Examinations
1. Evaluation forms
As also indicated by our survey, one in three students who begins the theology
programme in English is unfamiliar with oral exams. The same applies to another
form of evaluation commonly used by the faculty, that of individually written
work. If you are one of these students, be reassured. You are not alone. The
practical explanations below will hopefully help, reassure and reduce stress
experienced during exams.
The form the exam will take has been described in the syllabus for each subject.
Read this carefully. Usually, the professor will give some clarification about the
exam in the first and last classes of a course.
Make sure that you have your student card and your individual attendance sheet
with you. (During an exam, you submit this to the professor, who will sign it. In
this way you have evidence that you were present at the exam.)
Oral exam
When a student enters the room where the examination will happen, he or she
receives a piece of paper with the exam questions (usually two or three) from
the professor. The student then receives twenty minutes to prepare the oral
examination in writing (always take a pen with you; paper will be provided)
You do not have to write your answers exhaustively. It is best to think first how
you will structure your answers, and then to put this schematically on paper. You
could also add certain key words or names to aid your memory.
After your preparation time you present your answers to the professor. Your
sheet of preparation may be in front of you. The professor can ask additional
questions. Sometimes this is done when a student has answered wrongly, to help
the student towards the correct answer. Sometimes this is done to examine a
student in a more in-depth way.
The professor indicates that an exam is finished by saying something like: ‘Okay.
That suffices. You may go.’ This announcement is not a judgement. A professor
never says whether a student has passed or not. Oral examinations last about 15
minutes. Normally you do not have to hand in your preparation. Some professors
ask you to do this as an aid to their memory when they need to recall your exam
later on. Marking, however, happens on the basis of your oral answers, not your
written preparation.
Many students are unfamiliar with oral exams. You should however not fear
them. Bachelor students are offered the chance to practice oral examinations
through trial exams. On a voluntary basis they can take two trial exams in
November or December. This trial exam does not count towards the proper
exam. Immediately after the trial exam the professor gives some feedback: i.e.
what mark the student would get, what went well, what needs attention, etc. Do
take the opportunity to practice oral examination in this way!
Written exam
Written exams are organised for courses of large groups of students or when a
professor cannot be present. The time allotted to an exam can be found on the
exam schedule. It is generally between 2 to 4 hours. Always take a pen with you
(maybe also a correction marker). Paper will be given to you in the examination
room.
Remember that the professor can only evaluate what you write. It is therefore
important that your answer is as exhaustive as possible. Make sure that your
answer is clearly structured (you can underline key words, indicate summaries
with numbers or bullets, etc.…). Also pay attention to your handwriting and avoid
crossing out. You can first write a draft, but don’t make that exhaustive. Keep an
eye on the time: you will not be given more than what was announced.
Sometimes a written examination will be ‘multiple choice’. This way of
examination is rather exceptional at our faculty.
Closed Book Exam
This way of examination is most frequently done, both in terms of oral and
written exams. It simply means that you do not bring any course material with
you into the examination room (course book, reader, personal notes,…).
Open Book Exam
Here, students can bring their personal study material (annotated course book,
personal notes, reader,…) to the examination and are allowed to consult these
during the exam. This form of examination is usually used in courses where
ready knowledge of facts is not as important as having the ability to make
connections between the various parts of the course is. Remember this in the
preparation for the exam.
Open book exams are usually organised for specialised courses or for courses
with a reader.
Paper
For some courses evaluation happens on the basis of a written paper. You will
receive the task to write a paper about a certain topic related to the subject of
the course. The intention is to reflect personally on the material of the course
and to apply your insights to a specific topic. This paper also has to fulfil the
technical requirements of the faculty in terms of bibliography and referencing.
Different from the writing of a thesis, for an exam paper no individual guidance is
given. The lectures provide the framework.
