Examination rules
In accordance with the provisions of the Higher Education Act and the Statute of the University of Ljubljana, the Senate of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering of the University of Ljubljana (hereafter: the UL FEE) adopted at its 17th session of 7 March 2019 the following
EXAMINATION RULES of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering of the University of Ljubljana
I. General provisions
Article 1
These Rules govern the assessment and evaluation of knowledge, skills and competences of UL FEE students as well as the requirements for the completion of study in 1st and 2nd cycle study programmes, stipulating the relevant procedures.
The details on the knowledge assessment on interdisciplinary study programmes are regulated by the Study rules and the regulations that govern in detail the study rules of the member faculty where the programme is carried out.
Article 2
The provisions of the Rules govern the assessment of final theses (graduation and master’s theses) including their defence.
Article 3
For matters not defined by these Rules, the provisions of the Study Regulation of the University of Ljubljana, Statute of the University of Ljubljana and the Higher Education Act shall apply.
II. Study process
Article 4
Compulsory forms of the study process for each subject are defined by the study programme. In the introductory lecture, the higher education teacher shall inform the students about the forms of the study process in the relevant subject.
III. Forms of assessment of knowledge
Article 5
Forms of regular assessment of knowledge include oral and/or written exams and the final thesis and its defence.
Article 6
Other forms of assessment of knowledge, i.e., mid-term exams, tests, seminar papers, tutorial/laboratory practice exercises and reports, are intended for the continuous assessment and evaluation of knowledge related to individual elements of the subject. These forms may constitute an integral part of the final examination grade or may serve as a prerequisite to sitting the exam, if stipulated by the study programme.
Article 7
Students shall be informed of the method used to determine the examination grade, and of the importance of the various forms of assessment and evaluation of knowledge for the final examination grade. Prior to sitting an exam, students shall be informed which aids are allowed during the examination and which are not. Such information shall be conveyed by the higher education teacher in the introductory lecture of each subject.
IV. Examinations
Article 8
An examination involves assessment of knowledge of the subject matter prescribed by the curriculum. It may be sat individually or in a group and may be written, oral and written and oral. An examination may also have a practical part if stipulated by the study programme.
Article 9
An examination shall be evaluated by an examiner who is the lecturer responsible for the subject, or by another higher education teacher appointed by the Dean. An examination may be evaluated by a board of examiners when so required by these Rules or by the study programme. Only a higher education teacher is eligible to act as an examiner or a member of a board of examiners. In other forms of assessment of knowledge, a higher education associate may also act as an examiner.
Article 10
The lecturer responsible for the subject shall ensure everything necessary for conducting the announced examination.
Article 11
In the case of objective problems (space-related issues, etc.), the written part of the examination may be postponed to a later date. Such a change shall be published in the same way as the examination date at least one day prior to the originally published date.
IV.1. Oral examination
Article 12
The assessment of knowledge is public. Openness to the public is ensured through timely publication of the day, time, venue and room of the assessment in the student information system.
Article 13
The examiner shall verify the candidate’s identity. If it is found that another person is sitting the exam in the place of the candidate, such a breach shall be referred for disciplinary proceedings against both persons involved and the examination shall result in a negative grade.
Article 14
An oral examination is conducted in the form of a dialogue between the examiner and the candidate. It may last no longer than 45 minutes. The manner of asking questions (in writing or orally) is determined by the examiner. The oral exam result is announced on the day of sitting the exam.
Article 15
Oral examination of a candidate who is a close relative of the examiner shall be conducted before a board of examiners, but at no additional cost.
Article 16
The examiner and the candidate may determine the date of the oral examination consensually.
IV. 2. Written exam
Article 17
A written exam is taken in the form of a written task. It lasts at least one and no more than four academic hours.
Article 18
The final examination and assessment is carried out by a higher education teacher, course coordinator or lecturer at this study unit, or by another higher education teacher or higher education associate, habilitated for the scientific field (discipline) that includes the subject matter of the study unit, or a visiting teacher, involved in the implementation of the study programme (henceforth: examiner).
Article 19
Examination questions are conveyed in writing. At the request of the examiner, candidates are required to return the written examination questions together with their examination paper.
Article 20
The examiner determines the presence of candidates on the basis of the examination list and verifies their identity. Any student failing to register for the examination in accordance with these Rules shall not be admitted to the examination.
