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Challenging a university exam: attack the grading and procedure

Exam decisions at universities are reviewable. You can inspect the records, criticize the grading and take action against the decision. Especially promising are procedural errors (e.g. bias, wrong task, disruptions) and grading errors where the examiner exceeded the assessment discretion.

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Examiners have an assessment discretion, but it is not unlimited. Attackable are in particular procedural errors (bias, faulty tasks, significant disruptions) and grading errors (e.g. a defensible solution is graded as wrong).
You have a right to inspect your exam records and to a justification of the grading. In the reconsideration or objection procedure, the examiners must review their assessment again upon substantiated objections.

What you should do now

  1. 1

    1. Inspect the records

    Apply for inspection of your exam and the grading in order to name the errors concretely.

  2. 2

    2. Substantiate the objections

    Justify concretely why a grading is faulty (e.g. defensible solution, overlooked arguments) or the procedure was flawed.

  3. 3

    3. File an objection

    File an objection in time; the examiners must then reconsider their grading.

  4. 4

    4. Consider a lawsuit

    If the objection does not help, a lawsuit before the administrative court is an option. Because of the subtleties, legal help is worthwhile.

How to spot the scam

  • There were disruptions or organizational errors during the exam.
  • A defensible solution was graded as wrong across the board.
  • The justification of the grading is missing or not comprehensible.

Frequently asked questions

Can I challenge an exam grading?

Yes. Even though examiners have an assessment discretion, procedural and grading errors are reviewable. You can inspect the records, raise substantiated objections and achieve a new assessment in the objection or reconsideration procedure.

Which errors are promising?

Procedural errors such as bias of an examiner, faulty or unclear task assignments and significant disruptions during the exam. In grading, for example, when a professionally defensible solution was graded as wrong or an assessment standard was exceeded.

How do I proceed?

First inspect the records, then formulate concrete objections and file an objection in time. If it remains unsuccessful, a lawsuit before the administrative court is an option. Because of the exam-law subtleties, legal support is advisable.

Take action now

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General information for self-help, not legal advice (RDG). In case of a high loss or uncertainty: contact a consumer advice center or a lawyer.