Examinations and academic record

The procedure of module examinations is regulated in the General Regulations and the Study Program Regulations at the Faculty of Science. The most important regulations are also listed ibelow. Oral exams usually take 20 minutes, while written exams take 2 hours. At the beginning of the semester, the responsible faculty member in each module states what kind of examination there will be. This faculty member is also responsible for the content and conducting of the module exam and should be available for questions regarding the exam.
In the modules in experimental physics (PHY210 Solid state physics, PHY211 Nuclear and particle physics I, PHY213 Nuclear and particle physics II), module grades are composed of 75% module exam grades and 25% lab grades. To pass these modules, both the grades in the exam and in lab must be passed.
In addition, students may be required to complete further records of performance (such as completing practice problems). The responsible faculty member will determine these at the beginning of the semester.
In modules without a module exam, records of performance may be conducted during lecture periods such as an ungraded attendance exercise or a test.

Dates

The weeks in which the compulsory and elective exams take place are listed in the table of the attendance of the lecture-free period. The exact examination schedule is published each summer by the faculty https://www.mnf.uzh.ch/de/studium/wie-studieren/pruefungen.html

Postponement of exams (only for students who have not received a joker)
Since HS21, it is possible to move the examination date for some modules to the repetition period. You must postpone an exam to the repetition period online on the MNF homepage in the Studies section. You have until the end of the cancellation period to do this. For fall semester modules, that is the end of November, and for spring semester modules the 1st week of May. Exact deadlines are listed in the lecture calendar for each module under "Organization". These deadlines are binding. Any prerequisites for admission to the module examination (exercises etc.) must be fulfilled independently of the examination date.
In physics this concerns the modules
MAT 111 Linear Algebra I
MAT 121 Analysis I
PHY 311 Mechanics
PHY 312 Mathematical Methods in Physics I
PHY 331 Quantum Mechanics I
PHY 321 Electrodynamics
PHY 322 Mathematical Methods of Physics II

Repetition

A module exam that was not passed can be taken over once, but only once. If a student does not pass a module exam for a compulsory module on his or her second try, he or she will be barred from continuing studies in any program for which this module is compulsory. If a student does not receive a passing grade for an elective module on his or her second try, he or she may replace the course with a different module. Elective modules can always be replaced with a different module after repetition.
If you should not pass a module exam, you will receive a registration form for the repeat exam along with your results. The registration form will inform you of the date by when you must enter a binding registration for the exam. If you do not register in time, you will have to retake the whole module and may repeat the exam only once more. Upon request, you may be allowed to repeat the exam of a single compulsory module a second time. This does not apply to the bachelor’s thesis.

Modules with lab courses

For the modules PHY210 Solid State Physics, PHY211 Nuclear and Particle Physics I, and PHY213 Nuclear and Particle Physics II, the module mark is averaged from the module examination mark with weight 3 and the lab course mark with weight 1. For the module to be passed, both the grade of the module examination and the internship grade must be sufficient.

What are module examinations? How are they conducted?

A module exam is a written or oral exam on the material covered in a module. The responsible facultymember decides whether the exam will be written or oral. Module exams are graded on the standard scale of 1 through 6 (half grades are possible). If the grade for the entire module is 4 or higher, students receive credit for the module. If the grade is lower than 4, students will not receive credit. The grade from a module exam is calculated into the final grade of your bachelor or master’s diploma in proportion to how many credit points it was worth.

Do I have to register for individual module exams? Can I cancel my registration?

Once you have registered for a module, you are automatically signed up for the respective module exam. However, you may drop the module, including the exam, without explanation up until the cancellation deadline. The exact cancellation deadline is provided in the Course Catalogue.

Will I receive an invitation for each of my module examinations?
Not necessarily. You will not receive an invitation to written exams. The responsible faculty member will provide the necessary information for written exams. The responsible faculty member must also announce the time and date of oral module examinations. In addition, the administration at the physics institutes will send you an invitation to oral module exams at the physics institute.
When are the module examinations held?
The first exams of the fall semester will be held in the calendar weeks (CW) 51 and 2 to 6. The first exams of the spring semester will be held in the calendar weeks 22 to 28. Repeat exams are not necessarily held during the exam periods. Usually they are scheduled during CW 35 to 37. The calendar weeks for individual module exams are listed in the guidelines or the program regulations. The exact dates of module exams are coordinated by the Office of Student Affairs and their date, time and location will be published in the course catalogue.
How and when will I receive the results of my module examinations?
Following every exam period, a commission of faculty members validates results. Students can view their results on a personal account prior to this.
What are my possibilities for repetition?
A module exam that was not passed can be taken over once, but only once. If a student does not pass a module exam for a compulsory module on his or her second try, he or she will be barred from continuing studies in any program for which this module is compulsory. If a student does not receive a passing grade for an elective module on his or her second try, he or she may replace the course with a different module. Elective modules can always be replaced with a different module after repetition.
If you should not pass a module exam, you will receive a registration form for the repeat exam along with your results. The registration form will inform you of the date by when you must enter a binding registration for the exam. If you do not register in time, you will have to retake the whole module and may repeat the exam only once more. Upon request, you may be allowed to repeat the exam of a single compulsory module a second time. This does not apply to the bachelor’s thesis.
What happens if I fail to attend an exam or a repetition exam? What should I do in this case?
Anyone who fails to attend a module exam will fail the module. The Faculty may allow for exceptions where there are good reasons or a doctor’s attestation. If this is the case, you must hand in a written request including necessary papers or attestations with the dean’s office at latest five days after the exam. In general, you will need to retake you exam on the date for repetition exams of the respective module.
How are performance controls conducted in modules for which no exam is intended?
In this case, the responsible faculty member is in charge of the situation. Their choice will be recorded in the Lecture Catalogue with Commentary. Even without an exam performance may be graded. If you are prevented from attending such a performance control because of your health or another important reason, you must contact the responsible faculty member without delay. The responsible faculty member should then determine a date for repetition.

If a performance control is not completed successfully, the regulations for the repetition of an exam apply. If you do not fulfill the requirements of a performance control, you will be given the opportunity for a repetition. Depending on the type of performance control, this may mean that you will have to retake the entire module.
What do we need to know about bachelor or master’s thesis?
A bachelor’s thesis in physics involves working within a research team. Students present their results in a written report and an oral presentation. The bachelor’s thesis is graded. A master’s thesis is expected to take 9 months of work. The thesis consists of advanced research, of which the results must be presented in a written report. The results must also be presented during a presentation within a seminar. The master’s thesis and the presentation will be graded. You may make a second attempt at a thesis with a new topic, but only once. The report must be
written in German or English, or with the permission of your advisor in French or Italian.
Will I receive a bachelor’s or master’s degree automatically if I fulfill the necessary requirements?
No. These degrees are not awarded automatically when the necessary credit points have been earned. First, you must submit a request for completion of the bachelor or master’s program. You will find the necessary forms at www.physik.uzh.ch/en/study/studienberatung/formulare. If you have fulfilled all requirements, the Faculty will award you your title at the next gathering of the Faculty, as long as you submitted the request three weeks beforehand. Otherwise, you will receive your title at the next gathering.

The  Guide to Physics Studies provides comprehensive information about the Bachelor's and Master's programs.