Article 21
The examiner is allowed to terminate the process of examination, take away the examination sheet if it is a written exam and assessing it as failed immediately if the student cooperates with others or uses unauthorised aids or breaks assessment rules in any form as a pedagogical measure that does not represent a disciplinary sanction.
Against this pedagogical measure the student can submit an objection to the dean within three working days. The dean's decision is final.
The implemented pedagogical measure does not exclude responsibility for disciplinary violation.
Article 22
The result of a written examination shall be accessible to the student via the information system or in another agreed manner within seven workdays of sitting the examination.
Article 23
The date and manner of publishing written examination results shall be communicated to the candidates at the end of the written examination at the latest.
Article 24
For reasons of personal data protection, the examiner shall publish the grades by entering them in the examination list using only the candidate’s matriculation number.
Article 25
The candidate shall be entitled to review his/her evaluated written examination paper indicating the evaluation of the answers to individual questions, and to receive feedback about the achieved result.
IV. 3. Written and oral examination
Article 26
The examination is conducted orally and in writing in the form of a written task and a dialogue with the examiner. The successful completion of the written part is a prerequisite to sitting the oral part of the examination.
Article 27
The written and oral parts constitute a whole that may be evaluated with a single grade.
Article 28
Če se izpit opravlja kot kombinacija različnih oblik preverjanja in ocenjevanja znanja (na primer kot pisni in ustni), mora študent imeti možnost izpit zaključiti najpozneje v dveh tednih od datuma razpisanega roka izpita.
IV. 4. Partial exam
Article 29
A partial exam may involve assessment of knowledge in subjects taught by several lecturers. A partial exam takes the same form (written and oral, only written, only oral) as the relevant final exam. In subjects where both written and oral examinations are sat, the partial exam shall be considered to have been passed only if the student has passed both exams. The final grade for the relevant exam shall include the grades of both partial exams. The sequence of sitting the exams shall be determined by the lecturer responsible for the subject.
IV. 5. Mid-term exam
Article 30
A mid-term exam is a form of continuous assessment of knowledge allowing the Faculty to determine the success of the educational process, as well as being intended to promote the continuous preparation of students for the final examination. Giving mid-term exams is not mandatory. The decision on giving mid-term exams shall be made by the teacher delivering the particular subject. Successfully passed mid-term exams may be recognised as a pass in the written part of the final examination.
V. Requirement for admission to examination
Article 31
A student shall be eligible to sit an examination immediately after the subject has been delivered according to the study programme, provided the components prescribed for the subject have been completed. The student must also have registered for the examination in accordance with the Rules.
Article 32
Any person who no longer has the status of an UL FEE student shall continue to be eligible to sit the missing examinations in the registered subjects upon adequate payment. The payment shall be based on the applicable fee rates according to the UL FEE List.
VI. Exam registration/deregistration
Article 33
A student who has registered for an examination shall be a candidate for sitting the exam (hereafter: the candidate). The candidate must have registered for the examination in the information system no later than five days prior to the announced examination date. In the case that the information system is not operational on the last day prior to the deadline for exam registration, the deadline shall be extended accordingly.
Article 34
A student may deregister from an examination or a part of it through the information system until midnight on the day prior to the exam.
Article 35
If the student could not attend examination due to a justified reason or
could not deregister due to the same reason or
due to unavoidable circumstances was not able to be examined
and submitted the required proof to the Committee for student applications within three working days after the examination or immediately after the end of the justifiable reason, it counts as being deregistered in time.
A student who has failed to deregister and failed to attend any part of an exam without a substantial reason is equivalent to failing the exam. In the oral part of an examination or in an oral examination, the candidate shall be considered to have failed to attend if he/she arrives more than 15 minutes late.
Article 36
A student shall sit the final examination with the teacher assigned to the student by the schedule contained in the annual subject delivery plan. If a new teacher has been assigned in the schedule for the next academic year, the student may sit the examination with the previous teacher for up to one year following the conclusion of lectures. In the case that a teacher ceases to deliver a particular subject, the Dean shall appoint a higher education teacher with whom examinations shall be sat in the transition period.
VII. Evaluation
Article 37
The final examination shall cover the entire study material in the relevant subject. A successfully passed final examination shall be assessed by the examiners using the following grades from 6 to 10 (as defined by the Statute of University of Ljubljana). A failed final examination shall be awarded the grade 5.
Article 38
The teacher shall enter the grades achieved by individual students in the final examination in the list of registered candidates and shall then archive the list of successfully passed examinations
Article 39
A candidate who withdraws during an examination shall receive a negative grade. A candidate who fails to submit the examination paper for assessment after the conclusion of a written examination shall receive a negative grade.
