Coronavirus: Effects on examinations

1. Symptoms: We would urge you to only take part in examinations if you are not showing any symptoms. 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. Provided the test is negative, you can then take part in the examination.
2. Positive test result before examination: You must not take part in the examination.
3. Positive test result after the examination: We would ask any students who test positive after the examination to inform the person responsible for the examination or class. This person will then forward the information to the Examinations Office or Occupational Safety. Alternatively, you can let us know that you have tested positive for Covid-19 by sending an email to: zuv-sgas-covid-nachverfolgung@fau.de. After receiving notification via the e-mail address above, Occupational Safety will get in touch to request all the necessary information. The session coordinator will then distribute a letter provided by Occupational Safety to all participants of the course. Information on recording contact details manually and digitally is available on the coronavirus hygiene website.
4. Contact with a person who has tested positive: You can find information about whether you are categorized as a contact person after being in contact with an infected person on the Bavarian Health Ministry’s website. The page https://www.stmgp.bayern.de/coronavirus/haeufig-gestellte-fragen/#cc-accordion-05ea19fdaf20a251 gives information about the current rules for anyone who has tested positive, close contacts, and suspected cases as well as information about isolating and quarantine. This page also contains information about testing and information about who is liable for the costs of mandatory tests. Please note that there are different rules for vaccinated and recovered contact persons. For information about these rules, please refer to the RKI website, under the heading ‘3.2.2. Hinweise zur Anordnung der Quarantäne / Umgang mit geimpften oder genesenen Kontaktpersonen’ (in German).

Examinations are no longer subject to the 3G rule with immediate effect. Students may now attend examinations without showing any additional documents such as proof of vaccination or a negative PCR test.

If you belong to an at-risk group, you must provide a medical certificate proving that this is the case. The medical certificate is only required to confirm that you belong to an at-risk group. It does not need to include a diagnosis and/or description of symptoms. The medical certificate must be shown but not submitted to the examiner.

Please inform the examiner well in advance if the fact that you belong to an at-risk group means that you have special requirements for the examination (e.g. a particular place in the examination room) in order to ensure that the necessary measures can be put in place. Special examination conditions cannot be guaranteed if the examiner is not informed in good time.

Further information for students who are pregnant is available on the FAU coronavirus websites.

If you cannot travel from abroad or are generally unable to travel, you do not have to attend the examination. You must only provide sufficient proof of this justified reason and after consulting the examiner responsible, you can make use of the rule in Section 4 (4) of the Coronavirus Regulations. Alternatively, you can postpone the examination entirely to one of the subsequent semesters by withdrawing from the examination in accordance with Section 5 (2)(1) of the Coronavirus Regulations. You do not have to fear any legal consequences in terms of the progress of your degree due to such postponements.

The regulations concerning the coronavirus and BAföG are available on the website of Student Services in Erlangen and Nuremberg (www.werkswelt.de/bafoeg). This website includes answers to frequently asked questions, including how to apply for an extension to the deadline for submitting proof of having obtained all necessary achievements pursuant to Section 48 BAföG.

There is no need to record contact details for examinations with effect from 3 April 2022.

Students diagnosed with Covid-19 within 14 days of taking an examination must notify the examination officer or Occupational Safety immediately via e-mail (zuv-sgas-covid-nachverfolgung@fau.de). Occupational Safety will then inform the Examinations Office.

Study deadlines

until the end of winter semester 2021

Study deadlines, i.e. deadlines for completing the GOP or Bachelor’s/Master’s degree programs, will not be checked before the end of winter semester 2021, meaning that there will be no consequences for exceeding the originally stipulated deadlines, no matter how many semesters have already been studied in the subject. There is no need to file a specific request for an extension. Please note that other rules may apply to State Examination degree programs!

asas of summer semester 2022

The Examinations Office will check study deadlines again from summer semester 2022. When checking these deadlines, summer semester 2020, winter semester 2021/2021, summer semester 2021 and winter semester 2021/2022 are not counted as subject semesters for the purpose of determining deadlines. The deadlines by which the GOP or the Bachelor’s or Master’s degree program must finally be completed are therefore extended accordingly for all students who are enrolled in this period.