Sometimes the evaluation of your paper itself suffices as requirement for the
exam. Most of the time, however, an oral discussion is also organised. Here the
professor will ask additional questions about your paper. You are then given the
opportunity to clarify and defend. The time and place of this discussion will be
indicated on the exam schedule. In some case the paper is only a part of the
general evaluation. Here, a classical (oral or written) exam will also be taken.
Pass or Fail
In this form of evaluation no mark is given if you fulfilled the requirements and
the goals of the course (presence in classes, fulfilling of given tasks). This form
of evaluation only exists for the Thesis Writing Seminar.
2. Examination regulations
You can find the general examination regulations and that of the faculty at
http://theo.kuleuven.be/page/education/
2.1. Basic principles and their practical implications
You are automatically enrolled for all exam periods. One thing needs to be
clarified. The faculty allows students in the English programmes who failed
exams in January to re-take these in June. If you wish to make use of this
possibility, you need to enrol separately for these exams (the reason is clear:
normally these exams can only be retaken in the August-September exam
period)
If you are not participating in one or more exams, you need to report this before
the exam period at the secretariat (Rita Dehaes) and at the start of the exam
period to the ombudsperson.
You are obliged to take the exams in January for all the courses programmed in
the first semester, and in June for those programmed in the second semester. If
you do not participate in one or more of these exams, you loose your first
session for this exam. Any future attempt will be considered a re-take.
There is, however, one exception. If you cannot take part in the January exams
for a serious reason (illness, death of a close family member,…) you can ask
permission to take these exams in June. In this case, you do not loose your first
attempt at passing. If necessary, you can re-take the exam in September. The
application to receive permission to do so has to be handed in before 1st March.
The procedure is that you contact the ombudsperson as quickly as possible. He
will then consider whether there is sufficient reason to grant you the permission
you need. If he thinks you have sufficient reason, he will arrange the application
for you.
You can never take an exam more than twice for the same course within the
same academic year.
You cannot retake an exam for which you received a mark of 10 or more, or
when you have been deliberated for this exam.
Every exam for which you did not receive a mark of 10 or more, has to be retaken (1) when the decision of the exam commission is that you ‘did not pass’ or
(2) if not all the parts of a programme have been successfully completed.
example, if you took all the exams in June, but will hand in your thesis in
August/September exam period, the part called ‘thesis’ will have a
examination’ label attached to it; in this case, all exams where your did
receive a mark higher than 9, have to be retaken.
For
the
‘no
not
2.2. Most important articles of the examination regulations
The subject of these articles are mentioned in the first column.
Three
examination
periods
Deliberations
after 2nd and
3rd period
Examination
rooms
Public nature of
examinations
Examination
schedule
Conditions and
limitations to
5: There are three examination periods in each academic
year:
- the first examination period is organized at the end of the
first semester [January];
- the second period takes place at the end of the second
semester [June];
- the third examination period is organized after the summer
vacation [August/September].
5: The examination committees deliberate at the end of the
second and, possibly third examination periods.
For students taking a course in which they have obtained
results for all course units in the first examination period the
deliberation proceedings shall take place in that examination
period.
10: All examinations must be taken in a room located on the
university campus.
11: Any student who wishes to do so may invite an observer
to attend the oral examination. The observer may not be a
student in the same year of study or a student who will be
examined by the examiner involved in that same academic
year, nor can it be a relative until the fourth degree. The
student is required to notify the chairperson of the
examination committee at least seven days beforehand, as
well as the examination ombudsperson, who shall inform the
examiner involved in due course. The observer may only take
written notes.
In consultation with the body designated by the faculty, the
examiner may request a member of the teaching staff to sit
in on an examination.
12: The full and detailed examination schedule shall be made
public in a way determined by each faculty at least five
weeks prior to the start of the first and second examination
periods, and two weeks before the commencement of the
third examination period.
Examinations can only be moved for a very serious
reason; this is done at the sole discretion of the examination
ombudsperson, who will then make new arrangements.
