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Summative assessment and examinations

Most courses include summative assessments to test your skills. Summative assessments can be carried out in different ways: for example, by a written examination, an academic paper, a take-home examination (an unsupervised examination), a written assignment or report.

If you have not passed an examination, you should first take a re-examination at the next regular examination time. You can also write a re-examination or submit an essay again at one of the catch-up sessions that are offered.

Various forms of summative assessment

Assessment is the component of a course that forms the basis for grading and during which your knowledge is tested through an assignment or an examination. Grades are determined by a teacher specifically appointed by the university (the examiner).

Assessment criteria and other conditions, such as permitted aids during assessment, must be specified no later than the start of the course. Assessment must be conducted in a way that allows each student’s performance to be distinguished individually. It must also be characterised by legal certainty and equal treatment. Students must be assessed on equal grounds, and similar cases must be treated alike.

The course syllabus states which form of assessment applies to your course.

On-campus written examination

A written examination that is almost always held at the end of a course, during which you are expected to demonstrate your understanding of the course content.

Take-home examination

A written examination completed at home. The assignments in a take-home examination usually require you to discuss and analyse a question. You are expected to use the literature included in the course, but you may also use other sources.

Memorandum (PM)

You may be required to write a memorandum (PM) in which you discuss and analyse a topic. This may also be referred to as an essay or paper.

Academic paper

Writing a dissertation or degree project is also used as a form of assessment. Completing a dissertation or degree project at a particular level is, at the same time, a requirement for the award of a corresponding degree. Such projects are generally substantial pieces of work and may take up to an entire semester to complete.

You will always have a supervisor (one of the teaching staff) to support you in your work on the dissertation or degree project. The supervisor provides advice and comments on your arguments and research methods. Once completed, the dissertation or degree project must be formally defended. This is referred to as a seminar defence and means that, during a seminar, you are expected to respond to comments and answer questions about your work. The questions are posed by one or more external reviewers (other students) who have been assigned to examine the dissertation or degree project critically.

If you have not completed an element of an examination, you can retake it at the next scheduled examination session. To find out when the next examination session is and to register, contact the director of studies.

Find director of studies

Collective sessions for several retakes

On some of the courses you can also retake exams at one of the collective sessions.

For courses in the autumn semester, the collective session is in June after the spring semester finishes.

For courses in the spring semester, the collective session is in August, before, the autumn semester begins.

Academic paper retake

If you wish to present an academic paper a second time, you should do so at the scheduled time during the course.

For C academic papers, the summative assessment takes place in January. For B academic papers and academic papers at master level, the ordinary summative assessment takes place in May or June.
To find out when the next examination session is and to register, contact the director of studies no later than 2 weeks in advance.

Find director of studies

Collective sessions for academic papers

You can also have your academic paper examined at one of the collective sessions for academic papers.

For civilian programmes, there is a collective session for B and C academic papers in August, before the start of the autumn semester.

For academic papers at master's level, contact the director of studies.

For information regarding the Officers’ Programme, see below.

Retake of course

In the course description on Canvas, you can access the date for the next retake session. In some cases, you can retake on several courses during the collective sessions that are held a few times a year.

Academic paper retake

If you wish to present an academic paper again, you should normally do so at the ordinary time during the course. To do so, you need to register with the director of studies in war science.

Find director of studies

B academic papers (semester 3) have the ordinary summative assessment in December. There is the possibility of 2 hours extra supervision (this must be notified to the director of studies).

The independent work (semester 6) has a summative assessment in June with the possibility of a retake at the end of August/early September. Information can be found in the course description on Canvas.

You cannot appeal the grade, however, you can request that the teacher reconsiders the grade decision. You also have the right to change examiner if you have failed the same course or module twice. In the course syllabus you can read which summative assessment criteria apply to your course.

A grade shall be reassessed if it is manifestly incorrect due to new circumstances or for other reasons and the amendment can be done quickly, easily and without lowering the grade. This does not entail a reassessment by the examiner of answers that have already been assessed, but rather the correction of obvious errors.

If a grading decision contains a manifest error due to a clerical, arithmetical or similar oversight, the decision may be corrected by the examiner to the advantage or disadvantage of the student.

Corrections to the disadvantage of a student must be made with great care and only in clear cases. Before making such a correction, the student should normally be given the opportunity to comment.

You have the right to change examiners for the next examination if you have failed the same course or module twice. Requests to change examiners must be submitted in writing to the Director of Studies no later than three weeks before the examination date.

Result information

The results are available within 15 working days after the summative assessment has taken place. If it takes longer, students should be informed. The results are communicated via e-mail or on message boards on campus. The course coordinating teachers inform students when the results are available.

Adapted examination

If you have a permanent disability, you have the opportunity to have an adapted examination. This may apply to both the formulation of the assignment and where the examination may take place.

The need for an adapted examination needs to be reported to the course coordinating teacher or examiner. Documentation that proves your support needs should be submitted. Preferably, report the need as early as possible, at the latest when registering for the summative assessment..

What adaptations should be made is assessed on a case-by-case basis.

Grant authorisation to collect examination

If you are unable collect your examination yourself, you can grant authorisation to another person to collect it for you. The representative must be at least 18 years of age and bring:

Academic writing

Study with disabilities

Rules for summative assessment at the first and second-cycle level pdf, 121.1 kB.

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