VIII. Registration of examination and document storage
Article 40
Examiners shall enter the grades directly into the information system and the Faculty shall archive the grades in accordance with the Protection of Documents and Archives and Archival Institutions Act. On the examiner’s request, the exam results may also be entered by the Study Sector.
Article 41
The date of sitting an examination shall be the date of the last completed component.
Article 42
A record of grades in other forms of assessment and evaluation of knowledge is kept by the examiners. Examination grades are kept in the examiners’ archives.
IX. Examination terms
Article 43
Examinations are conducted during examination terms, which may be regular and extraordinary.
Article 44
Regular examination terms are determined in the annual academic calendar of the UL FEE as part of the examination periods stipulated by the Senate of the University of Ljubljana. There are regular examination periods in winter, spring and autumn.
Article 45
Examination terms shall be distributed so as to ensure that there are at least three exam terms for each subject in the academic year: from the end of lectures in a specific subject until the expiry of the deadline for enrolment in the next year.
Article 46
The examination can occur in extraordinary examination terms in agreement with the examiner if there is a justifiable reason, as defined in the Study order of the University of Ljubljana.
Extraordinary examination terms are examination terms outside the regular examination periods. Extraordinary examination terms in a specific subject shall be announced by the lecturer responsible for the subject when deemed reasonable and necessary. Extraordinary examination terms shall be published at least 14 days prior to the examination date.
Article 47
Regular examination terms for the current study year shall be published in the information system and in the academic calendar.
Article 48
In preparing the examination term schedule, the stipulation that a student is not obliged to sit more than one exam per day shall be taken into account.
Written exam dates of an individual learning unit need to be organized in a way that there are at least three written exam dates before the enrolment date for the next academic year during the finishing days of the contact forms of the study process. Written exams need to be organized in such a way that there is only one written exam per day of the obligatory learning unit of a current semester and, if the circumstances allow it, at least ten days between two consecutive examination dates of the same learning unit.
X. Early sitting of examinations
Article 49
Subject to a request by the student, early sitting of an examination may be permitted by the Dean in agreement with the lecturer responsible for the subject if substantial reasons exist for doing so (departure for study or practical training abroad, hospitalisation during the exam period, childbirth, participation in a professional/cultural event or a high level sports event, etc.) and/or if the Dean considers such permission to be reasonable in view of the applicant’s past performance.
XI. Grade complaint
Article 50
If the candidate believes that they have been wrongly assessed or that the exam was not carried out in accordance with the Study order of University of Ljubljana, they can submit to the dean a demand for a repeat assessment of the written exam or a demand for additional questioning the first day after the oral assessment or three working days after the date when the student can see the exam paper.
Article 51
On the first working day following the receipt of the complaint, the Dean shall appoint a three-member board with the mandatory presence of the examiner who issued the grade pertaining to the student’s complaint. The chair of the board in charge of the procedure shall be appointed by the Dean and may not act as an examiner.
Article 52
If the complaint concerns a grade awarded in an oral examination, the candidate shall be examined by the board on the first working day following its appointment and shall be thus reassessed. If the complaint concerns a grade awarded in a written examination, the board shall review and reassess the candidate’s examination paper on the first working day following its appointment.
Article 53
In a written and oral exam, the candidate may complain about the grade achieved in the written or oral part of the examination.
Article 54
The chair of the board shall draft minutes on the complaint proceedings to be signed by all members of the board. One copy of the minutes shall be handed to the candidate, who shall confirm receipt by signing the original kept in the student’s file in the UL FEE Study Sector. There is no appeal against the grade awarded by the board.
XII. Resit examination
Article 55
A student who has failed an exam may resit it, but not more than three times. A repeated examination resulting from a successful complaint against the examination grade shall not be considered as a resit examination.
Article 56
A resit examination shall be possible within the same examination term, provided there are at least 14 days between the failed examination and the resit examination.
Article 57
Subject to a request from the student, the Committee for Students Affairs may exceptionally allow the student to sit an examination for a fifth time (i.e., fourth resit).
Article 58
If a student is re-enrolled in the same year, each examination in that year shall be considered to be sat for the first time when the student sits the exam for the first time after re-enrolment, regardless of whether or not the student previously sat the examination when enrolled in the relevant year for the first time.