Examples:

• Student X is in the 4th study semester of a Master’s degree program lasting four semesters. The applicable examination regulations state that this deadline can be exceeded by one semester without having to state reasons. At the same time, summer semester 2020, winter semester 2020/2021, summer semester 2021 and winter semester 2021/2022 do not count when calculating the expiry date of the deadline. As a result, student X now has a total of nine (instead of five) semesters in which to complete the Master’s degree.
• In summer semester 2020, student Y is in the second semester of a Bachelor’s degree program lasting six semesters. The GOP has to be completed after two semesters. This deadline may be exceeded by one semester. The Bachelor’s degree must be completed after six semesters. This deadline may be exceeded by two semesters.As summer semester 2020 and winter semester 2020/2021, summer semester 2021 and winter semester 2021/2022 do not count when calculating the number of semesters studied, the GOP now has to be completed by the end of the seventh (instead of the third) semester. The deadline for completing the Bachelor’s degree program is also extended by four semesters, meaning that this now must be completed at the latest after the twelfth (instead of the eighth) semester.
• Student Z started his four semester Master’s degree program in summer semester 2020. According to the examination regulations, he can exceed this deadline by one semester without giving reasons, which gives him a total of five semesters in which to complete his degree. He should therefore finish his degree by the end of summer semester 2022. However, as summer semester 2020, winter semester 2020/2021, summer semester 2021 and winter semester 2021/2022 do not count towards calculating study deadlines on account of the coronavirus pandemic, he now has a total of nine semesters for completing his Master’s degree.

The standard durations of study themselves do not change in the cases detailed above, and the relevant certificates (such as the certificate of enrollment) are not changed. In all cases, students are also able to apply to their Examinations Committee for a further individual extension if they have legitimate reasons.

Further information and regulations concerning study deadlines

• The Federal Ministry of Education and Research has promised that there will be no disadvantages for BAföG recipients.
• Students who have already de-registered with effect from the end of the winter semester 2019/2020, but whose examination will now take place during summer semester 2020 due to the postponements, will not have to re-enroll to take the examination. They can sit the examination and their result will count.
• In order to let them access the teaching materials they need to prepare for the examination which are available in the library and on StudOn, as well as all administrative functions in mein campus, these students will be allowed to continue using student services until 30 June 2020. All services affected are listed in the overview of services available in their IdM account.

Extension of deadlines for examination achievements for admission to a Master’s degree program

• Deadlines for examination achievements that must otherwise be completed for admission to a Master’s degree program by 30 September 2021 (enrollment for winter semester 2020/21) or 31 March 2022 (enrollment for summer semester 2021) may be extended by one semester if the admissions committee for the Master’s degree program confirms that the requirements could not be met due to the coronavirus pandemic. Due to the application requirement set out in BayHSchG, the deadline for fulfilling the admission requirements cannot be extended automatically.
• Students must apply to the Student Records Office directly (studentenkanzlei@fau.de) to request an individual extension and submit confirmation from the admissions committee supporting this request.
• Master’s students who have already been granted an extension of one semester for meeting admission requirements will not be granted a further extension.

Trial studies

The extension stipulated in the Coronavirus Regulations also applies to students to whom Section 10 of the Admissions Regulations at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg for subject-specific university admission for qualified professionals and graduates of the Meisterprüfung and persons treated as such applies.

Students will be informed in good time by the module coordinators or examiners about the examination process. The following rules must be observed if examinations are being held on campus.

• The 3G rule no longer applies.
• All examination candidates are required to wear a mask until seated (we recommend an FFP2 mask, but a surgical mask is sufficient) and to keep their distance from others. The following rules apply during the examination itself:
  • If the minimum distance is maintained between participants, masks can be removed when seated. We still recommend wearing a mask, however.
  • If the examination is such that it is impossible to keep the minimum distance between candidates, then everyone must wear a mask at all times (we recommend an FFP2 mask, but a surgical mask is sufficient).
• Examination candidates must enter and leave the examination room promptly and in an orderly manner while following the instructions of the examination officer. Examination candidates must behave responsibly before and after the examination has finished and comply with the safety and hygiene regulations stipulated in the hygiene guidance (no groups, keeping distance and wearing an FFP2 or surgical mask). Examination candidates must observe coughing and sneezing etiquette and use the hand washing and disinfecting facilities available.
• The minimum distance to other persons must also be kept on the way from the mode of transport used to the examination room, no groups may be formed and masks must be worn.
• The minimum distance between examination candidates need not be kept in exceptional cases if the pedagogical or organizational nature of the examination is such that it is not feasible to keep a minimum distance between candidates (e.g. sports examinations).
• Participation in sporting activities is also a compelling reason for not wearing masks. Accordingly, masks need not be worn during sports examinations.
• Anyone who is showing symptoms of a respiratory illness must not take part in examinations.

