General Rules of Study and Examinations
General Rules on Study and Examinations
Article 1. Registration Rules
1.1 Withdrawal from Examinations and Registration for Repeat Examinations and Examinations Due to Illness
Students are responsible for registering for courses before the deadlines announced in the University's Academic Calendar. Students should thoroughly familiarise themselves with all dates in RU's Academic Calendar (see www.ru.is), since course registration is also registration for course examinations. Students may change their registration for courses during the first two weeks of the semester. Course registration changes can be made by e-mail to Academic Teaching (nemendabokhald@ru.is) or by filling in a form at the University's office.
Students failing to appear for examinations who have not given a legitimate notice of their absence receive a grade of 0 for the course (failed for not attending an examination).
Those who are ill on the date of a final examination can apply for an examination due to illness (for details see Examination Rules). Registration for repeat examinations and examinations due to illness is done after examination results have been posted. The relevant dates are published in the Academic Calendar. If a student chooses to withdraw from an examination due to illness or a repeat examination, he or she shall send notification by e-mail to nemendabokhald@ru.is no later than prior to the start of the examination. The fee for repeat examinations is published under University Fees on the RU website at www.hr.is. The fee for a repeat examination is non-refundable.
1.2. Rules on Student Transfers between Departments
A student wishing to transfer to another department within the same RU School must submit a written application to that effect to the relevant school. Such transfers to another department can only be made between semesters.
A student wishing to transfer to another RU School must submit a new application to the school in question. Having been a student in one school does not guarantee admission to another one.
1.3 Maximum Number of Credits
A student can register for a maximum of 36 ECTS (see, however, special rules in the School of Law and the Department of Preliminary Studies). A student wishing to register for more than 36 ECTS must seek permission from the relevant school and have a grade average higher than 7.5.
1.4 Rules on Attendance
Students are responsible for familiarising themselves with special rules on compulsory attendance applying in their departments.
1.5 Exams Taken
Students are allowed to attend each course twice and take its examinations both times. Attending a course means that a student has been registered in a course after the deadline for withdrawal has passed.
Article 2. Rules on Examinations and Grades
2.1 Examination Procedures
Written and oral final examinations are held at the end of each semester's courses. The examination schedule shall be available six weeks before the first final examination is held. The Directorate of Examinations reserves the right to change the examination schedule within 7 weekdays of its publication. When examinations in individual courses are held outside the regular examination period, the rules on examination procedure shall be followed insofar as possible. In such cases, responsibility for upholding the proper examination procedure rests with the teacher(s) and department concerned, in consultation with the Director of Examinations.
2.2 Release of Grades
Grades for final examinations (oral and written) at the end of a course shall be posted no later than seven working days from the examination date. Grades for examinations due to illness and repeat examinations shall be posted no later than five working days from the examination date. Grades for final essays (at the Bachelor's and Master's levels) shall be available no later than 7 weekdays before the graduation date of the semester involved. Teachers grading large numbers of examinations may apply for an exemption from this rule. Academic Teaching gives notice of granting such a postponement on the course's website.
2.3. Director of Examinations and Directorate of Examinations
Directors of Examinations consult with the relevant School Deans and Department Heads for basic courses on the arrangement of examinations. The Directorate of Examinations consists of Directors of Examinations and the Director of Academic Teaching. Course teachers shall submit examinations to the Director of Examinations, with a standardised cover page and information on what supplementary materials/devices are to be allowed during examinations no later than two weekdays (48 hours) before the examination shall begin, and these shall be submitted in electronic format.
2.4 Examination Period
The time allowed for written final examinations shall never be less than two hours or longer than four hours. The School Dean, in consultation with the Director of Examinations, can nevertheless allow exceptions in particular courses. The teacher or teacher's stand-in must come at least once into examination rooms during the exam to answer questions regarding doubtful points or other aspects of the examination. A student taking more than one examination scheduled at the same time shall call this to the attention of the Director of Examinations so that arrangements can be made to take the exams one after the other.
2.5 Entry of Final Grades
Teachers enter final grades for their courses in the electronic learning system, where they are saved, and the course is closed. Academic Teaching releases student grades after teachers have closed their courses and confirmed submission to the Director of Examinations.
2.6. Release of grades
Academic Teaching reserves the right to postpone the release of grades until the last examination has been taken in a course of study/academic year/school.
Article 3. Special Rules on Examinations – Department of Preliminary Studies
3.1 Right to Take Examinations
The length of time for written final examinations shall generally not exceed three hours. Final course grades shall be posted no later than seven weekdays from the date of the examination. Final grades for the last final examinations of each examination period shall be posted before teachers conduct a formal review of examinations with students. Students have the right to see how their written examinations were marked and get their teacher's explanations at the school's formal review of the exam, which shall take place within three days of all grades being released, on a date published on the RU website.
