Failing Medical School at the University of Copenhagen? Exams, Dismissal and Transfer (2026)
12.10.2026
Short answer
Failing medical school at the University of Copenhagen? Three attempts, the first-year exam, the 4-year limit, dispensation, appeals and a transfer abroad.
Failing medical school at the University of Copenhagen
Key facts
- Three attempts per exam at the University of Copenhagen (§ 4, stk. 2, Exam Order).
- A fourth attempt only by dispensation for unusual circumstances (§ 4, stk. 4).
- First-year exam in Medicine: 15 ECTS, to be passed by the end of the first study year.
- Bachelor in Medicine: 180 ECTS, to be finished within four years of starting.
- Teaching and exams in the Bachelor are in Danish.
- Sick report: within 5 weekdays after the exam day, with a doctor's declaration.
- Complaint about a grade: in writing within 2 weeks after the grade is announced (§ 38).
In short: Failing medical school at the University of Copenhagen means running out of exam attempts or missing a deadline. The rules are three attempts per exam, a 15 ECTS first-year exam in the first year and a four-year limit for the Bachelor. Medschool Experts organises transfers from the University of Copenhagen to partner universities in Europe; the consultation is free.
The Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences at the University of Copenhagen runs the Bachelor and the Master's in Medicine. Both follow the national Executive Order on Examinations (Eksamensbekendtgørelsen, currently Executive Order no. 1121 of 19 September 2025) and the curriculum of your intake. Most students pass without drama. This guide is for the ones who have a failed exam behind them, or see one coming.
Exam attempts at the University of Copenhagen
In short: At the University of Copenhagen you have three attempts to pass each exam. An exam you have passed cannot be retaken. Skipping a registered exam without a valid sick report uses up an attempt. A fourth attempt is only possible through a dispensation from the study board.
Your first attempt is registered automatically when you enrol in the course. Registering for the re-exam follows the periods published by the university. If you stay away from an exam without a timely sick report, the attempt counts as used. The same applies if you do not meet a set prerequisite for the exam (§ 4, stk. 3).
Students who are deregistered from the programme for the relevant semester cannot sit exams in that semester (§ 5, stk. 3). Check your registration before every exam period.
| Rule | What applies at the University of Copenhagen | Consequence |
|---|---|---|
| Attempts per exam | 3 (§ 4, stk. 2) | Fourth attempt only by dispensation (§ 4, stk. 4) |
| First-year exam | 15 ECTS passed by the end of year 1 | Right to a new attempt lapses; at least two attempts before disenrolment (§ 30, stk. 4) |
| Sick report | Within 5 weekdays after the exam day | Attempt does not count |
| Maximum study time | Bachelor 4 years; Master's 4 years | Disenrolment unless the study board grants dispensation |
| Complaint about a grade | In writing within 2 weeks (§ 38) | Late complaints need unusual circumstances |
First-year exam in Medicine at the University of Copenhagen
In short: In the Bachelor in Medicine at the University of Copenhagen the first-year exam is worth 15 ECTS: Lægeliv, sundhedsvæsenet og hjerte-lungeredning (2.5 ECTS) and the exam in head, neck, musculoskeletal system and embryology (12.5 ECTS). You must pass both by the end of your first study year.
Section 4 of the Bachelor curriculum (2024) says that if you have not passed by that date, the right to a new exam attempt lapses. The Executive Order adds a safeguard: before a student can be disenrolled, they must have had the chance to sit the first-year exam at least twice (§ 30, stk. 4). The study board can extend the deadline if unusual circumstances exist (§ 30, stk. 5; curriculum § 4, stk. 3).
This is the deadline that surprises people most. It does not wait for your third attempt. If you are ill in the ordinary exam period and fail the re-exam, the first year can be over after two sittings.
Free transfer consultation
First-year exam not passed? Check your options now
Medschool Experts are experts in exactly this situation. We help with the whole application process abroad and aim for no loss of time. Every case is checked individually, and the consultation is free.
