Special arrangements

Special conditions at written exams

Students at DTU with physical or mental impairments can apply for special arrangements at written exams. This is conditional on the functional impairment having a significant impact on the student’s potential exam performance. Students who are pregnant and in their late-term or breastfeeding also have the opportunity to apply for special arrangements.

Who manages the special conditions?

• Ordinary exam periods
  When a student is granted special conditions for written exams, the student will automatically be granted special conditions during the ordinary exam periods. AUS always manages these.
• Non-ordinary exam periods
  The special conditions also apply to minor written exams on campus (on-site exams), which are either a prerequisite for participation in the exam or which are included with a minimum of 20% or more in the final assessment. It is typically held during the teaching period and handled by the lecturer. The student must make the lecturer aware that he/she has been granted special conditions for a written exam by AUS. The student must contact the lecturer by mail and attach the answer to the application as documentation of the special conditions the student has been granted. There may be cases where it is not practically possible to give the student the conditions granted by AUS, e.g., concerning special physical surroundings.  

What are the special conditions?

• Extra time
  For written exams held at DTU, students may apply for extra time. It is usual for 25% extra time to be granted. However, in some instances, 50% extra time may be granted.
  
  
• Use of a computer and USB flash drive
  Students may apply for permission to bring their own computer to written exams—even to exams where aids are otherwise not permitted. Permission is granted in cases where the student needs the computer as a writing tool and/or for support programs (such as CD ORD and speech synthesis). Students with dyslexia may also be permitted to use ordinary electronic dictionaries (not technical or clinical), headphones, and an electronic dictionary pen.
  
  A USB flash drive containing the exam task can also be given to the student, so they can listen to it being read aloud via headphones. In these cases, the student will receive both a physical (paper) version and an electronic (USB flash drive) version of the exam paper. The student must request the USB flash drive well in advance. The student must inform the Office for Study Programmes and Student Affairs (AUS) of their needs. An employee from the examinations office will then contact the lecturer and request that an electronic version of the exam paper be emailed to the examinations office.
  
  The exam response may also be submitted on a USB flash drive. The student must inform the lecturer beforehand that the response will be submitted on a USB flash drive and must ensure that the file is in a well-known format that the lecturer can open and print.
  
  If the student has received the exam task on a USB flash drive, this may be used to submit the exam response. Otherwise, the student may bring a USB flash drive and use this to submit the exam response. The student may request that their own USB flash drive be returned after the examination assessment.
  
  AUS has prepared a statutory declaration form concerning using a computer for written exams. The student signs a statutory declaration that they will only use the materials permitted in the course description and any permitted support programs installed on their computer in connection with the written exam. Despite signing this statutory declaration, the student’s computer use in connection with the written exam may still be checked at any time.
  
  
• Physical setting
  It is possible to apply for a particular physical setting at DTU. For all ordinary exams at DTU, a small examination room will be established with space for fewer students and furnished with height-adjustable tables and swivel chairs. These special arrangements may be granted if the student has physical discomfort (a bad back, physical pain, is a wheelchair user, etc.), or mental/cognitive challenges (social anxiety disorder, attention deficit disorder, noise sensitivity, etc.) that make it difficult to sit an exam in an ordinary examination room.
  
  
• Other conditions
  Other possible special conditions include the ‘use of a device and headphones to play music’ (if the student is particularly challenged by noise sensitivity or attention deficit disorder, this can be granted based on a medical certificate), and permission to use a secretary (e.g., students with cerebral palsy).

Special conditions for oral exams

Some students need extra time for the oral examination to be on par with other students in the same exam situation.

The student can be granted extra time (typically 25%) for the preparation time before the oral exam, for the exam itself (e.g., for speech challenges or anxiety), or for both. Granting special conditions presupposes that the lecturer assesses that this is necessary to place the student on equal terms as the other students. The SPS Unit (specialexamconditions@adm.dtu.dk) can assist the lecturer in this assessment as needed. In these cases, the student has not been granted special conditions via AUS, but the examiner/lecturer must consider the student's particular challenge, if relevant and possible.

It is a prerequisite that the grant of special conditions does not lower the academic level of the exam.

The student must contact the lecturer no later than one month before the oral exam and provide documentation of the matter on which the request is based. However, if the cause is speech challenges, this is assumed to be assessable during a regular conversation.

Exam anxiety (anxiety only at exams) is not a valid reason for special conditions, but general anxiety (anxiety in everyday life) is valid. Read more at DTU Inside under ‘Exam'/'Special exam conditions'/'I want to apply for special exam conditions'.

If the student is to take part in an oral group exam but is part of a group where the other students have not been granted extra time, the lecturer/examiner may assign the whole group extra time.