Academic rulesets
Versioned academic policy bundles that govern attempt limits, grading schemas, grade weights, credit requirements, deadlines, and related exam rules — and how they override defaults for programs, cohorts, and students.
Academic rulesets are versioned policy bundles that control grading schemas, module attempt limits, grade weights, credit-point requirements, appointment and withdrawal deadlines, and related academic rules. Assign rulesets to study programs, cohorts, or individual students to override global defaults.
In university language, a ruleset is how FuxamCMS encodes parts of your examination regulations: how many times a student may pass or fail a module, which rating scale applies, how module and final grades combine, which credit thresholds matter for progression, and which deadlines govern appointments and withdrawals. Manage rulesets at Settings → OrgHub → Academic Rulesets (also available as a section on Settings → OrgHub → Exam Center).
For a full conceptual walkthrough of resits, counters, workflows, and permanent failure, see How exam attempts work.
Why it matters
Examination regulations rarely apply one identical policy to every student. Bachelor and master programs differ; a continuing-education cohort may allow fewer resits; an individual student may hold an exception for disability compensation or a board decision. Without rulesets, institutions either hard-code one global default or scatter exceptions in spreadsheets that examiners cannot see when grading.
Rulesets give you:
- Consistent attempt economy — passed and failed limits that examiners see as attempt tabs and attempt usage in My Exams
- Comparable grading — shared schemas, documented weights, and rounding instead of ad hoc scales
- Auditable change — new versions with validity periods so mid-year policy changes do not silently rewrite history
- Clear precedence — assignment priority decides which bundle wins when program, cohort, and user assignments conflict
- Deadline discipline — appointment selection and withdrawal windows aligned with your Prüfungsordnung
How this fits into Fuxam
Rulesets sit between academic structure and live exams. They do not create exams by themselves; they shape eligibility, scales, weights, credit expectations, and deadlines for students who take exams derived from modules and exam types.
| Related area | Relationship |
|---|---|
| Study programs and cohorts | Primary places to attach program- or cohort-wide policy |
| Exam types | Define attempt workflow (auto reattempt vs reassessment period); rulesets supply numeric limits and schemas |
| How exam attempts work | Lifecycle of eligibility, counters, workflows, and permanent failure |
| Grade and manage an exam | Attempt tabs and grading controls reflect resolved policy |
| Curricula / Modules | Modules carry examination requirements and ECTS; rulesets govern attempt policy and related grading configuration |
Key concepts
| Concept | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Ruleset | Named container for policy (for example, “Bachelor Engineering 2024”) |
| Version | A dated configuration snapshot with its own validity period and settings |
| Assignments / connections | Links from a version to study programs, cohorts, or users |
| Effective ruleset | The single ruleset resolved at runtime for a student |
| Attempt limits | Maximum passed and failed module attempts — see Configure attempt limits |
| Attempt lifecycle | Eligibility → sitting → pass/fail → next attempt or permanent failure — see How exam attempts work |
| Resit / retake (domain) | Later sittings after failure or broader re-assessment. Fuxam models eligibility via attempt limits plus exam-type attempt workflow |
| Grading schema | Which rating scale applies to graded exams |
| Module and final weights | How module vs. final grades combine (must sum to 100% on the version) — see Grade weighting |
| Required credit points | Progression / workload threshold on the version — see Credit-point requirements |
| Appointment and withdrawal deadlines | Days before alternative dates lock and before withdrawal closes — see Appointment and withdrawal deadlines |
| Assignment priority | User overrides cohort overrides study program overrides defaults |
How rulesets override defaults
Each student has an effective ruleset resolved at runtime. When no ruleset applies, Fuxam uses built-in defaults (for example, three passed and three failed module attempts).
Rulesets affect:
- Maximum passed and failed module attempts — see Configure attempt limits and How exam attempts work
- Grading schema — which rating scale applies to graded exams
- Module and final grade weights — how module vs. final grades combine
- Credit-point requirements and exam appointment / withdrawal deadlines
- Rounding behavior — generic decimal or rating-schema-based rounding
- Custom fields — institution-specific policy values
Ruleset structure
| Level | Description |
|---|---|
| Ruleset | Named container (for example, “Bachelor Engineering 2024”) |
| Version | A dated configuration snapshot with its own validity period and settings |
| Assignments | Links from the version to study programs, cohorts, or users |
When you update policy, create a new version rather than editing a version already in use — this preserves history for students assigned under earlier versions.
Worked example — one program, two intakes
| Entity | Assigned ruleset version | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Study program B.Sc. Informatics | “PO 2024” — max failed 3, auto-aligned exam types | Default for all students on the program |
| Cohort 2025/26 (transitional) | “PO 2022 transitional” — max failed 2 | Overrides the program ruleset for that intake only |
| One student with board decision | “Exceptional further attempt” — higher failed ceiling | Overrides both program and cohort for that user |
Resolution order is always user → cohort → study program → defaults. Full detail: Assignment priority.
In this section
Create a ruleset
Add a new academic ruleset with an initial version.
Edit a ruleset
Update versions, grading configuration, and connections.
Configure attempt limits
Set module attempt limits and understand the override hierarchy.
How exam attempts work
Lifecycle, counters, workflows, worked examples, and permanent failure.
Assignment priority
How Fuxam resolves which ruleset applies to each student.
Grade weighting
Module and final weights, rounding, and how grades combine.
Credit-point requirements
Required credit points, ECTS context, and progression framing.
Appointment and withdrawal deadlines
Appointment selection lock and withdrawal windows on a version.
Grade improvement
Notenverbesserung, passed limits, and best vs last attempt.
Disability compensation and hardship
Nachteilsausgleich, hardship, and user-level exceptions.
Academic misconduct
Täuschung, failed attempts, and permanent-failure ceilings.
Roles and responsibilities
| Role | Typical responsibility |
|---|---|
| Academic administration / exam office | Own ruleset design, versions, and program-level assignments |
| Program lead | Confirm the correct ruleset for each study program and major regulation change |
| Cohort coordinator | Request cohort overrides when an intake needs different limits or scales |
| Student administration | Apply or remove individual user assignments for documented exceptions |
| Examiner | Does not edit rulesets day to day, but must understand how limits appear as attempt tabs when grading |
| Disability / equal-opportunity office | Advise on accommodations; exam office often models limit exceptions via user assignments |
Where to start
- Create a ruleset with a named initial version.
- Edit the version — grading schema, weights, credit points, deadlines, custom fields.
- Configure attempt limits and read How exam attempts work so numeric caps match your resit statute.
- Set grade weighting and credit-point requirements from the regulation text.
- Confirm appointment and withdrawal deadlines and exam-type workflows still match reassessment policy.
- Assign via assignment priority — program first, then cohort, then individual exceptions.
- Spot-check a sample exam in My Exams for attempt tabs and attempt usage.
Related pages
- How exam attempts work — deep chapter on the attempt lifecycle
- Configure grading scale — rating schemas assigned through rulesets
- Create an exam — how max attempts appear on exam instances
- Exam Center and reporting — parent section overview
- LMS grading and analytics — course grades are not substituted by rulesets; formal attempt policy lives here in CMS