13: Only students who have paid the tuition fees due or
made arrangements in this regard with the university's social
take part in the
examinations
Resitting
examinations
Deferring
examinations
until the 2nd
examination
period
Catching up on
examinations of
the 1st
examination
period
Cessation of the
examinations
Deadline for
submission
Examination
form and
duration
assessment
service shall be allowed to take part in examinations. If this
condition is not met, enrolment shall be suspended.
14: In any given academic year, a student may only twice
sit an examination for the same course unit or part thereof
Students must be able to prove their identity at the exam.
Any student can, upon request, receive official proof of
participation in the exam.
15: For course units for which an exam is organized in the
course of the first examination period, students can, at the
earliest, retake the examination in the third examination
period.
The governing body of the faculty may grant students the
right to resit examinations in the second examination period
for specific course units on which they have already been
examined in the first examination period [The faculty granted
this right to all international students. Students who wish
to retake an exam in June have to inform the
secretariat before March 28th].
16: A student who, taking into account the programming of
course units, has a programme of study which falls into the
first semester for more than 36 study points, is not obliged
to take exams on more than 36 study points in the first
examination period. The student may take an exam on the
remaining course units in the second examination period.
17: Students who for serious reasons are unable to take
part in the first examination period may already during
the first period, or subsequently, albeit no later than 1 March,
request to sit the examinations involved in the second
examination period. Following recommendation from the
examination ombudsperson, the faculty may decide to grant
this request, after which it sets forth the form of the
examination in consultation with the examiner.
18: A student enrolled in a given examination period who
does not take part in an examination must immediately
notify the examination ombudsperson of this. The
examination ombudsperson shall inform the examiners
involved as soon as possible.
26: If a particular deadline has been set for the submission of
coursework and a student is unable for valid reasons to
comply with it, the latter should before the deadline is
reached contact the lecturer, who may then decide to set a
new deadline.
27: If an examination is oral or partly oral, students shall be
entitled to a written preparation time of no less than
twenty minutes.
For physical or psychological reasons, students may, provided
a request is submitted prior to the start of the examination
period, be granted permission from the chairperson of the
examination committee to take the examination in a way
that differs from that which has been set forth.
28: At the end of the examination the examiner shall not
communicate the result to the student.
secrecy
Criteria for
passing course
units
Criteria for
succeeding in a
year of study
Criteria for
succeeding a
programme not
divided into
programme
years (e.g. our
Abridged
Bachelor)
31: The members of the examination committee and any
other persons that attend the meeting are bound to secrecy
regarding the deliberation proceedings and voting.
34: A student shall be deemed to have succeeded in a course
unit if at least 10 out of 20 points or a 'pass' assessment
have been awarded.
In both cases a credit certificate shall be delivered to the
student, unless the enrolment fee was not paid on time or
fraud has been established.
36: A student shall be deemed to have passed a particular
year of study when one of the following two conditions has
been met:
a) s/he has passed all course units of the year of study
(10/20 or 'pass');
b) s/he obtained at least 54% of the marks (following
application of any weighting coefficients) for all the course
units of the year of study in question, and only obtained one
of the following insufficient marks :
1° once 7/20;
2° once 8/20 and once 9/20;
3° once 8/20;
4° twice 9/20;
5° once 9/20.
37: Students shall be deemed to have passed a Bachelor's
programme that is not divided into years of study if,
- when the concomitant study programme contained less than
54 credits,
a) they have passed for all course units (10/20 or "pass")
b) they have obtained at least 54% and - when their
programme contained less than 40 credits - they obtained at
most once an insufficient mark of 8/20 or twice 9/20, or when their programme contained at least 20 and at most 40
credits - with an insufficient mark of at most once 9/20;
- when the concomitant study programme contained between
54 and 66 credits,
a) they have passed all course units (10/20 or "pass");
b) they have obtained at least 54% for all the course units of
the year (following application of any weighting coefficients)
and have obtained one of the following insufficient marks :
1° once 7/20;
2° once 8/20 and once 9/20;
3° once 8/20;
4° twice 9/20;
5° once 9/20.
