What happens if you fail an exam? Conditional pass and repeating a year in Tricity

I failed the retake exam – what options do I have in the Tri-City?

If the retake session didn’t go your way, it doesn’t automatically mean you’ll be removed from the student list. The Polish law on higher education and the regulations of Tri-City universities provide for mechanisms that allow students to continue their education despite a “stumble“. Your main paths are:

1. Conditional enrolment for the next semester (the so-called condition).
2. Commission exam (commission).
3. Repeating the subject within the next year.
4. Repeating the entire year/semester.
5. Dean’s leave with the right to pass courses.

The choice depends on how large your ECTS credit deficit is and what rules apply at your particular faculty.

Conditional entry (Condition) – the most common solution

Conditional entry is when a university allows you to study for a higher semester even though you have failed one or two subjects. This is the most popular option among students of the Faculty of Oceanography of the University of Gdańsk or the Faculty of ETI at the University of Technology, for m.in.

How does the condition work?

You receive a promotion for a higher semester “with debt“. However, you must pass the outstanding course by a certain deadline (usually at the next session, when the subject is completed for a year below).

ECTS credit limits

This is a key aspect. Each faculty in the Tri-City has a fixed permissible deficit of ECTS credits.

• At the Gdańsk University of Technology , these limits are quite restrictive and depend on the stage of study.
• At the University of Gdańsk, a deficit of 10-12 points is usually allowed, but always check with your dean’s office.

If your debt exceeds the limit, your application for a condition will be rejected and you will have to repeat a year or semester.

How much does the condition cost in Gdańsk and Gdynia?

Full-time studies are free, but universities charge fees for repeating classes due to unsatisfactory academic results.

• The fee is calculated for each ECTS point assigned to the unpassed course.
• Rates range from approx. PLN 150 to even PLN 400 for 1 ECTS (the most expensive is in technical and medical faculties).
• Example: If the course has 5 ECTS credits, the condition may cost you from PLN 750 to PLN 2000. In the reality of the cost of living in the Tri-City, where renting a room in Przymorze is an expense of PLN 1300-1800, it is a significant burden on the budget.

Board exam (Commission) – the last resort

Do you feel that you have been judged unfairly? Or maybe the examiner went beyond the scope of the curriculum? In this case, you can apply for a board exam.

When is it worth fighting for it?

The commission is not a “third amendment” for everyone. This is an extraordinary procedure. You should use it when:

• There were irregularities in the conduct of the exam.
• The questions were inconsistent with the syllabus.
• You suspect the lecturer’s bias.

Note: At universities such as MUG, the board exam in front of the committee (often with the participation of the Dean) is a huge stressful challenge. If you just haven’t learned, the consignment can be the nail in the coffin – the assessment from the consignment is final.

Repeating a year or semester

When the deficit of points is too large for the condition (e.g. you failed 4 key subjects at the Faculty of Management and Economics of Gdańsk Tech), it remains to repeat the year.

Consequences of repeating the year:

• Finance: You pay for all ECTS credits that have not been passed.
• Time: You graduate a year later than your group.
• Scholarships: You lose the right to the rector’s scholarship (often also a social scholarship, depending on the regulations).
• Student status: You keep it, which is crucial for SKM discounts and health insurance.

Deletion from the list of students – is this the end?

If you do not submit the relevant applications on time or exhaust all limits, the dean’s office will send you a decision to delete it. In the Tri-City, especially in crowded destinations, these procedures are enforced quite rigidly.

What can you do after deletion?

• Appeal: You have 14 days to appeal to the Rector (e.g. UG or Gdańsk Tech). However, you must have a very strong justification (illness, difficult random situation documented by certificates).
• Reactivation for studies: Many regulations allow for the so-called reactivation after some time (e.g. after a semester or a year) to finish studies from the place where you left off. This is often associated with the need to supplement program differences.

Step-by-Step Procedure: What Do You Need to Do NOW?

Don’t wait for the system to cross you out on its own. Follow the plan below:

Step 1: Check your university’s study regulations

The regulations of studies at the Gdynia Maritime University differ from those at the Academy of Physical Education and Sports. Find the “Passing the Stage of Study” section. Check the ECTS deficit allowance.

Step 2: Go for a consultation (dean’s hours)

Before you write your application, talk to the lecturer. Maybe there is a possibility of “inquiry” or handing over an additional project? In the Tri-City, many lecturers appreciate initiative and sincerity, as long as you don’t come to them the day before the system closes.

Step 3: Write an application to the Dean

An application for conditional entry must be written professionally. Use logical arguments, not just emotional ones.

