College exam

University examination at the University of Vienna (2005)

A university examination is an examination within the framework of studying at a university (for example a final module examination ). The most important university examination is the final examination, after which an academic degree is awarded.

Many higher education systems, such as that of the United States , have exams during and at the end of the semester, but not an exit exam .

University exams in Germany

General

The content and structure of the examination are the responsibility of the university within the framework of university legislation, whereby the examination regulations must be approved by the competent state authority. The individual examination regulations are also often designed in accordance with a framework examination regulation. Nevertheless, course content and examination modalities can differ significantly from one another.

In Germany, the academic degrees Diplom , Magister , Licentiate , Bachelor and Master as well as doctor are obtained through university exams . In the course of the Bologna process , which provides for the standardization of university degrees in Europe, the diploma and master’s courses are largely abolished and converted to bachelor’s and master’s degrees.

Differentiation from other final exams

State examination

In addition to the group of university examinations accompanying the course, there is also the state examination , in which the structure and content of the course as well as the course of the examinations and the composition of the commissions are uniformly regulated across the state or nationwide. In the case of the corresponding courses , this is justified by the increased interest of the community in the uniformity of the examination requirements and thus the quality of certain training courses.

Church examination

The third group of examinations is the church examination , in which the respective regional church regulates the training and examination of its prospective pastors and church musicians itself. In general, however, the theological faculties also offer so-called faculty exams and Magister examinations, which are also carried out as university exams, but do not necessarily entitle you to the pastor's office.

Professional academies

Berufsakademien are not universities and award the diploma (BA) and bachelor's degrees not as academic degrees, but as state qualifications .

literature

Sigrid Dany, Birgit Szczyrba, Johannes Wildt (eds.): Checks on the agenda! University didactic perspectives on reforms in the higher education system . Bielefeld: W. Bertelsmann 2008 (Focus on University Didactics, Volume 118).
Ulrich Gonschorrek: Examiner's manual: principles, rules and background information. Exam psychology, exam didactics, exam methodology . Bremen: LTU-Vertriebsges. 1988.
Florian Keschmann: Exams at universities. Legal character - legal protection - proceedings . Vienna: Manzsche 2001.
Angela Little, Alison Wolf: Assessment in Transition: Learning, Monitoring and Selection in International Perspective . London: Emerald Group 1997.
Thomas Oakland, Ronald K. Hambleton (Eds.): International Perspectives on Academic Assessment . Berlin: Springer Netherland 1995 (Evaluation in Education and Human Services, 39).
Hans-Werner Prahl : Examination systems and examination reforms at universities in the FRG . Hamburg: Working Group for University Didactics 1980.
Hans-Otto Schenk: The thesis. A guide for economists and social scientists , Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht 2005, UTB 2657, ISBN 3-8252-2657-3 .
Thomas Tinnefeld: Oral exams in university studies: possibilities for optimization . In: Ó Dúill, M. / R. Zahn / KDC Höppner (Ed.): Working together. Bochum: AKS 2005 (foreign languages in research and teaching; 37), 421–436.
Klaus Wannemacher : Computer-based exams. In: Eva Seiler Schiedt, Siglinde Kälin, Christian Sengstag (eds.). E-learning - innovation suitable for everyday use? Munich, Berlin: Waxmann 2006. pp. 163–172.