- when the concomitant study programme contained more
than 66 credits,
1° and the faculty decides that there is only one decision
regarding the succeeding for the programme as a whole:
Levels of
achievement
Irregularities
and sanctions
a) they have passed all course units (10/20 or "pass")
b) they have obtained at least 54% for all the course units of
the year (following application of any weighting coefficients)
and have obtained one of the following insufficient marks :
1° once 7/20;
2° once 8/20 and once 9/20;
3° once 8/20;
4° twice 9/20;
5° once 9/20;
6° three times 9/20.
2° and the faculty decides that there is a decision concerning
the succeeding for each yearly programme :
a) they have passed for all course units of the yearly
programme (10/20 or "pass")
b) they have met in the context of the yearly programme the
criteria set forth in the previous paragraphs for programmes
of less than 54 or between 54 and 66 credits.
A student obtaining the degree of Bachelor or Master or the
academic teacher training programme shall be the awarded
with the following levels of achievement:
- passed (cum fructu), if less than 68% of the marks have
been obtained;
- distinction (cum laude), on condition that 68% of the
marks have been obtained;
- great distinction (magna cum laude), on condition that
77% of the marks have been obtained;
- greatest distinction (summa cum laude), on condition that
85% of the marks have been obtained;
- greatest distinction (summa cum laude) with the
congratulations of examination committee , on condition
that 90% of the marks have been obtained.
No level of achievement (grade) shall be awarded to students
whose actual programme of study, following reduction
because of exemptions, amounts to less than 30 study points.
41: (irregularities) This involves any conduct on the part of a
student during an examination in an attempt to make it
impossible to arrive at an accurate assessment of his/her own
knowledge and skills or those of other students. It also covers
the action of copying, without adequate acknowledgement,
the work of others in written assignments such as Master's
tests or projects, i.e. 'plagiarism'.
The examiner shall notify the chairperson of the examination
committee as soon as possible of any irregularity that has
occurred in an assessment or examination and which may
influence the examination committee's final decision. Pending
the verdict of the examination committee, the student in
question may continue his/her assessment and
examination diet. This includes the examination at which
the irregular conduct was established, albeit after the
impounding of any incriminating evidence and that part of the
examination already completed.
The chairperson may, following consultation with the
examination ombudsperson, decide to convene the
examination committee ahead of the date fixed.
The chairperson of the examination committee shall hear the
student prior to any decision regarding irregular conduct.
The student may request the ombudsperson to be present.
Furthermore, the examination committee shall hear the
student if the latter requests it.
Announcement
and discussion
of examination
results
42: On the grounds of irregular conduct (cheating) at an
examination, the examination committee may during the
deliberation proceedings or at an earlier meeting decide that
the student:
1° shall not be awarded a mark for the examination in
question;
2° shall not be awarded marks for any of the examinations in
the examination period during which the cheating took place;
3° shall be excluded; this sanction can only be imposed on
the grounds of gross irregularities, with the seriousness of the
irregularity being judged by the examination committee. The
student can, at the earliest, enrol for examinations of the first
examination period of the next academic year and loses all
marks obtained in the examination period during which the
cheating took place.
43: The examination marks obtained during the first
examination period are communicated to the student [1st Bastudents receive it from the Study Advisor; all other students
from the secretariat staff]
45: Following the deliberations of the meeting of examiners,
the chairperson of the examination committee shall publicly
announce the decision taken on each student by the
examination committee.
The relevant administrative department shall notify the
student in writing of the final results no later than two weeks
following the official announcement.
Discussion of
the results and
right of access
44: Students have five calendar days within which to
appeal, starting from the day on which the general
examination results are made public.
46: Before each examination period examiners shall notify
the administrative department of their faculty where and
when they will be available to discuss results during the first
five working days following the announcement of the results,
subject to the right to access. The arrangement regarding the
discussion of the results shall be notified to students no later
than one week prior the end of the examination period.
Examiners shall allow students who request it access to
their examination scripts, as annotated by the
examiner. The request must be submitted no later than five
days after the formal announcement of the results. After the
results of the second and third examination periods.