Article 59
The fourth and fifth exam dates are performed in front of a committee consisting of at least three members, one of which is the subject carrier. The fourth and fifth exam dates are possible only on regular exam dates. The grade from the exam committee is final.
Article 60
An examination before a board of examiners shall be conducted in the manner stipulated for the relevant subject, the only difference being that the grade is awarded by a board. The report on the examination before a board shall be signed by all members of the board. The student shall cover the costs of these examinations according to the applicable UL fees upon the registration for the examination.
XIII. Other forms of knowledge assessment
Article 61
For other forms of knowledge assessment, the provisions of these Rules shall be applied in meaning.
XIV. Reassessment
Article 62
A student who has already passed an examination in a particular subject and wishes to achieve a higher grade shall be allowed to be reassessed subsequent to the receipt of a reasoned written application addressed to the Committee for Students Affairs. In such cases, the higher of the two grades shall prevail. In each subject, the student may be reassessed only once, and reassessment must be undertaken prior to graduation/completion of study. The date for reassessment shall be agreed with the lecturer responsible for the subject.
Students do not have the right to improve a positive grade for the subjects they have been unsuccessful for twice or more.
XV. Students with a special status
Article 63
In accordance with the Rules on special status students of the University of Ljubljana, special status can be obtained only by those students who show important achievements in the field of sports, art and culture and students with special needs
Types of special statuses and conditions of approval:
- status of a supreme athlete student can be achieved by students categorized as athletes in Republic of Slovenia (confirmed by the Olympic committee of Slovenia) and students who meet one of the conditions listed in the Rules on special status students of the University of Ljubljana,
- status of an acclaimed artist can be achieved by students who, besides studying, are engaged in arts or cultural activities, important in national or international environment,
- students that perform in (regional) international competitions can achieve the status if they perform, alongside their studies, (regional) international competitions in the field of their study programme,
- status of a parent student can be achieved by students who become parents of a live-born child during their studies,
- status of a special needs student is granted to students who need help and adjustments for their inclusion in their studies and fulfilling study obligations due to long-term disabilities, faults, incapabilities or disease.
Article 64
The granting of the special status is decided by the Study committee UL FEE after the student proposes by submitting proof of fulfilling the demands of granting a special status as a rule during the enrolment to a study programme year. The proposal of granting the special status is submitted by the student on a special form UL FEE.
By acquiring the status students obtain help and various adjustments of carrying out their study obligations, determined in agreement with the providers of individual subjects. Possible special conditions include:
- adjustments with pedagogical and research work,
- adjustments with attending lectures and exercises,
- adjustments with study materials,
- adjustments with assessment and grading knowledge.
Article 65
Information on enrolled students who have the status of a student with a special status and the special conditions they are granted based on the Student committee decisions are available to subject providers in the information system.
XVI. Recognition of exams passed at other higher education institutions or in other study programmes and within the framework of international student exchange and practical training
Article 66
When enrolling at the UL FEE or transferring to another UL FEE study programme, a student who has passed an exam at another higher education institution or in another UL FEE study programme may request that the exam be recognised. Such a request should be addressed to the Committee for Students Affairs. The request for recognition specifying the subject in which the student is seeking exam recognition shall be supported by the course syllabus according to which the student sat the exam at the other institution, confirmed by an authorised person of such institution, and an original certificate of the exams passed, including the date and the result achieved.
Article 67
The Committee shall decide whether the exam can be recognised, partly recognised or not recognised within 30 days of receipt of the application. In the case that the exam is partly recognised, the Committee shall also specify the content with regard to which the student shall be required to pass a partial (bridging) examination. In its decision regarding recognition, the Committee shall take into account the content of the subject in question, the level of difficulty, the prescribed literature and the scope of the subject expressed by the number of hours of lectures and tutorials/laboratory practice. If the Committee fully recognises the exam and the grade achieved or if the candidate has sat a bridging examination, the grade shall be registered in the transcript of records by the UL FEE Study Sector.
Article 68
For 1. and 2 cycle students who have completed part of their study at universities abroad as part of various forms of exchange, successfully completed study components at a foreign university shall be recognised as study components within the undergraduate and postgraduate study programme in which the student is enrolled. The recognition procedure is conducted in accordance with the UL mandatory instructions for international study exchange and practical training.
XVII. Final thesis preparation and defence
Article 69
The provisions of these Rules also apply to the assessment of the final thesis.
Article 70
A student shall submit the topic registration to the student information system (STUDIS) electronically at any time in the year. The topic of the final thesis may only be registered upon the completion of all other study requirements in the enrolled programme.