3.2 Grades in the Department of Preliminary Studies
a) The minimum passing grade for a course is 5.0. The final grade for each course is generally a weighted average of the grades for coursework and examinations. The proportion of the grade for coursework in each course is stated in its description.
b) Students wishing to make a third attempt at passing a course must attend the course concerned as instructed by the Head of the Department of Preliminary Studies.
c) Where coursework grades constitute part of the final grade, a student failing to submit assignments required in a course forfeits his/her right to take the final examination. Also, students in such cases are deemed to have used up one right to take examinations and are not entitled to take examinations that semester.
In other respects RU's General Rules on Study and Examinations apply.
Article 4. Course Assessment, Grading and Examinations
4.1 Composition of Grades
One final grade is given for each course in which a student is registered. The final grade is made up of grades for one or more of the following components:
• Performance on the final examination.
• Performance on term examinations.
• Performance in class participation.
• Projects and reports submitted during the course.
4.2 Minimum Grade
Grades are given in whole and half numbers on a scale of 0 to 10. A student with a final grade lower than 5.0 flunks and receives no credit for the course. To pass a course, a student must receive a grade of at least 5.0 on the final examination. If the weight of the final examination is less than 20% of the final grade, teachers may depart from the above provision. A school may decide a higher passing grade for individual courses (see the school's rules). A school may also decide to award grades of “passed” or “failed” instead of a numerical grade for individual courses.
4.3
The principal course teacher (or teachers) is responsible for writing all examinations and assignments presented in the course as well as the composition for the final grade. The weights of questions for written examinations shall be stated on the examination sheet. If the grade for a practical examination is to be made up of more than one part, the weight of each part shall be made clear to the students before the examination is taken. Successful performance on practical components of a course, class attendance and/or assignments may be made prerequisites for taking written examinations. When an examination consists of many parts, students can be required to get minimum passing grades on all the parts, provided this is announced at the start of the course.
4.4
Assessment of practical courses is at the discretion of the teacher. The weight of individual project parts in the final grade shall be announced at the beginning of practical courses on the course's website. In a practical course students may be required to complete certain project parts satisfactorily to receive credit for the course. Such conditions must be announced at the beginning of the course.
4.5 Rules on Examinations and Project Work
Teachers explain the structure and weight of individual components of examinations and projects. Teachers also detail what support matrials/devices students may use during exams.
Students must work out answers to term and final examinations alone. Students may neither provide to nor accept help from others, and all copying is forbidden.
Students must work alone on individual projects unless the teacher has announced work rules stating otherwise. When students work on group projects, the solution shall be the group's independent contribution. The contributions of individual group members shall be comparable. The entire group is responsible for the overall project. All copying is forbidden. See RU's rules on project work, “Your work – your contribution", in the document accompanying the Rules on Study and Examinations.
Penalties for violating these rules fall under Article 7.3. Regarding the handling of such matters, see Chapter 7 of these rules.
4.6 Rules on Submitting Assignments
Course teachers set rules concerning submission deadlines for assignments, and students must submit their assignments before the deadline passes. Submission deadlines for assignments are generally not extended for a single student or a group of students. A teacher may however accept late assignments and deduct lateness penalties from the grades.
4.7 Rules on Oral Examinations
Students taking an oral examination are not permitted to discuss or in any other way exchange information on its content while the examination is in progress. If a student is caught engaging in such behaviour, the matter shall be referred to the Dean of the School for a ruling, cf. Article 7 of these Rules.
4.8 Rules on Taking Examinations on Computers
Students taking examinations on computers may only use the software/programs specified by the supervising professor/teacher. During an examination a student is absolutely forbidden to use a communications program or software/programs other than what has been specified. It is only permissible to save examination documents to the directory specified by the examination supervisor.
If someone taking an examination leaves the computer unattended during the examination, e.g., to go to the toilet, he or she must leave the computer so that examination answers are not visible to others on the screen.
People taking an examination are reminded to save their document regularly. If people use their own computers to take an examination, the examination supervisor or Director of Examinations reserves the right to examine the documents and programs/software in the computer used while taking the examinations. The examination supervisor also reserves the right to examine other software in the computer and its use. Examination takers taking examinations on computers are allowed into the examination room 15 minutes before the examination starts. Neither food nor drink is allowed while taking an examination.
