Failing Medical School in Iceland? What to Do After Two Failed Exam Attempts (2026)
02.10.2026
Short answer
Failing medical school in Iceland? Two exam attempts used, exemption refused or no place after the entrance exam: your options and the way back as a doctor.
Two attempts
In short: Under Article 57 of the Regulation for the University of Iceland (No. 569/2009) a student may sit the exam in each course twice. Faculties can hold special resit exams after the regular exam periods in December and in April to May. A third attempt is only possible with an exemption.
Sick exams exist for students who were ill on the exam day and reported it with a medical certificate in time. An exam missed without notice can count as a used attempt.
In Medicine the courses build on each other. One course that cannot be passed stops the progression to the next year.
| Point | Rule in Iceland |
|---|---|
| Attempts per course | 2, under Article 57 of Regulation No. 569/2009 |
| Third attempt | Only by exemption from the faculty |
| Medical faculties in the country | 1 |
| Entrance exam | Once a year, ranked, limited places |
Exemption
In short: After two failed attempts you can apply to the Faculty of Medicine for an exemption. The faculty looks at documented reasons such as illness and at your overall record. If it refuses, you can take the decision to the university's appeals committee for student complaints.
- Ask for the exam review: you have the right to an explanation of your grade, and an external examiner can be appointed on request.
- Document early: certificates should date from the time of the exam.
- Special arrangements: with dyslexia, ADHD or a chronic illness the student counselling centre arranges extra time before the next exam.
Entrance exam
In short: Admission to Medicine in Iceland runs through an entrance exam held once a year at the University of Iceland. Only a fixed number of the best-performing candidates earn a place. Whoever leaves the programme would have to win that competition again.
Many capable Icelanders never get a place this way, which is why Icelandic students have studied Medicine in other European countries for decades.
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Second attempt ahead? Check your options before you sit it
We transfer you to English-taught medical schools in EU countries whose degree is recognised in Iceland. In a free consultation we check which of them accept your passed courses and plan your route back to Iceland.
Book a free transfer consultationWhy students get stuck
In short: Medical students in Iceland who fail rarely lack ability. They won a place in a yearly entrance exam that most candidates do not pass. The usual reasons are burnout, depression or anxiety, a family crisis, paid work beside the programme, exam anxiety and an undiagnosed learning difference.
With only two attempts, one bad winter is enough. A student who is ill in December and unprepared in the resit has used both chances within a few months.
None of this means you chose the wrong profession. I started dental medicine in Sofia in 2015, at 24, and graduated in 2021. A slower start says nothing about the doctor you will become.
Switch early
In short: In Iceland the best moment to transfer is after a first failed attempt in a course you doubt you can pass, while you are still enrolled. After a refused exemption a transfer abroad is still possible.
- You have failed a course once and the resit is weeks away.
- You have failed twice and need an exemption.
- You are a year behind your class.
- You did not get a place in the entrance exam and do not want to lose another year.
If one of these applies to you, book a free transfer consultation now rather than after the next exam.
Next four weeks
- Week 1: check in Ugla how many attempts you have used per course and when the resits are held.
- Week 1 to 2: ask for an explanation of your grade and talk to the head of studies of the faculty.
- Week 2 to 3: if anxiety, low mood or reading speed play a part, contact the student counselling centre and ask about special arrangements.
- Week 3 to 4: order your transcript in English and collect the course descriptions of all passed courses.
- Before the second attempt: book a free transfer consultation and compare the resit with a transfer and a planned return to Iceland.
Transfer to the EU
In short: A transfer from the University of Iceland to an English-taught medical school in an EU country is possible, and Medschool Experts organises it. The receiving university assesses your transcript and course descriptions. Which universities fit you, and which year you can enter, depends on your profile.
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 exactly the right form. Our experts have almost ten years of experience with study transfers, and we regularly achieve placements into higher years, at times Year 4 or Year 5.
The Icelandic Student Loan Fund also lends for degree studies abroad, tuition included.
Free transfer consultation
Transfer abroad, return to Iceland: check your options
Send us your transcript. We tell you which EU universities accept your courses, which year you can enter and how your route back to Iceland looks, step by step. Free and without obligation.
Check my transfer optionsReturning to Iceland
In short: Yes, you can come back. Directive 2005/36/EC applies in the whole European Economic Area, so a medical degree from an EU country is recognised in Iceland. The Directorate of Health grants your medical licence, and you can then work and start specialist training.
There is no knowledge test for these degrees, and as an Icelandic speaker you already meet the language side of the job. What matters is that your degree gives full access to the profession in the country where you graduate, and we choose your university with exactly that in mind.
Free transfer consultation
Plan your way back to Iceland from day one
Your licence from the Directorate of Health depends on where and how you graduate. We choose your university with exactly that in mind and show you the timeline in a free consultation.
Book a free transfer consultationCosts
In short: The University of Iceland charges only a registration fee of roughly €500 a year, but living in Reykjavík is among the most expensive in Europe. Tuition at European medical schools starts at about €3,500 a year, and living costs in many Central and Eastern European cities are €5,000 to €8,000.
How we help
Medschool Experts reviews your transcript and course descriptions in a free transfer consultation, finds EU medical schools that fit your profile, prepares the application and the documents, and plans your route back to Iceland. More than 500 students have been placed so far. The first step is always a free transfer consultation.
The author's view
A country with one medical faculty leaves its students no plan B at home. I think that is why Icelanders were among the first in Europe to treat studying Medicine abroad as a normal route and not as a detour.
I started dental medicine in Sofia in 2015 at 24 and graduated in 2021. Two attempts per course would have made me nervous too. If the second one is coming up and you are not sure, find out first what your passed courses are worth elsewhere.
Summary
Failing medical school in Iceland comes down to two attempts per course at the country's only medical faculty. A third attempt depends on an exemption, and the entrance exam is a yearly competition, not a safety net.
A transfer to an English-taught medical school in an EU country is possible, the degree is recognised in Iceland, and the Directorate of Health grants your licence. We plan that route home with you from the first day.
Conclusion
Do not sit a second attempt without knowing your alternative. The transfer consultation is free, and it shows you which EU universities accept the courses you have already passed and how you come back to Iceland as a doctor. Book your free transfer consultation.
Failing medical school in Iceland: 6 questions and answers
How many exam attempts do I have at the University of Iceland?
Two per course. Article 57 of the Regulation for the University of Iceland allows a student to sit the exam in each course twice. A further attempt requires an exemption from the faculty.
What happens if the exemption is refused?
You cannot pass the course, and because the courses in Medicine are compulsory and build on each other, you cannot continue the degree.
Can I simply sit the entrance exam again?
The entrance exam is held once a year and admits only the best-ranked candidates. It is a new competition with no guarantee, and it would restart the programme.
Can I transfer to a medical school in an EU country?
Yes. Medschool Experts organises transfers to English-taught medical schools in EU countries. The receiving university assesses your transcript and course descriptions, and the year of entry depends on your profile.
Is a medical degree from an EU country recognised in Iceland?
Yes. Directive 2005/36/EC applies in the whole European Economic Area, and the Directorate of Health grants your medical licence.
Does the consultation with Medschool Experts cost anything?
No. The transfer consultation is free and without obligation.
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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