Information for teaching staff:

• Checklist for holding examinations on campus for teaching staff (Only accessible by examiners)
• Suggested e-mail for students about taking examinations (Only accessible by examiners)
• Examination concept (handout) (Only accessible by examiners)
• Checks to confirm compliance with the 3G rule and recording contact details shall not be required for examinations after April 3, 2022.

No special regulations deviating from the examination regulations will apply to examinations in summer semester 2022. The special regulations specified in the Coronavirus Regulations thus no longer apply.

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.

Remote electronic examinations are governed by EFernPO (FAU regulations on remote examinations). Please refer to our information sheet for more details about data collection for participation in remote electronic examinations.

The current Coronavirus Regulations state that it is no longer possible to withdraw from an examination once it has started. If you feel that your performance will be impaired or to avoid failing the examination, your only option is to not attend the examination. You can withdraw up until the examination starts – simply not attending is enough. Nevertheless, we request that you withdraw from examinations in mein campus in good time for reasons of efficiency and to improve the planning of examinations.

The provisions in the relevant examination regulations apply as regards withdrawing from examinations. Students may require a medical certificate from an official medical examiner to withdraw from an examination if this is stipulated in the examination regulations.

The following applies to all university examinations in summer semester 2020, winter semester 2020/2021, summer semester 2021 and winter semester 2021/2022:

• Students can withdraw from an examination by not attending.
• A failure to attend will generally be counted as excused.
• Sitting the examination again as an attempt to improve grades is not permitted.

Please note that different regulations apply to university examinations officially scheduled for summer semester 2020 and those scheduled for winter semester 2020/2021: In the case of examinations scheduled for summer semester 2020 (all examinations officially scheduled for summer semester 2020, even if they are not actually taken until after 1 October 2020), the results of an examination will be annulled if the student fails. It is therefore not classed as a failed attempt. This no longer applies to examinations scheduled for winter semester 2020/2021 and afterwards! In this case, a failed examination will not be annulled. The examination will be counted as a failed attempt. In certain cases, students can apply to the relevant Examinations Committee for a failed attempt to be nullified.

The special regulations apply to all examinations irrespective of whether the individual candidates are sitting the examination for the first time or whether they are repeating it.

If you did not take part in an examination on the original date and a resit date (Wiederholungstermin) is offered for your degree program in the same semester, you may take the examination on the resit date. You will be registered to take the examination on the resit date automatically by the Examinations Office. Failure to attend the examination on this resit date does not have any consequences. Please note, however, that this may mean you are only able to attend the examination on the regular date during the semester after next in some cases.

At the current time, students are not required to submit a doctor’s certificate (‘Attest’ in German) if they fail to attend university examinations which they have registered for. They will be considered to have been excused from the examination even without submitting a doctor’s certificate. The failure to attend will not be recorded as a failed attempt.  

Please note: Withdrawal during an examination in winter semester 2020/2021, summer semester 2021, and winter semester 2021/2022 is only possible in those cases where this is permitted in the relevant examination regulations.

If the relevant examination regulations specify that students must be enrolled in the relevant degree program in order to complete their final examination achievements, this requirement shall come into force again for students completing their final examination achievements from winter semester 2021/2022 onwards.

Room reservations must be clarified well in advance with the relevant room coordinator, and the procedure in place before the coronavirus pandemic is to be followed:

During the normal office hours for the building during the lecture period:

• Teaching staff or the relevant department are again responsible for classes and other types of sessions. This also includes organizing access (keys etc.) to the rooms being used.
• An application for room use must be sent to G5 – Commercial Facility Management for any special events. The application can be sent by e-mail to zuv-g5-raumverwaltung@fau.de.