Article 5. Repeated Examinations and Students' Right to Appeal
5.1
Students registered for but unable to attend an examination because of illness shall notify the Administration Office of their absence before the examination commences or while it is in progress. Absences from home examinations cannot be reported after they begin (applies to both mid-term and final home exams). Notices of absence from home exams must be made by email to nemendabokhald@ru.is and the teacher before the examination begins. A medical certificate must be submitted to the Administration Office within three working days of the examination date; otherwise, the student will be deemed to have taken the examination (the examination date is not counted as one of the three working days). The medical certificate shall be dated and signed by a doctor on the same date as the examination was given. The certificate shall also state the name of the course and/or examination for which the student gives notice of absence. The same applies if a student is unable to attend an examination because of his/her child's illness. Only medical certificates that are handed in during office hours within the above time limit will be considered valid. Certificates not correctly dated will be deemed invalid. Students submitting certificates for main examinations are automatically registered for an examination due to illness. They must notify the Administration Office before an examination due to illness is held if they elect not to take the examination due to illness. The same rules apply to notices and certificates of illness for term examinations and turning in assignments. The teacher is responsible for preparing and administering term examinations and assignments and shall give notice of the arrangements at the start of the course, including whether an examination due to illness/illness submission date is involved.
5.2
Repeat examinations in courses and examinations due to illness are usually held each semester after the final examination. Repeat examinations or examinations due to illness replace final examinations, but grades for assignments and term examinations or other types of course assessment remain unchanged. Only students showing up for final examinations or giving notice of illness (cf. Article 5.1 ) are eligible for repeat examinations or examinations due to illness. Students who are ill during a main examination and appear for an examination but do not get the minimum passing grade have no right to repeat the examination. Such students must therefore retake the course in order to qualify for a right to take the examination. A student who is ill during a final examination for a course and the examination due to illness must retake the course.
5.3
Students living outside the capital area can apply to the Director of Examinations for an examination due to illness or a repeat examination held at certain examination sites outside the capital area (Akureyri, Egilsstaðir, Ísafjörður, Höfn in Hornafjörður, Sauðárkrókur and Westmann Islands). Students registering for an examination due to illness or a repeat examination must send a request regarding an examination site to nemendabokhald@ru.is.
However, permission to take such examinations is subject to the permission of the Director of Examinations and teacher, who evaluate each individual instance.
5.4
Students are entitled to explanations from their teachers of their scoring of answers to examination questions if they request this within five days of the grades' posting. The teacher shall comply with such requests before the examination due to illness or repeat examination is held, or within 7 weekdays, whichever is earlier. A student who has failed a final examination and is dissatisfied with the teacher's evaluation may file a complaint with the Director of Examinations. Doing this is subject to the condition that the student has reviewed his answers with the teacher before submitting the complaint. The same applies to term examinations and the submission of assignments. The complaint shall be made in writing and lodged within three weekdays of the date of the formal review of an examination. If a student files a complaint on the teacher's evaluation, an external examiner shall be appointed. External examiners are appointed in consultation with the Dean of the School concerned.
5.5
If a student files a complaint on the evaluation of a written examination, an external examiner is appointed. The external examiner shall independently evaluate the student's examination answers. If the external examiner sees reason to review a grade, the external examiner is not bound by the original grade. If the external examiner and teacher disagree on the final grade, the external examiner's grade shall apply. A reviewed grade shall be posted within two weeks of the date the complaint was filed. An external examiner shall always be present at oral final examinations, and the teacher/teachers and the external examiner shall jointly determine the final grade, and the conclusion cannot be appealed. For final essays/theses graded by the external examiner and instructor, the outcome cannot be appealed.
5.6
After the deadline for students' complaints has passed, and an external examiner has completed a review of the examination answers, they shall be turned over to the Directorate of Examinations, to be kept in custody for one year. RU also keeps electronic copies of all final examinations, and copies of main examinations held during the regular examinations periods are available to students in the teaching system (the University reserves the right not to publish multiple-choice examinations).
5.7
Academic Teaching, in consultation with the teacher, can correct obvious errors in calculations or the recording of grades. This is appropriate, for example, when a final grade for the course has already been posted but does not correspond to the combined grades for all the course components or does not take into account that the student must get a minimum passing grade on the final examination in order to pass the course, pursuant to Article 4.2.
Article 6. Examination Procedure
6.1
Examination rooms are usually opened 10 minutes before an examination starts. Students coming more than one hour after the examination has begun will not be allowed to take the examination.
6.2
During an examination students shall make valid personal identification available to invigilators. A student failing to show such personal identification may be barred from taking the examination.
6.3
Invigilators indicate when students shall begin answering examination questions, and when the examination period is over. Students shall then hand in their examination answers.
6.4
In compound examinations students shall answer each part of the examination separately.
6.5
If it is necessary to present corrections or communicate information to students during an examination, this is done by writing the information on a blackboard or distributing photocopies of it to the students involved, in consultation with the Director of Examinations.
6.6
Examination answers may not be turned in until one hour has passed from the start of the examination period. At the end of the examination period, all examination answers must be handed in immediately. Students shall nevertheless be given time to put their exam answers in order and label them after the examination time has expired, but no changes or improvements may be made.
Invigilators shall stop students who continue answering examination questions after the examination period is over and inform the Director of Examinations, who will make a decision on further measures.
