Exam Guidelines

Dear Student, below is an overview of the key regulations governing the mechanisms of examination committees, cases of failure years and deferment, methods of grade distribution, and calculation of graduation averages, as outlined in Examination Instructions No. (134) of the year 2000 issued by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, as follows:

  • The instructions related to examination committees and the mechanisms for their formation, as well as the calculation of the study period according to the semester and annual academic systems, the preparation of curricula, the methods for calculating students’ grades and their distribution in accordance with the academic system adopted in the college, as stipulated in Articles (2–7) of the Examination Instructions.
  • Handling cases of failure or success, calculating the number of courses in which the student is allowed to take second-round exams, determining the situations in which the student is or is not permitted to sit for second-round exams, addressing cases where the student is required to complete or is exempted from deleted or newly introduced courses, and managing cases of failure and conditional promotion (passing with load), as stipulated in Article (8) of the Examination Instructions.
  • Handling cases of failure due to absence and calculating the specific percentages, whether the absence is with a valid excuse or without one, as stipulated in Article (9) of the Examination Instructions
  • Cases permitting or not permitting the postponement of first-round examinations and the valid reasons for such postponement, as stipulated in Articles (10–21) of the Examination Instructions.
  • The mechanism for calculating the grades obtained by the student during their study at the college, as well as the number of credit units for theoretical and practical subjects in the case of passing in the first or second round, and the calculation of final results with grades, as stipulated in Articles (13–17) of the Examination Instructions.
  • Cases of student dismissal due to failing for two years in the same stage, or exceeding the permitted study period in the college, as stipulated in Article (91) of the Examination Instructions.
  • Handling cases of student cheating during midterm or final examinations and the corresponding penalty, which is considering the student as failed in all courses for that academic year, in accordance with Article (20) of the Examination Instructions.
  • Cases of student study deferment, the number of years allowed for deferment, and the related regulations, as stipulated in Article (12) of the Examination Instructions.
  • For more information, students can refer to the text of the Examination Instructions provided in Appendix No. (1) of this guide.”

Appendix (1)

Exam Instructions No. 134 (2000)

Article – 1

These instructions apply to universities, the Technical Education Authority, the colleges and institutes affiliated with them, and private colleges.

Article – 2

The College Council, upon the recommendation of the Department Council or the branch in colleges without departments, shall determine the number, type, and method of coursework examinations and how their percentages are calculated. The coursework grade shall not be less than 30% (thirty percent) and not more than 50% (fifty percent) of the final grade, except for subjects of a practical or applied nature, for which the percentage shall be determined by the College Council.

Article – 3

First – The final semester or annual examination for both the first and second rounds shall be confidential in all subjects.

Second – The semester or annual examination shall cover the syllabus of the subjects studied during the semester or the year, provided that the study period is not less than fifteen (15) weeks for semester courses and thirty (30) weeks for annual courses. Final examination days and academic holidays are not included in this period.

Article – 4

Faculty members are required to schedule the syllabi of the subjects they teach, including the distribution of grades between annual coursework and the final examination, and announce this at the beginning of the academic year. The annual coursework grades must be announced to students at least five days before the start of the final examinations through the department, after approval by the Head of Department. Students have the right to appeal the grade or correct any error within this period

Article – 5

Faculty members are required to schedule the syllabus of the subjects they teach, including the distribution of grades between coursework and the final examination, and announce this at the beginning of the academic year. Coursework grades must be announced to students at least five days before the start of final examinations through the department, after approval by the Head of Department. Students have the right to appeal the grade or correct any error during this period.

Article – 6

The minimum passing grade for each subject shall be (50%) fifty percent.

Article – 7

In colleges that follow the semester system, every two semester courses shall be counted as one annual course, except in cases where the number of hours for a semester course equals the minimum number of study hours required for a single course during the academic year.

Article – 8 – (Amended)

First – A student who fails in half of the subjects (rounded up in the case of an odd number of subjects, in favor of the student) or fewer in the first-round examinations is allowed to take the second-round examinations in the subjects they failed. Otherwise, the student shall be considered as having failed the first round, except for final-year students in the College of Medicine, subject to the provisions of Article (20) of these Instructions.

Second – If a student is considered failed in either the first or the second round, they must repeat the year, attending classes and examinations in both the subjects they failed and those in which they received a ‘Pass’ grade.

Third – A failing student shall be exempted from deleted subjects and required to take newly introduced subjects in their class when curricula are changed, provided that this does not result in their promotion to a higher year or graduation unless the subject is not required. This is subject to the provisions of item (Second) of this Article.

