The Academic Regulations for NTNU stipulates how many attempts you have for each exam/assessment.

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Norsk versjon: Antall forsøk på eksamen

Rule of three

Students at NTNU cannot sit for the exam in the same course more than three times. The Faculty itself may grant a fourth attempt. If you have special needs, the Faculty may grant a fifth and final attempt. This is regulated in the Academic Regulations, §5-4. The number of attempts applies to the person, not to the right of admission to study.

An attempt is counted when you

• have passed the examination
• have failed the examination, by receiving the grade F/(Fail)
• withdraw after the deadline for withdrawal has passed
• do not attend the examination
• do not submit an answer paper for an assessment or component of an assessment for a course
• have attended the examination, but choose to withdraw during the examination
• have your examination annulled because of cheating, an attempt to cheat, a false diploma or other academic misconduct; as stated in Uhl § 5-4(3) (in Norwegian)

It does not count as an exam attempt if you

• have withdrawn from the examination within the deadline. (You can withdraw from the exam no later than 14 days before the examination date. NOTE: Deadline for cancelling your registrations for re-sit exams in August is 20 July.)
• have approved absence from the exam

The rule of three does not apply to the master's thesis nor to practice.

If the master's thesis is not passed, the student has one more attempt. If the master's thesis has been passed, there is no opportunity to have a new master's thesis assessed in the same study programme.

If a student does not pass the practice, the student may have access to a second period of practice. The course description may stipulate that the student may apply for a third attempt.

Common guidelines for a fourth and fifth exam attempt (in Norwegian only) have been drawn up, and adopted 18 June, 2018.

A fourth exam attempt

A fourth exam attempt is generally granted for an ordinary exam/assessment. Under special circumstances, a fourth attempt may be granted for a re-sit exam, if a re-sit exam is scheduled.

Formal requirements to the application:

• The application must be submitted within the normal deadline for exam registration - 1st of September for the fall semester, and 1st of February for the spring semester.

Applications for a fourth exam attempt is normally granted, but may be rejected if:

• The course isn't part of your education plan.
• You have four failed exam attempts in other courses in your education plan, which should be passed first. If your application is rejected on this basis, you can re-apply later.

A fifth exam attempt

A successful application for a fifth exam attempt means a final opportunity to pass a course. A fifth exam attempt is generally granted for an ordinary exam/assessment. Under special circumstances, a fifth attempt may be granted for a re-sit exam, if a re-sit exam is scheduled.

Formal requirements to the application:

• You must make sure that the application is submitted within the deadline, i.e. the normal deadline for exam registration.
• You must document any special needs, cf. the criteria for a fifth and final exam attempt.
• You must have attended study councelling regarding your academic progression. You are responsible for scheduling this councelling. The application will not be considered until this is documented.
• The course must be a part of your study plan.

The application may be rejected if these requirements aren't met.

There is a requirement in the Academic Regulations for NTNU, § 5-4 (3), that you must have special needs for such an application to be granted. An application for a fifth exam attempt may be granted if one or more of the following criteria are met:

• This is the only course remaining before finishing a degree/study programme.
• The course/part of a course is a prerequisite for further academic progress in your study programme.
• You can document that due to social or medical causes, you were not able to perform to your highest standard on one of the previous four exam attempts.
• The course is to be discontinued.

Be aware that if the course is a prerequisite for further academic progress, you must expect delayed progression in your studies.

Apply for a fourth and fifth attempt

Use the general form and send the request to the Faculty you belong to. The form is only in Norwegian.

Request for an fourth or fifth attempt