Part 3: Examination Absence and Deferred Examination Policy

Article 1

These regulations are an interpretation of the special provisions provided in Article 75 of the Ghent University education and examination code.

Article 2

Students who, for valid reasons, cannot participate in an exam on the day provided in the exam calendar as is established in Article 75 of the Education and examination code, have the right, under the conditions of these regulations, to participate in a deferred examination session within the same exam period.

List of valid reasons:

• An illness or injury which prevents the student from sitting the exam.
• The death of a student’s relative by blood or by marriage in the first degree during the examination period (parents and children) or in the second degree (grandparents, grandchildren and siblings), or someone living with the student.
• Legal grounds (for example, a notice or summons to appear in court).
• Other instances of force majeure (an event that is entirely beyond the student’s control, and cannot be foreseen, prevented or overcome).

Without prejudice to article 3 § 1 al 3, such reasons may be proven by any legal means. The examination secretariat (if necessary, in consultation with the examiner) shall assess the deferred exam session request.

Article 3

Students who, for valid reasons, cannot participate in the exam, and wish to participate in the deferred examination, have to inform the permanent exam secretariat of their absence via the web application as fast as possible under penalty of forfeiture and upload the original supporting documents in the web application within three working days. The Permanent Examination Office notifies the relevant lecturer that the original supporting documents have been submitted. In case of illness or accident, a medical certificate is required from a doctor who declares that they have effectively examined the student at the latest on the day of the missed exam and have determined the illness or the consequences of the accident themselves. A certificate containing only the student's statement (“dixit certificate”) or a certificate issued after the day of the missed exam (“post factum certificate”) shall not be accepted.

Article 4

Exceptionally, a different form of evaluation may be used for the deferred examination. This will be communicated to the student and the exam secretariat in good time prior to the deferred examination. If students do not agree with the adjusted assessment method, they renounce the right to participate in the deferred examination.

Article 5

After the student has contacted the exam secretariat, the day of the deferred examination within the same examination period will be determined by the exam secretariat. The deferred examination may never coincide with another exam that has been scheduled in accordance with the examination regulations governing the student’s standard study track. The student informs the examiner and the scheduler (examenroosters.psw@ugent.be) whether he or she will participate in this deferred examination. An examiner cannot be forced to organise more than one deferred examination within the same examination period. The deferred examination date will be available in the student's calendar after they have confirmed the date with the scheduler.