6.7
At the end of all written examinations, students are to turn in to the invigilators the exam questions, their answers to them and scratch sheets.
6.8
Students are forbidden to use supplementary materials/devices in an examination other than those specified on the cover page of the examination. This includes laptop computers, calculators and other devices. Students may not have overcoats, bags or other items not belonging with the permitted supplementary materials/devices at their desks in the examination room. Any disturbance in the examination room is prohibited.
6.9
Carrying and using mobile telephones during examinations is forbidden. Students carrying such devices are required to turn them off, put them into a bag or hand them over to the invigilators for safekeeping during the examination. All communication is forbidden during an examination, including communication with equipment that a teacher has authorised in accordance with Article 6.8.
6.10
If a student is caught cheating during an examination, the invigilators shall put a stop to the conduct and call the Director of Examinations, who shall decide on further measures. The Director of Examinations may expel a student from an examination. The relevant student's case is then referred to the School Dean, pursuant to Article 7 on Procedure and Appeals.
6.11
Students may only leave their examination desks before they have completed the examination to go to the toilet. This can only be done under the supervision of an escort.
6.12
Students must always turn in their answer sheets marked with either their names and National ID numbers or examination numbers.
6.13
Students completing their examinations before the end of the stipulated examination period shall leave the examination room and area without disturbing those who are still taking the exam.
6.14
Schools, after consulting with the Director of Examinations, can decide to use examination numbers.
6.15
If there are pressing circumstances, the Director of Examinations may permit a student applying to take an examination elsewhere than on RU's premises to take the examination at another university or educational institution, provided that the student has previously made such arrangements with the institution. Concerning examinations due to illness and repeat examinations, see Article 5.3.
6.16
A student wanting a special solution for examinations must submit an application to Reykjavik University's Special Solutions Committee. The members of the committee are representatives from Academic Teaching, the Law School, a doctor and a representative from Student Services, who sits on the committee as the students' representative.
Further information can be found at study and examination rules.
Article 7 Procedures and Appeals
7.1
All decisions concerning students' rights and obligations shall, as applicable, be based on the main rules of administrative law and good administrative practices.
7.2
Complaints on the grading of examinations may be lodged with the Directorate of Examinations, pursuant to the rules in Chapter 5 of the Rules on Study and Examinations. If a student thinks that other decisions relating to teaching and/or examinations violate his or her rights, a written reasoned request for review can be filed within 10 days of the decision involved. If a student is dissatisfied with the outcome of the review, he or she can refer the matter to the Director of Academic Teaching, who will state a reasoned position on the matter and refer it to the School Dean involved. The School Dean's decision in such matters is final.
7.3
Each School Dean decides penalties for breaches of the Rules on Study and Examinations. Such breaches are punishable by:
a) A grade of 0 for a course component and a reprimand.
b) A grade of 0 for the course and a reprimand.
c) Suspension from the relevant school with a possibility of re-enrolment, which would usually mean absence for one semester and a reprimand.
d) Dismissal from the school without any possibility of re-enrolment.
A student violating the Rules on Study and Examinations generally forfeits the right to elective vocational courses, exchange study programmes as well as opportunities to represent the University.
A School Dean, in exceptional instances, can decide to issue a reprimand to a student without further penalties. Nevertheless, a student cannot receive soley a reprimand for breaching the Rules on Study and Examinations more than once during the course of study.
Repeated violations of the Rules on Study and Examinations entail ever-severer penalties than were applied for the first violation. A repeat violation is generally subject to no lighter a penalty than suspension for one semester and a reprimand or dismissal from the University. Under special circumstances a matter involving a repeat violation may be concluded with a decision pursuant to subparagraph b. In determining a penalty, the importance of the project and seriousness of the breach shall be taken into consideration.
If information surfaces about a student having cheated on an examination or engaged in dishonest working methods when doing projects after a grade has been given for a course component, or the course/curriculum has been completed, the School Dean may invalidate a grade for a course component or course. A School Dean is also authorised to impose other penalties, as relevant. If a final project/thesis is involved, and a student has already graduated, the School Dean may request the rector to rescind the degree.
7.4
Students who have exhausted all available appeal remedies within the University can submit their cases to the Appeals Committee for University Students in accordance with Article 20 of The Universities Act, no. I3/2006. The function of the appeals committee, according to Regulation no. 1152/2006, is to rule on matters where students at universities approved by the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture believe their rights to have been infringed concerning: a) the conduct of examinations and course assessment, including the administration of examinations, grading procedure, the appointment of external examiners and posting of grades; b) the assessment of study progress, including the right to take repeat examinations; c) the processing of admission applications, including the assessment of studies completed at other educational establishments; d) expulsion from an educational establishment and other disciplinary action. The appeals committee does not rule on matters pertaining to a teacher's professional assessment (e.g., examinations).
