Examinations and grading

A credit  (ainepunkt or AP in Estonian) at Estonian universities is earned through 40 hours of work. A 3-credit course represents 180 hours of acceptable work. The time may be spent in various combinations of classroom, laboratory, library, off-campus and at-home work.

The volume of a curriculum per official standard academic year is 60 credits. Credits are allocated to course units and are awarded to students who successfully complete the course by satisfying the assessment requirements.

Since September 1, 1999 academic achievement at universities is graded under two systems: A-B-C-D-E-F and Pass-Fail system. Regular examinations (eksam in Estonian) use a scale ranging from A (highest) to F (fail). The scale is defined as follows:

Prelims or Pass-Fail examinations (arvestus in Estonian) award the student either a pass or a fail.

A transition to the evaluation scale of the ECTS requires an amendment to the relevant regulation of the Minister of Education presently in force.

Comparison of the two grading systems, ECTS and national, is the following:

Students usually have to take up to six oral or written examinations at the end of each term during the four-week examination session. If failed, students are allowed to resit the examinations twice.