Book a free transfer consultationMaximum study time for Medicine at KU
In short: The Bachelor in Medicine at the University of Copenhagen has 180 ECTS over six semesters of 30 ECTS and must be finished no later than four years after you start. The Master's in Medicine, also normed at 180 ECTS, has the same four-year limit. The study board can extend both in unusual circumstances.
Two further details matter. The Master's admits Copenhagen Bachelor graduates with a legal right when the degree is less than three years old. For other applicants, the qualifying Bachelor exam must not have been passed more than five years before the start of the first Master's semester; the admissions committee can waive this in special circumstances.
The Bachelor has no group exams, and teaching and exams are in Danish. Danish is a real factor in pace for students who came from abroad or switched from another programme.
Sick leave and special exam conditions at KU
In short: If you are ill on an exam day at the University of Copenhagen, you must report it within 5 weekdays after the exam day through the e-form Sygemelding til eksamen on KUnet, with a doctor's declaration. The attempt then does not count. Without a timely report, it counts as used.
For a written digital exam, you end the exam in Digital Eksamen by choosing the option Forladt eksamen. The answer is then not assessed, and the doctor's declaration follows within 5 weekdays.
Students with a documented disability can apply for special exam conditions. The study board can grant 25 percent extra time, for example for documented dyslexia. A handwritten answer is possible if a doctor documents that you cannot sit a computer exam; apply four weeks before the exam. The Executive Order also allows special conditions for students with a physical or mental impairment, as long as the academic level of the exam does not change (§ 6).
Dispensation for a fourth exam attempt
In short: The University of Copenhagen can grant a fourth exam attempt if unusual circumstances exist (§ 4, stk. 4, Exam Order). Whether you are suited to the programme may not be part of the assessment. The study board handles applications for dispensation; the dean decides practical arrangements.
Unusual circumstances are personal, documented and outside your control: your own serious illness, serious illness or a death in the close family, or comparable events. A hard exam is not one of them.
A strong application does three things. It explains why each earlier attempt failed. It links a doctor's statement to exactly those exam periods. And it shows why another attempt can succeed now. For the broader Danish picture, including Odense, Aarhus and Aalborg, read our guide Failing Medical School in Denmark.
Complaints, appeals and disenrolment at the University of Copenhagen
In short: A written complaint about an exam grade at the University of Copenhagen must reach the university within 2 weeks after the grade is announced (§ 38, stk. 1, Exam Order). A late complaint is only considered in unusual circumstances. If all attempts are used and no dispensation is granted, you are disenrolled.
A complaint can concern the exam format, the basis of the assessment or the grading. Plan it as soon as you see the grade, because two weeks pass fast. Disenrolment (in Danish udskrivning or udmeldelse) follows when your right to another attempt has lapsed and no dispensation has been granted.
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Second attempt gone? Plan before the third
We aim for no loss of time, with entry into a higher year where your profile allows. For exactly this case we have several partner universities in Europe. Send us your transcript and we tell you where you stand.
Check my transfer optionsWhy students get stuck in Medicine at KU
In short: Students who fail an exam at the University of Copenhagen are rarely lacking ability. Typical reasons are pace, the volume of the first year, exam anxiety, illness, a family crisis or a learning difference. The first year is dense, and one missed exam can set the whole timeline.
Medicine at Copenhagen is a demanding programme with a large first-year block in anatomy and embryology. A student who loses six weeks to illness may not recover them before the re-exam. That says something about the calendar, not about future doctors.
If dyslexia or ADHD plays a part, special exam conditions can change the picture. If the reason is health, leave and treatment are legitimate tools. And if the programme simply does not fit your life right now, a different university can.
I started dental medicine in Sofia in 2015, at 24, years after most of my classmates, and graduated in 2021. A slower start says nothing about the doctor you become.
Switch early: when to leave the University of Copenhagen
In short: If you are a student at the University of Copenhagen and exams keep going wrong, switching early is usually better than switching late. A transfer while you still have an attempt left and a clean record saves time. Medschool Experts organises the transfer; the consultation is free.