• A good argument: “A difficult financial situation forcing me to take up a full-time job, which I confirm with the attached contract with the company in Olivia Business Centre“.
• A weak argument: “I overslept for the exam because there was fog over the Bay.”

Step 4: Keep an eye on the deadlines in USOS / My PG

In the era of digitization at Tri-City universities, being an hour late with sending an application in the system may be irreversible. Dean’s offices in Gdańsk rarely accept explanations about problems with home Wi-Fi.

Tips for students from Gdansk, Gdynia and Sopot

• Use libraries: If you didn’t pass because there is still a party in your apartment in Żabianka, move to the Main Library of the University of Gdańsk or the Library of the Gdańsk University of Technology. These are spaces that are really conducive to concentration.
• The issue of student loan: If you are taking out a loan, keep in mind that repeating a year must be reported to the bank. Payments will be withheld until the stage of study is completed.
• Work and study: The Tri-City labor market (gastronomy in Sopot, corporations in Oliwa) tempts with earnings. If your work has ruined your session, consider switching to part-time (part-time) studies. Often, the tuition fee for part-time studies is comparable to the cost of several “conditions” in full-time studies.
• Mental Health: Have you failed and feel like you’re losing your footing? Take advantage of free psychological support at UG or Gdańsk Tech. The pressure in the academic Tri-City can be enormous, you don’t have to carry it alone.

The most common questions about failing the exam in the Tri-City

How many times can you take a condition from the same subject?

Usually, the regulations allow you to repeat a given item once. If you fail the “condition”, the situation becomes very difficult and usually leads to the need to repeat the whole year or be crossed out.

Do I have to pay for the board exam?

The board exam itself is free of charge. However, if you do not pass it and have to take a conditional entry, you will pay for ECTS credits according to the university’s price list.

Can I take a condition in my final year of study (bachelor’s/master’s)?

Yes, but keep in mind that you cannot proceed to defend your thesis until you have completed all the subjects covered by the study plan. A condition in the last semester usually postpones the defense deadline to the fall or the following year.

What about a student ID card after a failed year?

If you are repeating a year and have student status, your ID will be extended. If you are crossed out, you must return it, which means that you will lose discounts on ZTM Gdańsk, ZKM Gdynia and SKM rides.

How do I check the cost of 1 ECTS credit at my university?

Search Google for the phrase: “[Nazwa Uczelni] table of fees for educational services”. At the Gdańsk University of Technology, this data is transparently provided in the Moja PG system in the financial section.

Does dean’s leave save you from probation?

The dean’s office can be the solution if you know you won’t be able to handle the session for random reasons. There is a “dean with the right to pass courses”, which allows you to slowly catch up without losing your student status.

Remember that thousands of graduates of Gdańsk universities, who today work in prestigious companies such as Olivia Centre or Gdynia Waterfront, had at least one condition on their account. The key to success is not infallibility, but the ability to efficiently navigate academic procedures.

Did you fail? You have 48 hours to grieve, and then:

1. Check the ECTS limits.
2. Calculate the costs.
3. Write a solid application.
4. Learn and change your learning method.

The Tri-City offers great opportunities, and studies are only one of the stages. Don’t let one “two” in the USOS system obscure your broader perspective.

Hidden costs and administrative pitfalls

When the emotions after a failed session subside, you have to face the “hard” administration. At universities such as the Gdańsk University of Technology or the University of Gdańsk, IT systems are merciless, but knowing the regulations, you can avoid the worst.

1. IOS (Individual Organization of Studies) as a rescue under the condition

Few people know that if you have a condition (especially from an item that blocks others – the so-called sequence of items), you can apply for IOS.

• Why is it important? If you failed, for example, “Mathematics 1”, and in the next semester you have “Mathematics 2”, which you cannot enroll in without passing the first part, IOS allows you to participate in classes with a promotion with the consent of the lecturer.
• In the Tri-City, IOS procedures are often supported by Student Governments (e.g. the UG Students’ Parliament) – it is worth looking there for application templates that go through “a specific dean”.

2. Student loan and a failed year – a financial trap

If you use a student loan (popular among students renting apartments in Gdańsk’s Morena or Zaspa), failing to pass a year is a critical situation.

• You must notify the bank of the repetition of the year within 30 days.
• Consequence: The Bank suspends the payment of tranches. Resumption takes place only after passing the stage of study. If you fail to do so, you may be called upon to immediately repay the entire amount with interest.

