The General Exam Regulations for Bachelor and Master degree programmes and other study programmes at the University of Göttingen (“APO”) uniformly regulate all essential questions about the examination process (e.g. principles on the structure of studies and modularisation, Examination Boards, exam authorisation and appointment of examiners, principles of exam organisation and use of an electronic exam administration system, access and admission to examinations, permitted forms of examination, assessment methods, passing and failing exams, standards for reproducibility as well as regulations on testimonials, certificate supplements, fraud and safe- guards) for all degree programmes; therefore the regulations represent a broad fundamental consensus about the examination system within the University.
Whilst the General Exam Regulations (APO) allows variations in some areas by special examination and study regulations (e.g. in the area of reproducibility – for instance one faculty successfully applies a demerit point system), it applies as a whole without restriction to all modularised study programmes. Ongoing development takes place at regular intervals; this involves amongst other things review and flexibilization of the available forms of examination, to promote the spread of more skills-based forms of examination which move away from being subsumed by classic formats such as writ- ten examinations, oral examinations and term papers and currently have to be individually regulated as subject-specific forms of examination.
Consequently, special degree programme-specific examination and study regulations mainly cover study goals, the structure of the degree programme and study plans, procedures for written theses and where relevant supplements to the matters regulated in the General Exam Regulation (APO). Insofar as structural models apply to several degree programmes, some faculties also issue general examination regulations that embrace them; multiple-subject degree programmes have specialised provisions for their subjects.
The module administration is handled by the digital module register (ModulVZ). This can be used by degree programme supervisors to generate and process complete module registers by degree programme via a Web interface. These are a formal part of the exam regulations and insofar valid examination legislation; they regulate learning objectives and skills, workload, courses and examinations, rate of recurrence and module supervisors in concrete terms for each module.
Before being approved by Academic Programme Development and Examination Regulations at Student and Academic Services and the Department of Law and Foundation at the Central Administration of the University of Göttingen, all regulations and module registers are examined for compliance with the structural guidelines and/or their legality.
Planned amendments to interfaculty regulations, in particular the APO, are submitted to the relevant networks (e.g. representatives from the Offices of the Deans of Studies, Examination Offices) and agreed prior to approval by the University bodies.