Resits and
validity of credit
certificates
Allowance to
spread
examinations
Valuation of
early
examinations
Examination
ombudsperson
Internal appeal
Student may be assisted by anyone of their choice to the
extent that the latter is not a student from the same year of
programme study or a student who has to be examined in
that same academic year by the examiner involved. No copy
shall be given of the script.
48: Credit certificates are final. A student having obtained
a credit certificate for a course unit can not have a resit for
that course unit.
Students who have not passed and students for whom the
decision has been referred must resit the examinations for
the course units for which no credit certificate has been
obtained. For students which have been granted the right to
combine two years of a programme of study, the results of
the second year of study are carried over to a following
examination period in the same academic year.
49: In exceptional individual circumstances students may be
allowed to spread examinations between the ordinary
examination periods while remaining within the model
itinerary. This provision applies, for instance, to students with
a serious disability, on medical grounds, high-level athletes or
artists, and students in full-time employment or combining
two full time study programmes.
50: Students who take all of examinations of a higher year of
study can only be brought before the meeting of examiners of
the higher year of study once they have succeeded in the
previous year.
54: The examination ombudsperson is a person of trust
mediating between examiners and students.
55: When necessary, the examination ombudsperson shall
mediate in the matter of examination date, place, form and
conditions, without prejudice to the specific powers
embedded in other articles.
61: Any student who feels that their rights have been violated
may lodge an internal appeal. Students may informally
address the chairperson of the examination committee.
However, if they wish to submit a formal complaint, they
must do so to the Vice-President for Student Affairs within
the period indicated in the next paragraph. This document
must at least include a description of the facts related to the
complaint.
The appeal to the Vice-President for Student Affairs must be
instituted within a period of five calendar days on the day
following:
- the announcement of the overall results of the first
examination period;
- the announcement of the overall results of the second or
third examination periods.
The internal appeal procedure gives rise to:
a) a well-founded rejection of the appeal on the grounds
that it is inadmissible or unfounded. This decision shall be
communicated to the student in writing within a period of
fifteen calendar days following the day on which the internal
appeal has been brought;
b) a new decision by the examination committee or the
body that took the original decision against which the student
has lodged an appeal. The new decision must be taken within
a period of fifteen calendar days, starting from the day on
which the internal appeal has been brought and shall also be
communicated to the student within the same period.
3.Examresults
3.1. When and how?
For as long as you did not finish a programme or were not proclaimed as having
passed, you will receive your exam results electronically and in print. In
principle, you could receive this three times a year: after the January exam
period, after the June period, and, in case ypou did not complete your
programme or have to re-take some subjects, after the August/September exam
period.
The results of the January exams will be available electronically on Toledo and by
means of KULoket. The availability will be communicated to you through
webmail. As a rule, the results will be available during the first week of the
second semester (beginning of February).
The collection of the results of the June and the August/September exams
happens in the following way:
- Immediately after the deliberations a list of names of those students who
passed is posted on the ad valvas board in room MTC 00.13 and on Toledo
/ ad valvas / examinations.
- Students who passed will receive their exact results during the reception
traditionally held after proclamation.
- Students who did not find their name on the list are those who have not
been able to pass all subjects and could not be deliberated, or those who
have not yet taken all the required exams to finish one programme. These
students can collect their results from the ombudsperson between
deliberation and proclamation, just a few hours after deliberation. The
precise time will be given through Toledo / ad valvas and/or by personal email.
-
All students will be able to consult their results electronically the day after
the proclamation. No report sheet will be sent to their home address by
post.
3.2. How to read/interpret results?
You will receive a separate report sheet for each programme in which you are
enrolled. The year of the programme can be found on top of the sheet. For
example, someone who is enrolled in the Master in Theology and Religious
Studies and who also takes courses of the Master in Advanced Studies of
Theology and Religion in advance, will receive two report sheets.
