Gradebook · Arab World
Arab World University Supplementary Exam Policy
Supplementary exam practices vary significantly across the Arab world. Egypt offers a Complementary Exam (امتحان تكميلي) capped at the pass mark for borderline failures. Saudi Arabia provides resit exams with the full grade range. Lebanon institutionalises a Deuxième Session (Second Session / الدورة الثانية) for all failed first-session courses every September. Jordan offers a resit exam once per academic year. This page compares eligibility, timing, grade caps, and distinction impact across four Arab countries, with guidance on OpenEduCat's per-country supplementary workflow.
Supplementary Exam Policies by Arab Country
Eligibility, timing, grade cap, and distinction impact for Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, and Jordan.
Egypt
امتحان تكميلي (Imtihan Takmili) — Complementary Exam
- Eligibility
- Students who narrowly fail (typically 40–49%) may be offered a complementary examination at the faculty's discretion. Students who fail due to academic misconduct are not eligible.
- Timing
- Held at the start of the following semester, or during a dedicated supplementary period (typically September for summer exams, February for winter exams).
- Grade replacement
- The complementary exam result replaces the original fail grade. The pass mark achieved in the complementary exam is typically recorded as the minimum pass (50%) rather than the actual score, at most Egyptian public universities.
- Grade cap
- Capped at the minimum pass (50%) at most public universities (Cairo, Ain Shams, Alexandria). Some private universities allow the full score.
- Maximum attempts
- Usually one complementary examination opportunity per failed course. Failing the complementary exam requires repeating the year or the course in the following academic year.
- Impact on distinction
- Any complementary exam on record disqualifies the student from Imtiyaz (Distinction) graduation citation.
Saudi Arabia
امتحان إعادة (Imtihan I'ada) — Resit Exam / اختبار تعويضي (Ikhtiyar Tawdi) — Makeup Exam
- Eligibility
- Students who fail a course (below 60%) may resit in the next available examination period. Medical excuse (إعذار طبي, I'dhar Tibbi) allows a makeup exam for missed sittings without grade cap.
- Timing
- Resit exams are offered once per academic year at most Saudi universities, typically at the end of the semester following the failure. Medical makeup exams are scheduled within the same semester.
- Grade replacement
- Resit result is recorded; failing grade is replaced by the resit result if it is a passing score. Medical makeup exam replaces the original absent grade entirely with no grade cap.
- Grade cap
- Resit: result is the actual resit score (not capped) at most Saudi universities, unlike Egypt. Medical makeup: full grade range available.
- Maximum attempts
- Typically two resit opportunities before the course must be repeated by re-enrolment. Ministry of Education regulations govern maximum attempts per programme.
- Impact on distinction
- A failing original grade replaced by a resit pass may or may not affect Mumtaz eligibility depending on the university. Universities that require a clean first-attempt record will block Mumtaz for any resit student.
Lebanon
Deuxième Session / دورة ثانية (Dawra Thaniya) — Second Session
- Eligibility
- Students who fail the first session (الدورة الأولى, Dawra Oula) are eligible for the second session (deuxième session). Both French-tradition and Arabic-tradition Lebanese universities use this two-session structure.
- Timing
- First session: June/July. Second session: September. This two-session calendar is institutionalised in Lebanese higher education across both university traditions.
- Grade replacement
- The second session result replaces the first session fail on the official transcript. If the student passes the second session, the course is recorded as passed. If the student fails both sessions, the course must be repeated.
- Grade cap
- No cap at most Lebanese universities — a student can achieve the full score range in the second session. Some universities apply a cap of the minimum pass mark; check the specific institution's regulations.
- Maximum attempts
- Two sessions per academic year. A student who fails both sessions must repeat the course (re-enrol) in the following year.
- Impact on distinction
- A student who passes in the second session has cleared the fail, but distinction (Très Honorable / Imtiyaz) typically requires a first-session pass record at most Lebanese universities.
Jordan
امتحان إعادة (Imtihan I'ada) — Resit Exam
- Eligibility
- Students who fail a course (below 60%) are offered a resit opportunity. The resit is typically available once per course per academic year. Medical excuse cases may qualify for a makeup exam in the same period.
- Timing
- Resit exams at Jordanian universities (University of Jordan, JUST, Yarmouk) are held at the end of the semester following the failure, or during a dedicated resit period in August/September.
- Grade replacement
- Resit result replaces the failed grade on the academic record. The GPA is recalculated using the resit result in place of the original fail.
- Grade cap
- No standard grade cap across Jordanian universities — the resit result is the actual achieved score. Individual universities may cap at the pass mark; verify with the specific institution.
- Maximum attempts
- Usually two resit attempts before mandatory course withdrawal. The Ministry of Higher Education sets maximum repeat limits for degree completion requirements.
- Impact on distinction
- Resit results on the record typically prevent Mumtaz (Excellent) distinction at graduation, even if the recalculated GPA reaches the threshold.
Policies vary between individual universities within each country. Always verify with the specific institution's academic regulations before advising students.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about supplementary and makeup exam policies across Arab world universities.
Automate Arab world supplementary exam workflows
OpenEduCat pre-configures country-specific supplementary exam rules — Egyptian complementary exam with grade cap, Lebanese two-session calendar, Saudi and Jordanian resit tracking — with GPA recalculation and distinction eligibility checks built in.