Fourth – If a student passes all subjects in their current academic year but fails in some carried-over subjects from a lower year, they shall be promoted to the higher year while remaining responsible for the failed subjects. The student must pass these subjects in the following year, even if they succeed in the higher-year courses.

Article – 9

A student shall be considered failed in any subject if their absences exceed (10%) ten percent of the scheduled hours for that subject without a valid excuse, or (15%) fifteen percent with a valid excuse approved by the College Council.

Article – 10

The student may participate in the second-round examinations if their absence from the first-round examinations was due to a valid excuse approved by the College Council, provided that it is supported by official documents and falls under one of the following cases:

First – Sudden illness

Second – Death of a first-degree relative

Third – Traffic accidents

Fourth – Sudden detention

Article – 11

Practical or applied courses that do not include a final examination are exempted from the second-round examinations. This is determined by the College Council at the beginning of the academic year and announced to the students

Article – 12

Postponement of the second-round examinations is not permitted under any circumstances.

Article – 13

Ten (10) marks shall be deducted from the final grade of any subject in which the student passes in the second round when calculating the average, except in the case of a ‘Pass’ grade, where the grade shall be recorded as 50% (fifty percent) in that subject.

Article – 14

The Department Council prepares the final results and submits them with its recommendations to the College Council for approval and announcement.

Article – 15

First – The student’s average is calculated based on the grades obtained in each subject, taking into account the number of credit units for each subject.”

Second – A credit unit is defined as one theoretical hour per week for a duration of fifteen (15) weeks.

Third – Every two practical hours in the college are equivalent to one theoretical hour, and every three practical hours are equivalent to one and a half hours.

Article -16 – (Amended)

First – The student’s graduation rank shall be calculated according to the following:

  • First Year – 10% (ten percent)
  • Second Year – 20% (twenty percent)
  • Third Year – 30% (thirty percent)
  • Fourth Year – 40% (forty percent)

Second – The graduation average is calculated by multiplying the student’s average in each year by the indicated percentage, and the total for all academic years constitutes the student’s graduation average.”

Third – The graduation rank of a student admitted to a higher year than the first year (such as top graduates of institutes admitted to the second year, or in cases of transfer from outside the country, etc.) shall be calculated based only on the years studied, using the same percentages mentioned above for each stage, recalculated to a total of 100%

Article – 17 – (Amended)

First – Results shall be announced using the following grades to determine the student’s level among the successful candidates in terms of marks:

  • Excellent – Equivalent to grades 90–100
  • Very Good – Equivalent to grades 80 to less than 90
  • Good – Equivalent to grades 70 to less than 80
  • Pass – Equivalent to grades 60 to less than 70
  • Pass – Equivalent to grades 50 to less than 60
  • Fail – Equivalent to grades 49 and below

Second – Fractions of a grade for a single subject shall be rounded up to the nearest whole number if they are one-half or more.

Third – Fractions of the average grade shall not be rounded up to the nearest whole number

Article – 18 –

First – The College Council may consider a year as non-failing for a student who failed in subjects they did not attend in the second-round examinations of the second year, if they submit a medical report certified by a specialized committee of the Ministry of Health proving reasons beyond their control or force majeure during the examination period, and the College Council is convinced of its validity.

Second – The College Council may allow a student who has failed in the final year for two consecutive years, and whose failure in the second year was in one annual subject or two semester subjects, to take the examination in the third year, provided that their military service status is in good standing and they have not exceeded the permitted duration of study in the college or institute.

Article – 19 – (Amended)

A student’s affiliation with the college shall be terminated in either of the following cases:

First – If the student fails for two consecutive years in the same class.

Second – If the student exceeds the prescribed duration of study in their specialization, including years of failure. Years of deferment and non-failure are not counted within this period.

Article – 20 – (Amended)

If a student is proven to have cheated or attempted to cheat in any of the daily, monthly, semester, or final examinations, they shall be considered failed in all subjects for that year. If the violation is repeated, the student shall be dismissed from the college and their registration shall be terminated from its records.

Article – 21 –

First – A student may defer their studies for one year for valid reasons accepted by the College Council, provided that the deferment request is submitted at least thirty days before the start of the final examination.

Second – The College Council may allow the student to defer their studies for a second year, for valid reasons it deems acceptable, provided that the deferment request is submitted at least thirty days before the start of the final examination.

Third – A student may not defer their studies in the second semester at a college that follows the semester system, except for reasons beyond their control, and provided that they have passed the first semester. In this case, the deferment shall be considered for the entire academic year.

Fourth – The Minister, or whomever he authorizes, may, based on the college’s recommendation and for valid reasons deemed acceptable, allow the student to defer their studies for a third year, subject to the provisions of Article (19) of these Instructions.