Article 71
Preparation of the final thesis submitted by the student in hard copy and electronically together with a statement in accordance of the Statute of University of Ljubljana shall be stipulated in the study programme.
A student may register the final thesis topic in the field of his/her choice. For the selected field, the student shall identify a suitable higher education teacher who is willing to act as a mentor.
Only UL FEE employees who have the habilitation of a higher education teacher can be mentors. A co-mentor can be an assisstant of UL, a teacher from another UL member or another university with whom UL has signed an agreement, or a professional with at least the same level of education as the graduate from this study programme.
If the selected mentor is already overburdened due to acting as a mentor to other students, the candidate shall select another mentor or apply for another topic, if available. The maximum number of mentorships per mentor in a calendar year is 18. The topic of the graduation thesis shall be approved by the Dean on the proposal of the mentor and the head of the department of which the mentor is a member. The approved topic shall be such that student can complete the final thesis within six months in the case of a master study programme and within three months in the case of a 1 cycle study programme.
Article 72
The candidate shall complete and submit his/her master’s theses no later than six months of approval of the topic and at least five days prior to the planned defence. The candidate shall complete and submit his/her professional graduation thesis no later than three months of approval of the topic and at least five days prior to the planned defence.
Article 73
The date of topic approval shall be the date of approval of the topic by the mentor. In the case that a candidate completes the graduation thesis before the aforementioned deadline, early defence is possible, subject to the mentor’s consent.
For valid reasons, the Vice-Dean for Education may, subject to application by the candidate accompanied by a letter of justification from the mentor, extend the deadline under the previous Article for a period of up to three months. A candidate who fails to submit the final thesis even after the extended deadline shall be issued a declaratory decision stating that the topic has expired and shall have to request the Committee for Students Affairs to approve another topic.
Article 74
A hard copy of the final thesis shall be submitted to the Student Office, and an electronic version of the final thesis shall be submitted to the student information system.
For every UL study programme, the electronic version of the final thesis shall be checked for similarity of content with other theses using similarity detection software connected to the student information system of the relevant UL member faculty. Upon submitting the final thesis, the student consents to the use of the electronic version for checking similarity of content.
Article 75
In accordance with the Rules on the verification of the similarity of the electronic version of the written final work and the conditions for a temporary unavailability of the contents of a written final work the contents of the printed and electronic form of the written final work can be unavailable as an exception.
Article 76
Defence of the final thesis is the final form of assessing student performance. It shall consist of a final thesis and its defence. The final thesis shall represent the candidate’s comprehensive and autonomous work, demonstrating that during study the candidate: has acquired the required knowledge in the field of electrical engineering; is capable of dealing with theoretical and experimental problems by applying the correct methodology; has mastered the basic methods of research and development; and is capable of independent use of literature. Final thesis defence may only be undertaken by a student who has completed all exams and other components prescribed by the study programme. The final thesis and its defence shall be assessed by a committee with more than three members proposed by the mentor.
On first cycle study programmes one member of the committe for the defence of a diploma work needs to be from another laboratory as the mentor, on second cycle study programmes one member of the committee needs to be from another department as the mentor.
Article 77
Final thesis defence may only be undertaken by a candidate upon confirmation by the mentor that the final thesis is satisfactory.
The defence shall take place before the board for the evaluation and defence of the graduation theses, as stipulated by these Rules. During the defence, questions may be asked by all members of the board for the evaluation and defence of the graduation theses.
The assessment of a final work can be made only by high education teachers. A co-mentor who is not a high education teacher can cooperate with the defence committee without the right to grade.
The date, time and venue of the defence shall be published on the Faculty website at least three days prior to the defence.
A candidate who fails to receive a positive grade in the thesis defence may request the Committee for Students Affairs to approve a new topic.
Article 78
Graduates of a study programme and their final work are graded with two grades:
- average grade from all exams and
- assessment of the final work. The grades are written down in the defence minutes.
Graduates of a study programme without a final work are graded with one grade:
- average grade from all exams.
XVIII. Breach of the Rules
Article 79
Subject to a complaint being filed, any breach of the Rules shall be processed in accordance with the Rules on the Academic Misconduct of UL students.
XIX. Final provisions
Article 80
These Rules shall be published on the Faculty website the day following their adoption by the UL FEE Senate and shall enter into force on the 8th day following their publication.
President of the UL FEE Senate:
Prof. dr. Gregor Dolinar, Dean
