Examination and Grading System

Rules for examination halls

Read more about examination in examination halls.

Identification

In order to be allowed to write the examination, you must identify yourself. 

Valid ID document for student identification in connection with examination is physical ID document with photo. In connection with the ID check, the student must show his/her face.

Examples of valid ID documents are 

• Swedish national ID card
• Swedish driver's license
• Swedish SIS-marked ID card
• Swedish service card issued by a government authority
• passport

Digital ID document, e.g. via Bank-ID is not a valid ID for student identification in connection with examinations at KI.

Marking

Exam papers are marked as soon as possible after submission. Only in exceptional cases may the marking process take longer than ten working days. The result will then be registered in Ladok within five working days.

Reconsideration and correction of grades

Reconsideration

You may not appeal an awarded grade, but you may request to have it reviewed.

If an examiner finds that a decision on a grade is obviously incorrect owing to new circumstances or for some other reason, he or she is to change the decision if this can be done quickly and easily and if it does not mean lowering the grade. (Higher Education Ordinance Chapter 6 Section 24).

There is no time limit for requesting a grade review. However, the longer you wait, the harder it is to review the grade, since (for instance) the assignment might no longer remain in the files. A review should therefore be requested, if necessary, as soon after the decision as possible. If you receive at least a Pass grade, you may not have it downgraded to a Fail at your own request.

Correction

A decision that contains a manifest error in writing, calculation or any other similar oversight by the authority or someone else may be corrected by the authority, which made the decision (Administrative Procedure Act, Section 36).

You can read more about reconsideration and amendment of decisions on the KI webb: Reconsiderations.

"Plussing"

A resit in order to raise a passing grade ("plussing") is not permitted.

Resits

The number of resits to be held during a term is given in the timetable. Normally the dates of ordinary examination and resit (-s) should be announced at the beginning of the course. The time of resit shall, at the latest, be announced in connection with the ordinary examination. The timespan between the announcement of exam results and the resit should be between two and six weeks (during the semester).

Limits on the number of examination sessions

If limiting the number of examination sessions is justified, the limitation shall be specified in the course syllabus.

Students shall be entitled to at least six examination sessions for each individual examination necessary for a passing grade in a course. This does not apply if a course is no longer offered or if it has undergone major changes, see Section 2.9. For examination of on-site training and other practical course components examined through continuous examination, students shall be entitled to at least two examination sessions.

A student who risks failing within the maximum number of examination sessions as specified in the course syllabus should be offered support measures in order to avoid students being unable to complete their education.

The examiner decides on additional examination sessions. Information on application.

Re-taking a course

Re-taking a course can be difficult as there can be no assurance of there being a place available for you on the course or, in the case of single-subject course, when or if ithe course will be held again.

Resitting an exam for a course that has expired or changed

Three additional exams should be given for courses were the syllabuses have expired or that have undergone significant revision, or for courses with a radically revised reading list, on the former content and literature over a period of at least one year from when such change occurs.

Examiners

The examiner is the teacher who sets the grade.

Examiners are appointed by the head of department. The right to compose or mark exams or to orally examine students can be delegated to another teacher/other teachers, but it is the examiner who, apart from setting the grade, is responsible for ensuring that the exam is reasonably worded and that its marking/assessment is consistent.

An examiner in a position of bias towards a student may not mark and grade this students examination papers. Bias includes kinship, friendship/enmity, or having a personal interest in the results of the grading decision.

Replacing an examiner

The Higher Education Ordinance entitles you to request to have another examiner appointed if you have taken and failed two examinations for a course or part of a course, unless there are special reasons to the contrary. At KI, this also applies if you have taken an on-site course/module without obtaining at least a Pass grade.

If special reasons speak against changing the examiner, a written justification, in which the reasons are presented, must be submitted together with the decision on refusal.

If you want to change the examiner, you must contact the course supervisor or examiner on the course. Contact information can be found in the course room in Canvas or on the course website.

Compulsory course components

The compulsory course components are given in the syllabus.

The syllabus also explains if and, if possible, how you can make up/re-take compulsory components that you have missed, and if these compulsory components must be completed before you can take a final exam for the course.

If you are an elected representative at KI, you are under obligation to attend the meetings convened by KI and must therefore be given the opportunity to compensate for any compulsory course components you might therefore miss. If you are a mentor on an induction programme, you may be absent from the course as much as is necessary and, again, you are entitled to compensate for any compulsory components you might therefore miss.

Examination papers

Written questions in exams and other assessments are covered by the principle of non-disclosure, which means that exam papers become public once distributed to the students sitting the exam.

You are entitled to ask for your original exam papers to be returned to you once they have been marked and graded. Papers not collected within two years after the date of grading are destroyed.

Grading system

Chapter 6 Section 18 of the Higher Education Ordinance (SFS 1993:100) states that a grade shall be awarded on completion of a course, unless otherwise provided by the higher education institution. The higher education institution may determine which grading system is to be used. The grade shall be determined by a teacher specifically nominated by the higher education institution (the examiner).

Grades awarded at KI for courses and study programmes 

KI applies the following grading scale:

• The fail/pass/pass with distinction scale is used as the principal option. However, a fail/pass or A-F (ECTS) scale may also be applied. All scales are goal-related.
• Incoming international exchange students can always, regardless of scale, request a grade on the ECTS scale.

The scale applied by a study programme is given in the programme and course syllabuses.

Grades awarded at KI for courses and programmes that commenced before 1 July 2007.

A two-grade scale is applied on courses within programmes leading to professional qualification: Fail and Pass.

A three-grade scale may be applied on single-subject courses and courses on study programmes leading to a general qualification: Fall, Pass and Pass with distinction.

The scale applied is given in the syllabus.

Incoming exchange students can always, regardless of scale, request a grade on the ECTS scale, which awards grades from A to E (pass range) and FX/F (fail range). The scale is goal-related in its application by KI.