3. The problem of “Debt collection” at non-public universities

Are you studying at WSB Merito or WSAiB in Gdynia? Remember that there the system of fees for ECTS credits is combined with a civil law contract.

• Failure to pass the exam and pay the condition on time results not only in deletion, but in the immediate transfer of the case to the debt collection department.
• Advice: If you know that you will not be able to pay for a condition (e.g. PLN 1200 for a difficult programming project), apply for the fee to be divided into installments. Tri-City private universities almost always play into the hands of students who communicate problems before the payment deadline.

“Transfer” strategy: Is it better to repeat the year or change universities?

Sometimes failing an exam is a signal that a given field of study or teaching system does not suit you. In the Tri-City, you have a unique “soft landing” option.

Transfer with program differences

Instead of paying for a condition at Gdańsk Tech, many students consider switching to a non-public university.

• Advantage: You can transfer courses that have already been passed (ECTS credits stay with you).
• Program differences: Your new university will assign you subjects to catch up, but this often avoids losing an entire year. In Gdańsk and Gdynia, non-public universities often conduct mid-year (winter) recruitment, which is an ideal solution if the winter session at a public university turned out to be a disaster.

Medical Issues and Appeals – Legal Aspects (KPA)

The Dean’s decision to remove students from the list is an administrative decision. It is subject to the Code of Administrative Procedure.

1. Will the “retroactive” sick leave work?

If the reason for failing the exam was health problems, you can request that the exam date be reinstated.

• You must do this within 7 days of the cause ceasing (e.g. the end of the disease).
• In Gdańsk, medical commissions and dean’s offices are very sensitive to “bought” exemptions. If you use psychological or psychiatric help (which is becoming more and more common and less stigmatized in the Tri-City), a certificate from a specialist about a depressive episode or severe anxiety is taken very seriously.

2. Appeal to the Rector – what mistakes should not be made?

When appealing against the Dean’s decision to the Rector (e.g. UG or Gdańsk Tech), do not write about the fact that “the exam was difficult”.

• Focus on procedural avoidances (e.g. lack of information about the results within the deadline provided for in the regulations) or a special random situation.
• In the Tri-City, rectors rarely question the substantive assessment of a lecturer, but often overturn decisions due to formal errors of the dean’s offices.

Erasmus+ and failed exam

For many students from the Tri-City, going on Erasmus is a must. What if you have a condition?

• Most faculties of the University of Gdańsk and Gdańsk Tech block the possibility of leaving for people with failed subjects from previous years.
• If you fail the exam while on an exchange (e.g. in Spain), you must return part of the scholarship if you do not obtain the minimum number of ECTS credits specified in the contract (usually 15-20 ECTS per semester). This is a huge cost (even several thousand euros).

Rescue Plan” after the unsuccessful session in the Tri-City

If you just shut down with a score of 2.0, follow these steps in order:

1. Download the syllabus of the course – check if the rules of the credit were in line with what the lecturer did.
2. Check the balance of the ECTS sub-account – do you still have a “reserve” for the condition?
3. Submit a request for an insight into the work – you have the right to do so! Sometimes a mistake in summing up points separates you from passing.
4. Get an idea of the costs – check the current rate for 1 ECTS at your faculty (you can find it in the university’s BIP).

Expert complement

Can I repeat only one semester and not the whole year?

Yes, at most universities in Gdańsk (especially at the University of Gdańsk) there is a semester settlement. If you do not pass the subjects only from the winter semester, you can apply for a repeat semester, which allows you to return to study as early as February of the following year.

How long does it take to make a decision on a condition?

The dean’s office usually has 14-30 days to process the application. During this time, you have student status and should normally attend classes from the next semester (with the permission of the lecturers).

Do I have to give up my ID card immediately after being removed from the list of students?

The decision to delete must become final (i.e. the time for appeal must have expired). Only then do you lose the right to the card. Remember that unauthorized use of SKM discounts after the deletion date may result in a high fine during the inspection.

What if I can’t afford to pay for the condition?

Apply for a deferral of payment or to divide it into installments. Justify it with a difficult financial situation. In Gdańsk, students often attach certificates from the Municipal Family Support Center (MOPR), which significantly increases the chances of success.

Your future doesn’t depend on one assessment

The Tri-City is a region of enormous opportunities, where determination counts more than a crystal clear index. Failing an exam at the Gdańsk University of Technology or the University of Gdańsk is a lesson in humility and crisis management – skills that will be key in your future work in Gdańsk IT, the Port of Gdynia or Sopot business.

Act quickly, stick to the procedures and don’t be afraid to ask questions at the dean’s office. Good luck!