Frequently asked questions

After the regular registration period, you can only register for the exam retroactively if there are still free seats available in the lecture halls. In this case, the registration deadline will be extended by a few days, and late registration will be possible in the Campus system. If no free seats are available or the registration deadline has not been extended, late registration is unfortunately not possible.

If you received a room assignment via the WIWI portal despite deregistering from the exam in the Campus system, this is usually because the room planning was completed before your deregistration. Don't worry, you don't need to contact the AIFB Institute again in this case. Your deregistration in the Campus system is what counts. We would also like to inform you that not showing up for the written exam at the AIFB Institute is automatically considered a deregistration.

To ensure a fair allocation of lecture hall seats, we kindly ask that you promptly deregister in the Campus system if you will not be participating in the written exam. This allows us to offer the opportunity to attend the exam to other students who are waiting for a free spot in the hall. If you happen to miss the deregistration deadline for an AIFB exam, the performance will not be counted as "failed".

In contrast to written examinations, the examiner must be informed in the case of oral examinations. Unjustified explicit withdrawal from an oral examination is possible up to three working days before the examination date at the latest. Later cancellation is only possible in justified cases. A corresponding application and supporting documents (e.g. medical certificate, extract from the police report) must be submitted to the examiner no later than one week after the agreed examination date.

The two grading scales below are usually used for written examinations. However, other grading scales may also be used.

 

Grading scale with a maximum of 90 points (exam duration 90 minutes)

(for "Grundlagen der Informatik II" sowie "Programmierung kommerzieller Systeme - Anwendungen in Netzen mit Java")

Points	Grade
79,5 - 90	1,0
75,5 - 79	1,3
70,5 - 75	1,7
66,5 - 70	2,0
62,5 - 66	2,3
57,5 - 62	2,7
53,5 - 57	3,0
49,5 - 53	3,3
44,5 - 49	3,7
40,5 - 44	4,0
less than 40,5	5

 

Grading scale with a maximum of 60 points (60 minutes)

(for"Programmieren I: Java", "Grundlagen der Informatik I" and for most other exams (exceptions are possible))

Points	Grade
53,5 - 60	1,0
50,5 - 53	1,3
47,5 - 50	1,7
44,5 - 47	2,0
41,5 - 44	2,3
38,5 - 41	2,7
35,5 - 38	3,0
32,5 - 35	3,3
29,5 - 32	3,7
26,5 - 29	4,0
less than 26,5	5

The "Programming commercial systems (Java/EBSS)" exams usually take place during the lecture period. The other exams are offered every semester in the first week of the semester break (Mon-May).

Depending on the number of participants, an examination can also be held in oral form. This applies in particular to the revision dates for the exams Fundamentals of Mobile Business, Knowledge Discovery, Nature Inspired Optimization Methods and Semantic Web Technologies. After the registration deadline, we will also inform you about the type of examination. Oral examinations can, but do not have to, take place in the examination week (first week after the end of the lecture). The exact dates will be announced in good time, but can also be obtained from the respective supervisor.

The examination results are published in the campus system shortly after the examination inspection.

This is possible in justified cases. Please contact Dr. André Wiesner in this regard.

If you have failed the written second attempt (the retake exam) of an assessment, this is initially a stressful situation. However, it is important to note: According to the Study and Examination Regulations (SPO) of the Department, the examination process is not yet complete. As a rule, an oral follow-up exam will follow.

In which case does an oral follow-up exam take place?

An oral follow-up exam is legally required if a written exam in the second attempt (retake exam) has been graded as "insufficient" (5.0). Its purpose is to determine in a personal interview whether you nevertheless meet the minimum requirements of the module.

Important exceptions:

If the second attempt (the retake exam) was already an oral exam (e.g., for organizational reasons), no further oral follow-up exam will take place.

In the case of seminars, there are usually no oral follow-up exams.

Do I have to register for the oral follow-up exam?

No. You do not need to submit an application. The procedure is initiated automatically as soon as the grade of the second attempt has been finalized in the Campus System. Usually, a few days after the exam review, you will receive an official invitation with the exact date via email or post.

When does the oral follow-up exam take place?

The follow-up exam usually takes place a few weeks after the exam review of the failed written second attempt. Please ensure that you are reachable during this period (usually during the lecture-free period) and check your KIT emails regularly.

Is it useful to attend the exam review beforehand?

Yes, absolutely. We strongly recommend that you attend the exam review appointment.

Error check: Occasionally, points can still be found during the review that raise the result above the passing threshold – in this case, the oral follow-up exam would be void.

Preparation: The review helps you understand which subject areas your knowledge gaps are in. Since the oral follow-up exam covers the same material, this is the best possible preparation.

Procedure and grading of the follow-up exam

Duration: The exam usually lasts between 20 and 30 minutes.

Result: In the oral follow-up exam, you can only receive the grade "sufficient" (4.0) or "insufficient" (5.0). The primary goal is to demonstrate a pass, not to improve the grade in the upper range.

Consequence: If you do not pass the oral follow-up exam, the right to take examinations in this degree program at the Department is generally lost for good.

Deadlines and formalities

Ensure that your current address is stored in the Campus System.

Should you be ill on the scheduled date, a medical certificate (to be submitted immediately to the Examination Office) is strictly required.

No. An examination that has already been passed cannot be repeated!

Exam registration is largely done online via the Campus Management Portal. In general, you should register online carefully and not at the last minute: It is not uncommon for unexpected problems to arise that cannot be resolved in time. Please check the registration confirmation to ensure that your registration was successful. In the case of examinations requiring approval, registration for the examination is often paper-based via an examination admission form. Please allow for a certain lead time to obtain all the necessary signatures. Once you have received the admission form, please drop it in Dr. A. Wiesner's mailbox (Room 2B-03, Building 05.20, Allianz Building at Kronenplatz).

In general, there will be an examination in all subjects for which a lecture is/was offered this semester or last semester. The examinations are of course based on the current lectures. The content of the lectures may change. This should be noted in particular if an examination is not taken after a lecture or a semester later or if an examination is repeated for which a lecture is offered again in the current semester. The current range of examinations in Computer Science for the current semester can be found in the examination schedule.

You can find out which lecture hall you have been allocated on the WIWI-portal. 

As a rule, the exam review takes place during the first or second week of lectures of the new semester (exceptions are possible). The exact date will be published promptly upon announcement of the preliminary examination results. Individual review appointments are only possible in well-founded exceptional cases.

If you are unable to attend the exam review appointment in person, another student may represent you by proxy. While there is no strictly predefined form for a proxy at KIT, it must be submitted in writing and contain clear identification details. A simple email is not sufficient, as a handwritten signature is required for verification. You can find a template here.

A lab differs from a "normal" seminar in that the participants usually not only have to give a lecture, but also perform a practical task (e.g. in the form of an implementation). A seminar is awarded 3 credit points, a practical course 4.5 credit points, depending on the amount of work involved (approx. 45 working hours).

The following applies to Informatics students: AIFB seminars or labs cannot be credited in the Informatics B.Sc./M.Sc. elective area. These students should clarify in advance with the KIT Department of Informatics whether the course can be recognized.

You can find information on registering for and recording grades for seminars and internships here.

You can find the general procedure for the recognition of examination results here. You can find special information from our institute on the recognition of courses abroad here.

Yes, for study projects abroad it is advisable (for ERASMUS it is mandatory) to clarify the possibility of credit transfer for the intended courses in advance. This way, you can be sure that your achievements abroad will be recognized upon your return. You can find detailed information on advance recognition here.