2024)
We would urge you to only take part in examinations if you are not showing any symptoms of illness. We would ask anyone with symptoms associated with Covid-19 (acute, unspecific general symptoms, a loss of taste and/or smell, respiratory symptoms irrespective of severity) to get tested before attending the examination.
You will be required to submit a doctor’s certificate if you have symptoms of illness. Further details on the requirements to be met by a doctor’s certificate are available on the website of the Examinations Office (Degree programs of the Faculty of Engineering / Degree programs of the Faculty of Medicine / Degree programs of the Faculty of Sciences / Degree programs of the Faculty of Humanities, Social Sciences and Theology / Degree programs of the Faculty of Business, Economics, and Law without Law / Law / Teaching degree programs).
Please note:
- Doctor’s certificates issued via tele/online medical services (e.g. After a video consultation) are not valid for withdrawing correctly from an examination. We can only accept certificates issued by a doctor who has carried out an examination of the student in their medical practice in person.
- Doctor’s certificates must be submitted in the original (in paper form).
In the event of a coronavirus infection on the examination day, a rapid test taken at an official test center on the day of the examination replaces the need to submit a doctor’s certificate. If a coronavirus infection has been confirmed via a PCR test before the examination day, this positive PCR test replaces the need to submit a doctor’s certificate. A positive PCR test is valid as proof of an infection for 10 days.
Withdrawing from a university examination you have registered for or terminating an examination (updated: July 8, 2022)
The rules for terminating an examination are stipulated in the examination regulations. You can withdraw from an examination via campo within the deadline stipulated in the examination regulations. It is not possible to withdraw after the examination has begun. You are also not allowed to withdraw from a resit examination.
The provisions governing terminating an examination after the examination has begun are stipulated in the relevant examination regulations. Students may require a medical certificate from an official medical examiner to terminate an examination if this is stipulated in the examination regulations.
Conducting examinations for State Examinations (updated: July 8, 2022)
Rules governing examinations for State Examinations are stipulated in the relevant examination regulations and announcements from the examination authorities.
Compensation for disadvantages during examinations
Compensation for disadvantages during university examinations (updated: July 8, 2022)
If, due to a disability or chronic illness, you require adjustments to examination arrangements, such as extra time or an extension of examination deadlines, please contact the FAU Liaison Officer for Students with Disabilities. They will give you advice on your options and give you a recommendation that you should submit to the Examinations Office responsible as soon as possible.
The decision on granting compensation for disadvantages is taken by the Examinations Committee responsible. In order for a timely decision to be taken, it is imperative that you take steps to organize adjustments to examination arrangements in good time, as otherwise we cannot guarantee that you will be given compensation for any disadvantages during your examinations.
Compensation for disadvantages during examinations for State Examinations (updated: July 8, 2022)
Please contact the relevant Examinations Office if you require special arrangements for sitting an examination as part of the State Examination.
General information: Using mobile postage stamps
Please note, that if you use “mobile postage stamps (#Porto)“, it is not possible to track and trace when a letter was sent by post. This means that if a letter arrives late at the Examinations Office, it is not possible to find out if it was sent in good time. The sender assumes any risk for transit when using mobile postage stamps to send documents. Please note the information provided by Deutsche Post.
General information: The use of artificial intelligence in examinations
The following applies for the use of artificial intelligence during examinations (and above all for written assignments):
- If the use of artificial intelligence is not expressly authorized, it is considered an aid that is not permitted. This means that the examination is deemed to have been failed due to fraud. This has already been defined, please refer to Section 16 (2) (1) and (2) ABMStPO/Phil: “1If an attempt is made to commit fraud or to influence the result of an examination achievement through the use of unauthorized materials, the examination in question shall be graded as ‘unsatisfactory’ (5.0). 2The possession of unauthorized aids during or after the handing out of examination papers shall constitute an attempt to commit fraud within the meaning of sentence 1.
- Checks are currently underway at FAU as to whether to include additional clarification in the degree program and examination regulations about the use of artificial intelligence. However, this is not absolutely necessary in order to already grade an examination as “failed” due to the unauthorized use of artificial intelligence.
- Staff responsible should ensure that the declaration of originality that students must submit as part of written assignments also contains confirmation that artificial intelligence was not used to complete the assignment.
General information: Sample declaration of originality for examinations
There is a sample text for the declaration of originality for examinations (such as written assignments and final theses) below. This sample text can/must be amended for cases where the use of ChatGPT and other forms of AI are expressly permitted. The English version of the sample text is available here.
General information: Apostille
In order to obtain an apostille, you will require prior certification (Vorbeglaubigung) from the University. At FAU, the Office of Legal Affairs and Academic Quality Management (L1) is responsible for this.
- Information sheet for apostilles (for certifying German certificates abroad)
- Application forms for issuing prior certifications (Vorbeglaubigungen)
Please address your application for prior certification to the following members of staff (send the e-mail to both staff members):
- Sandra Emrich, phone: + 49 131 85 70854, sandra.emrich@fau.de and
- Anja Stolzenberger, phone: +49 9131 8570853, anja.stolzenberger@fau.de
Further information about applying for an apostille or prior certification is available from the Government of Middle Franconia.
Information from the examination offices
Please note the opening times listed in each section below!
Faculty of Humanities, Social Sciences, and Theology
- Bachelor’s and Master’s degree programs
- Module studies (Digital Humanities, Kulturraum Italien, Studium Philosophicum)
- Teaching degree programs (Lehramt)
- Master of Education (Lehramt Gymnasium)
- Certificates (General and subject-specific education in the digital world, Geosciences for teaching)
- Doctoral degrees
Faculty of Business, Economics, and Law
School of Business, Economics and Society
- Bachelor’s and Master’s degree programmes
- Teaching degree programmes (Lehramt) (German)
- Doctoral degrees