- You have used two attempts on one exam.
- The first-year exam is not passed and the year is ending.
- You are waiting for a decision on a dispensation.
- The four-year limit for the Bachelor is close.
- You have already been disenrolled.
If one of these applies, book a free transfer consultation now rather than after the next exam.
Next four weeks after a failed exam at KU
- Week 1: count your used attempts for every open exam. Note the deadline for the first-year exam and the four-year limit.
- Week 1 to 2: check the 2-week complaint deadline for the grade. Meet student guidance.
- Week 2 to 3: see your doctor and collect documentation that covers the exam periods. If you were ill, confirm the sick report was filed within 5 weekdays.
- Week 3 to 4: order your transcript in English and collect the course descriptions of every passed course.
- Before the next attempt: book a free transfer consultation and compare staying with a planned transfer.
Transfer abroad from the University of Copenhagen
In short: A transfer from Medicine at the University of Copenhagen to an English-taught medical school abroad is possible, and Medschool Experts organises it. We aim for no loss of time: entry into a higher year where the profile allows. Every case is checked individually, and the consultation is free.
A study transfer is a complicated undertaking. Every university checks hours, content and syllabi in its own way, and the documents have to arrive in the right form. Our experts have almost ten years of experience with study transfers worldwide, and therefore plan and carry out the transfer with confidence.
For exactly this case we have several of our 25+ partner universities in Europe. Medschool Experts helps with the whole application process, from the first review of your transcript to enrolment. A transfer can save the medical career, not only the semester.
The passed ECTS on your transcript are your most valuable asset. Receiving universities assess your passed courses, so keep every course description and your exam record.
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Continue Medicine without losing a year
Send us your transcript. We check which partner universities accept your courses and which year you can enter. Free and without obligation.
Book a free transfer consultationReturning to Denmark with a medical degree from the EU
In short: A medical degree from another EU or EEA country is recognised in Denmark under Directive 2005/36/EC. The Danish Patient Safety Authority (Styrelsen for Patientsikkerhed) issues the authorisation. Medschool Experts chooses partner universities with your route home in mind; the consultation is free.
Recognition applies to Medicine as a regulated profession with harmonised training requirements. That is why the choice of university matters, and why we plan the way home from the first day.
Costs of continuing Medicine abroad
In short: It does not have to be expensive. English-taught Medicine and Dentistry at our partner universities start from €1,750 tuition per semester (about DKK 13,000). Pharmacy starts from €1,500 per semester and Veterinary Medicine from €3,000 per semester. Medschool Experts explains the full costs in the free consultation.
Studying at the University of Copenhagen carries no tuition for EU students, but a disenrolment costs the degree. Compare the price of a transfer with the price of lost years. Living costs in many partner cities are well below Copenhagen.
How Medschool Experts helps students from the University of Copenhagen
Medschool Experts reviews your transcript and course descriptions in a free consultation, finds partner universities that fit your profile, prepares the application and documents, and organises the move. More than 500 students have been placed so far. The first step is always a free transfer consultation.
The author's view
I started dental medicine in Sofia in 2015, at 24, and graduated in 2021. I am a federally recognised dentist and the founder and owner of Medschool Experts. Students from Copenhagen who write to us often believe that a failed exam has measured whether they can be a doctor. It has measured one exam, in one calendar, at one university. The deadlines at the University of Copenhagen are strict, so use the time before them. Plan the next step while an attempt is still left. That is when the most doors are open.
Summary
Failing medical school at the University of Copenhagen is decided by a few hard rules: three attempts per exam, a 15 ECTS first-year exam to be passed in the first study year, and four years at most for the Bachelor. A fourth attempt needs a dispensation for documented unusual circumstances, and a complaint about a grade must be filed within two weeks.
A transfer to a medical school abroad is possible, and Medschool Experts organises it. We aim for no loss of time, check every case individually and work with 25+ partner universities in Europe. The consultation is free.