Outside the normal opening times of the building during the lecture period as well as in general outside the lecture period:

• An application for room use must be sent to G5 – Commercial Facility Management for all events or classes. The application can be sent by e-mail to zuv-g5-raumverwaltung@fau.de.

Examinations

Please refer to the website of the examinations office in the Ministry of Education for the latest updates.

Extended written assignment (Zulassungsarbeit)

An extension to deadlines for written assignments (Zulassungsarbeiten) in teaching degree programs may be arranged in consultation with supervisors. Please note: The assessment (evaluation) must be submitted to the Examinations Office by the supervisor at least two working days before the student sits their first individual examination, as otherwise the student cannot be admitted to the State Examination. Please make sure that supervisors are aware of this when setting new deadlines in order to ensure that they have still enough time to correct the assignment and send the evaluation after the assignment has been submitted and before the examination is held.

Placement

The decision to close all schools in Bavaria from Monday March 16, 2020 also affects students completing their general or subject-related teaching placements at Grundschulen (primary schools) and Mittelschulen (lower secondary schools). The teachers supervising the students during their placement will keep them up to date with how to proceed.

At present, the examinations for the State Examination are expected to go ahead as planned.

Please note the following information in relation to the e-mail from the Executive Board on 12 January 2021:  

The Coronavirus Regulations published by FAU concerning Deviations from Degree Program and Examination Regulations and the Doctoral Degree and Habilitation Regulations only apply to university examinations, they do not apply to examinations for State Examinations. The results of the examinations for the State Examinations are assessed in accordance with the valid Licensing Regulations for Physicians (Approbationsordnung), any failed examinations will not be nullified. You can only withdraw from the examination after receiving the invitation for an important reason. If you fail to attend an examination, you must inform the Examinations Office immediately of an important reason (for example by submitting a doctor’s certificate), otherwise you will be considered to have failed the examination. As a rule, fear of running the risk of infection is considered an important reason for withdrawing from an examination pursuant to Sections 18 and 19 ÄAppO provided the country is still considered to be in the throes of a national epidemic as determined by the German government. Written notification of this must be submitted to the Examinations Office in good time before the examination.

At present, all examinations for State Examinations are expected to go ahead as planned.

Please note the following information in relation to the e-mail from the Executive Board on January 12, 2021:  

The Coronavirus Regulations published by FAU concerning Deviations from Degree Program and Examination Regulations and the Doctoral Degree and Habilitation Regulations only apply to university examinations, they do not apply to examinations for State Examinations. The results of the examinations for the State Examinations are assessed in accordance with the valid Licensing Regulations for Physicians (Approbationsordnung), any failed examinations will not be nullified. You can only withdraw from the examination after receiving the invitation for an important reason. If you fail to attend an examination, you must inform the Examinations Office immediately of an important reason (for example by submitting a doctor’s certificate), otherwise you will be considered to have failed the examination. As a rule, fear of running the risk of infection is considered an important reason for withdrawing from an examination, provided the country is still considered to be in the throes of a national epidemic as determined by the German government. Written notification of this must be submitted to the Examinations Office in good time before the examination.

Please note the information on the website of the Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy.

With respect to the seminar papers which law students have to submit as part of their degree: all students are allowed to choose whether to return the topic they have been given or to complete the paper within the set deadline.

For conducting the JUP (Mündliche Juristische Universitätsprüfung – university part of the oral State Examination in Law), the chairperson of the Examinations Committee has announced that in accordance with Section 6 (6) of the Examination Regulations for JUP, candidates can no longer withdraw after they have been admitted to the oral examination. Failure to attend without a valid excuse will lead to the examination being recorded as ‘ungenügend’ (0 points), see Section 5 (1)(5) JAPO (examination regulations). Candidates can withdraw from the oral examination without any consequences before being admitted to the examination. Candidates who have registered for the JUP, but do not feel they are able to take the oral JUP examination, should withdraw from the examination before they receive notification of admission to the examination.

A minimum distance of 1.5 meters must be kept between each person present at the examination and the FAU hygiene guidelines must be observed. More detailed information about how the examination will be held will be announced before the examination.