withdrawal from an examination

What constitutes an important reason?

Recognised grounds above all include unfitness to sit the examination due to illness, serious illness or death of a close relative, and comparable unforeseeable events. Poor preparation, time pressure, or doubts about one's own level of performance are not recognised; those who realise shortly before the date that the material is not secure have no important reason. Care for a close relative or an accident on the way to the examination venue may also be considered, if both are documented. Assessment lies with the examining authority, which has a margin of discretion and assessment.

How does the procedure work?

In practice it usually works as follows: the reasons are communicated in writing without delay, in the case of illness with a medical certificate describing the complaints and their impact on performance capacity. For the Medical Examination, § 18 of the Medical Licensing Regulations governs withdrawal and § 19 the consequences of absence: those who stay away without an important reason or do not submit the work have failed the section. Comparable rules are found in §§ 26 and 27 of the Dental Licensing Regulations and § 13 of the Pharmacy Licensing Regulations. An approved withdrawal is confirmed in writing, and only this confirmation establishes clarity about the attempt count. In practical terms the waiting period is painful: the state examinations take place only twice a year, so an approved withdrawal usually costs half a year. Time limits and requirements follow from the applicable examination regulations and state law and should be checked by a lawyer if in doubt.

What applies to students in EU countries?

At universities in Romania, Hungary, Serbia, or Malta, their own withdrawal rules apply, often with a fixed number of examination dates per academic year and fees for additional dates. A German medical certificate is not automatically accepted there. Those who subsequently transfer to Germany will in any case need complete documentation of all attempts for the study transfer. Therefore withdrawal applications, certificates, and confirmations from the dean's office should be collected and kept in translation from the outset.

Common misconception

Withdrawal is not a unilateral deregistration. It is approved or refused, and refusal is a challengeable administrative act. Those who simply fail to appear after admission risk the attempt being counted as failed.