Conclusion
Do not wait for the last attempt to find out your options. Send us your transcript and we tell you which partner universities fit your profile and which year you can enter. Book your free transfer consultation.
Failing medical school at the University of Copenhagen: 9 questions and answers
How many times can I retake an exam at the University of Copenhagen?
You have three attempts per exam at the University of Copenhagen (§ 4, stk. 2, Executive Order on Examinations). A fourth attempt is possible only by dispensation for unusual circumstances.
What happens if I fail the last attempt at the University of Copenhagen?
If no dispensation is granted, you are disenrolled from the programme. Apply to the study board for a fourth attempt before that, with documentation of the unusual circumstances.
What is the first-year exam in Medicine at the University of Copenhagen?
It is worth 15 ECTS: Lægeliv, sundhedsvæsenet og hjerte-lungeredning (2.5 ECTS) and the exam in head, neck, musculoskeletal system and embryology (12.5 ECTS). You must pass both by the end of your first study year.
How long may the Bachelor in Medicine at the University of Copenhagen take?
No longer than four years from the start of your studies. The study board can extend the limit in unusual circumstances.
When must I report sick for an exam at the University of Copenhagen?
Within 5 weekdays after the exam day, using the e-form Sygemelding til eksamen on KUnet, with a doctor's declaration. The attempt then does not count.
How long do I have to complain about an exam grade at the University of Copenhagen?
Two weeks after the grade is announced, in writing (§ 38, stk. 1). Start on the day you see the grade.
Can I transfer from the University of Copenhagen to another medical school?
Yes. Medschool Experts organises transfers from the University of Copenhagen to partner universities in Europe. Every case is checked individually, and the consultation is free.
Will I lose a year if I transfer from Medicine at the University of Copenhagen?
Not necessarily. We aim for no loss of time, with entry into a higher year where your profile allows. Medschool Experts checks your transcript in the free consultation.
How much does it cost to continue Medicine abroad?
English-taught Medicine and Dentistry start from €1,750 tuition per semester, Pharmacy from €1,500 and Veterinary Medicine from €3,000 per semester. Medschool Experts explains the details in the free consultation.
Who helps with a medical school transfer from the University of Copenhagen?
Medschool Experts. Our experts have almost ten years of experience with study transfers worldwide and handle the whole application process abroad.
What students say about Medschool Experts
Over 500 placements at 25+ partner universities across 10+ countries. See how our students experienced their path into medical school abroad in our student stories.
About the author
Marcel Kloos
Founder and owner of Medschool Experts, federally recognised dentist
Marcel Kloos is the founder and owner of Medschool Experts, a placement agency for medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine and pharmacy degrees abroad. Since 2021 the team has secured more than 500 study places at 25+ partner universities in Europe and worldwide.
Study medicine abroad: Marcel's own path
Born in Stuttgart, Marcel started his degree late: at 24 he enrolled at the Medical University of Sofia, Faculty of Dental Medicine, and graduated in 2021 from the English-language programme. He went through the same steps his clients face today — nostrification of school certificates, entrance interviews, finding a flat in Sofia and later the recognition of a foreign degree. He is a federally recognised dentist.
What Marcel does at Medschool Experts
Today Marcel lives in Bern and runs Medschool Experts full-time. He visits every partner university in person, negotiates placement agreements directly with faculties and deans, and leads the free consultations in which applicants learn at which university they can start next semester. His YouTube channel on studying medicine abroad has helped thousands of applicants compare universities, costs and recognition.
Topics Marcel writes about
- Study medicine abroad independent of your high school diploma grades: universities, costs and admission
- Study dentistry, veterinary medicine or pharmacy in Europe in English
- Tuition fees and living costs at medical schools in Europe and worldwide
- Recognition of foreign medical degrees in the EU, Switzerland, the UK and the US
- Transferring between medical schools and returning home into a higher semester
All articles by Marcel Kloos are based on first-hand visits to the universities and conversations with current students. Book a free consultation to discuss your own path.
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