Examination Instructions No. (134) of 2000

Issued by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, as follows:

  • Instructions related to examination committees, mechanisms for their formation, calculation of study duration under semester and annual academic systems, preparation of curricula, mechanisms for calculating student grades, and their distribution according to the adopted academic system 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 a student is allowed to take the second-round examinations, cases in which a student is permitted or not permitted to take the second-round exams, cases of exemption or requirement of deleted or newly introduced subjects, and handling failure and conditional promotion (carry-over), as stated in Article (8).
  • Handling cases of failure due to absence and calculating related percentages, whether the absence is with a legitimate excuse or without, as stated in Article (9).
  • Cases of permitting or not permitting postponement of first-round examinations and the reasons for such postponement, as stated in Articles (10–21).
  • Mechanism for calculating grades obtained by the student during the study period, the number of academic units for theoretical and practical subjects in case of success in the first or second round, and calculating final results in grades according to Articles (13–17).
  • Cases of expulsion due to student failure for two consecutive years in the same stage or exceeding the allowed study period, as stated in Article (19).
  • Handling cases of student cheating during semester or final examinations and the associated penalty, which is considered a failure in all subjects for that academic year, according to Article (20).
  • Cases of student deferment, the number of years allowed for deferment, and related regulations, as stated in Article (21).
  • For more information, students may refer to the full examination instructions in Appendix (1) of this guide.

Appendix (1)

Examination Instructions No. (134) of 2000

Article 1

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

Article 2

The College Council, upon recommendation from the department council, determines the number, type, and method of coursework examinations and how they are calculated, provided that coursework grades are not less than 30% and not more than 50% of the final grade, except for practical subjects where the College Council determines the percentage.

Article 3

  1. The final semester or annual examination for both first and second rounds is conducted in all subjects under a closed-book system.
  2. The examination covers the syllabus taught during the semester or year, provided that the semester duration is not less than 15 weeks and the annual duration is not less than 30 weeks, excluding examination and vacation periods.

Article 4

Faculty members must distribute course content and grading schemes between coursework and final exams at the beginning of the academic year and announce coursework grades at least five days before final exams.

Article 5

The College Council forms one or more permanent committees to manage examinations during the academic year.

Article 6

The minimum passing grade for each subject is 50%.

Article 7

In semester-based systems, every two semester subjects are considered one annual subject, except when credit hours equal the minimum requirement for a full-year subject.

Article 8 (Amended)

  1. A student failing half or fewer of the subjects (rounded in favor of the student if odd) is allowed to take the second-round exam in failed subjects; otherwise, the student is considered failed in the first round (except final-year medical students), subject to Article 20.
  2. If a student fails in any round, they must repeat the year (attendance and exams) in failed subjects and those graded “acceptable.”
  3. Deleted subjects are exempt, while newly introduced subjects must be taken.
  4. A student who passes to a higher class but carries failed subjects must pass them in the following year.

Article 9

A student is considered failed in a subject if absence exceeds 10% without an excuse or 15% with an approved excuse.

Article 10

A student may take the second-round exam if absence from the first round was due to an approved excuse, including:

  1. Sudden illness
  2. Death of a first-degree relative
  3. Traffic accidents
  4. Sudden detention

Article 11

Practical or applied subjects without final exams are exempt from second-round examinations.

Article 12

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

Article 13

Ten marks are deducted from the final grade of any subject passed in the second round when calculating the average, except for “pass” grade, which is fixed at 50%.

Article 14

Department councils prepare final results and submit them to the College Council for approval.

Article 15

  1. GPA is calculated based on grades and credit hours.
  2. One credit hour equals one weekly theoretical hour for 15 weeks.
  3. Two practical hours equal one theoretical hour; three practical hours equal 1.5 theoretical hours.

Article 16 (Amended)

Graduation rank is calculated as:

  • Year 1: 10%
  • Year 2: 20%
  • Year 3: 30%
  • Year 4: 40%

The final GPA is the weighted sum of yearly averages.

Article 17 (Amended)

Grades are classified as:

  • Excellent: 90–100
  • Very Good: 80–<90
  • Good: 70–<80
  • Average: 60–<70
  • Pass: 50–<60
  • Fail: 49 and below
    Fractional grades are rounded to the nearest whole number (0.5 or higher is rounded up), but GPA fractions are not rounded.

Article 18

The College Council may consider a student not failed for a year under special medical or force majeure circumstances approved by the Ministry of Health. It may also allow certain repeat examination conditions for final-year students under specific conditions.

Article 19 (Amended)

Student enrollment ends if:

  1. The student fails the same year twice consecutively.
  2. The student exceeds the allowed study duration, including failure years (excluding deferment years).

Article 20 (Amended)

Any proven cheating attempt results in failure in all subjects for that year; repeated cheating leads to expulsion.

Article 21

  1. A student may defer study for one year for valid reasons approved by the College Council.
  2. A second deferment may be granted for valid reasons.
  3. Deferment in semester system is restricted unless due to force majeure.
  4. The Minister or authorized representative may grant a third deferment based on recommendation.
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