Underneath your examination number you will find the list of courses for which
you were enrolled. After every subject the result can be found: a mark out of 20,
or the letters NA. These letters indicate that the exam has not yet been taken.
On the report sheet in January, next to those subjects taught in the second
semester, the letters NA2 are indicated. This simply means that the exam cannot
yet have been taking, as it is only possible in June.
At the bottom of the sheet, you can find your overall percentage. If this is low,
do not let this worry you. It may be related to exams you have not yet taken, or
a thesis not yet handed in. The percentage is determined on the basis of the
whole programme, not on the exams you just took.
Your marks are scores out of 20.
18 or more: Excellent
16 and 17: Very good
14 and 15: Good
12 and 13: Adequate
10 and 11: Sufficient
9 or less: Insufficient
When you obtain 10 or more for a course, you receive a credit (indicated by ‘c’
on the report sheet)
3.3. Feedback with regard to the examinations
Once the students have received their results (in fact: in February, July and
September), they will be given the opportunity to discuss their examinations with
the respective professors in order to receive feedback, advice and/or study
orientation. A list of the contact moments for each of the professors will be
provided on Toledo / ad valvas / examinations. We strongly recommend
students, especially students who failed, to take advantage of this opportunity.
3.4. Problems?
Normally, the report sheet is correct. Yet it is important to check that the list of
courses is right: are all courses you took on your ISP indicated? Are there too
many? Also check whether a mark has been given for all the exams you took. If
you discover irregularities or things that you perceive to be wrong, please
contact Mrs Rita Dehaes.
4. Ombuds Service
An ombuds service is always provided during the examination session between
10:00 am - 12:00 noon and 2:00 - 4:00 pm, Mondays to Fridays. Students are
requested to restrict themselves to these office hours.
4.1. How to Contact the Ombuds
The ombuds service can be reached in a number of ways:
 personal visit during office hours (the ombuds office is located in the hall
adjoining the faculty and Theology library; at the base of the wooden staircase
leading up to the library you will see a waiting room beyond which is a sliding
door; the ombuds office is behind this door on the right);
 telephone (016 32 38 01); Outside office hours telephone calls will
automatically be transferred to the ombuds mobile phone. This option should
only be used in case of emergency.
 email ([email protected]). Email is the best way of contacting the
service in the first instance outside office hours.
4.2. Why Contact the Ombuds?
According to the university authorities, the ombuds service is intended to be a
first line of reception for students who find themselves confronted with a variety
of study related, personal or exam related problems, including potential conflicts
with individual professors. The ombuds will endeavour to put the problem into
the proper perspective and decide whether it is necessary to arbitrate within the
faculty or to refer the student to more specialised central university services.
Questions related to the exam regulations and, for example, the transfer of
examination results or withdrawal from an examination session is among those
which must be discussed with the ombuds service. In his/her efforts to do what
is best for the student, the ombuds may be obliged in certain circumstances to
refer the student to other university services. The ombuds service and the
individuals who serve it do not always have the answer to a student’s problem.
Being ultimately responsible for the search for a reasonable solution to the
problems confronting students, the ombuds will endeavour to represent the
student and his/her concerns independently.
Given that the examination time-table is ultimately a sort of contract between
the students and the professors, it is very important that it be respected.
Deviations from the time-table can only be permitted by the ombuds who will
determine whether the reasons given are sufficient and serious enough. Each
case will be discussed individually. Students are not permitted to make personal
examination arrangements with individual professors.
Serious reasons for permitting deviation from the examination time-table
include: illness (with doctor’s certification), family bereavement, insufficient time
between exams (±24 hours). The final decision in this regard lies with the
ombuds service. For a reasonable solution to the problems confronting students,
the ombuds will endeavour to represent the student and his/her concerns
independently.
Ombuds persons are:
Dr.
Annekatrien
Depoorter Dr.
Luc
De
Saeger
For all items related to exams with a focus on international students, see also:
http://www.kuleuven.be/vesta/Intercultural/exams.htm