Study and research in Germany

The following explains the key examination facts and terms.

What you need to know for all degree programmes

Examinations Office: The examinations offices are based in the individual Departments and are responsible for ensuring that the exams are conducted properly. These offices tell you everything you need to know about registering for or de-registering from examinations, about dates and deadlines, and about the examination regulations. This is where you can register for exams or apply for a leave of absence. The examinations offices responsible for you (if you are studying subjects at various faculties, several offices will be responsible) will give you an up-to-date overview of your examinations (status report). This shows you which examinations you have already completed and what the results were.

Examination Regulations and Study Regulations: The Examination Regulations specify the type of exam (written/oral), the procedure, and the content of exams. They contain important information on subjects in which you must sit exams (required subjects), what conditions you must meet to be able to register for exams, which practical semesters or semesters abroad you need, or how you have to produce your final thesis. The Study Regulations govern the objectives, content and pathway of your studies. They list the courses by semester that you have to complete before you take the respective exam. It forms an important basis for planning your studies and your exams. The Study and Examination Regulations precisely list all the required courses that you need to gain credits in.

Examiners: Examinations can only be set by persons who have been authorised to do so. Generally, this means university teachers (professors) or lecturers. In some degree programmes (such as for teaching degrees), external examiners also take part in the examinations. An Examinations Board ensures that the exams correctly observe the provisions of the Examination Regulations.

Course Record Book and Credits: Each student is obliged to file a record of the courses which he/she has attended and credits earned in the Course Record Book (Studienbuch). The Course Record Book must be presented to the Examinations Office for each exam. You will have to present specific credits for admission to intermediate and final examinations. If you don't, you will not be admitted to the exam. Your Study and Examination Regulations specify which credits you must have collected and by when.

Written Examinations: An invigilated or proctored written exam in which students are tested for their knowledge of the contents of a specific course.
These are often held just before a semester begins or towards the end of a semester.

Oral Examinations: A discussion between academic staff (university teachers, lecturers) and students on a set examination topic (content).
Registration Deadlines for Exams: The Examination Regulations for practically all degree programmes set precise registration deadlines for intermediate and final exams. Generally, it is only possible to exceed these registration deadlines by applying to the relevant Examinations Office. You must not be personally responsible for the reasons that lead to the late registration, i.e. it must have been a situation beyond your control.

Re-sitting Exams: Failed exams can generally be repeated once or twice. You can only re-sit an exam within a certain period of time (generally within one year). To find out exactly what the situation is, just contact your Examinations Office.

ECTS (European Credit Transfer System): Many German universities have already introduced the ECTS, which counts throughout Europe. Individual courses and study and examination credits are converted into a specific number of credit points. This makes it easier for you to continue your studies abroad.  

Module Exam: The new Bachelor's and Master's programmes have a modular structure: this means that course contents and courses are combined to form larger examinable units known as modules. A module may be made up of several courses (lectures, exercises, seminars, practical courses, internships, excursions). A programme is then made up of several modules. Each module is completed with a Module Exam (Modulabschlussprüfung) for which a specific number of credit points and grades are awarded. A module is generally completed in a semester with continuously assessed exams.

What you need to know about special degree programmes

Bachelor's programmes
In modularised Bachelor's programmes you take a large number of written and oral exams in the course of the programme (continuous assessment). You are awarded Credit Points and grades for these. These are then considered together with the final exams to form the grade point average for the programme as a whole. To gain a Bachelor's degree you must additionally produce a Bachelor's thesis and take at least one oral exam.

Magister and Diplom courses
To advance from the basic study stage (Grundstudium) to the main study stage (Hauptstudium), you must pass an intermediate exam known as a Zwischenprüfung in Magister courses or a Vordiplom in Diplom courses. The subject exams are sat either in a examination block or are determined through continuous assessment (after completion of the relevant course). Generally, this means producing seminar papers and sitting written exams and oral exams. For the final examination, you have to produce a Magister or Diplom thesis in the main study stage. In addition, you generally have to take oral and written exams, and in some cases, do experiments under exam conditions (largely in engineering and natural sciences subjects).

Staatsprüfung/Staatsexamen courses
Some degree courses end with a state examination (Staatsprüfung/Staatsexamen), such as in medicine, law, or teaching. This means that the students are examined not only by university teachers but also representatives of the state examinations offices. Generally, the 1st Staatsexamen is followed by a period of practical pre-service training after which the student graduates complete their studies with the 2nd Staatsexamen and so are then fully qualified for their chosen profession. Foreign students can also take the Staatsexamen, but should check whether they can enter the desired profession in their home country.

Theological courses
Programmes in Protestant or Catholic theology are completed with a church exam (kirchliche Prüfung). This is generally made up of two examination sections. The first examination section involves written exams and oral exams. The second section requires the production of a research thesis.

Master's programmes
To gain a Master's degree, you have to pass various written and oral exams. Master's programmes are modularised. Each module is completed with a Module Exam. You receive a specified number of credit points for passing this exam and grades which are later considered together with the finals to produce a grade point average. At the end of your Master's programme, you have to produce a thesis. You then have to "defend" your thesis in a viva voce held before an Examinations Panel.

Doctoral programmes
A doctorate (Promotion) is awarded for producing an independent research paper (dissertation) and defending this in an oral exam (Rigorosum). Oral exams may be substituted by the defence of the dissertation in a viva voce (Disputation).