Disability compensation and hardship
How Nachteilsausgleich and hardship decisions relate to academic rulesets — accommodations vs attempt-limit exceptions, user-level assignments, and exam-office practice.
Disability compensation (Nachteilsausgleich) and hardship decisions adjust how a student sits examinations or, in some board decisions, how attempt budgets apply. Fuxam does not provide a separate “Nachteilsausgleich” switch on the ruleset. Accommodations (extra time, aids, alternative formats) are typically handled as sitting conditions and exam requests. When a board also changes attempt ceilings, institutions usually model that with a user-level ruleset assignment that carries different limits.
This chapter keeps those layers distinct so equal-opportunity offices, exam offices, and examiners share one mental model.
Why it matters
Universities must ensure equal participation without quietly rewriting the examination regulations for an entire cohort. Mixing “extra time on the day” with “one additional failed attempt” into a single informal email produces inconsistent attempt tabs and legal risk. Rulesets give you a clean place for numeric exceptions; operational accommodations stay with the sitting and request workflows.
How it fits
| Layer | Typical content | Where it lives in Fuxam practice |
|---|---|---|
| Sitting accommodation | Extra time, separate room, assistive technology, alternative format | Exam organization / exam requests — not a ruleset attempt field |
| Attempt-limit exception | Additional failed or passed attempts | User-assigned ruleset version with different ceilings |
| Deadline / withdrawal exception | Late withdrawal for medical hardship | Case process; see Appointment and withdrawal deadlines |
| Program default | Ordinary PO for everyone else | Study program or cohort ruleset |
Key concepts
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Nachteilsausgleich (domain) | Compensation for disadvantage — adjusted conditions so the student can demonstrate competence fairly |
| Hardship (Härtefall, domain) | Exceptional personal circumstances that may justify process or limit exceptions |
| Sitting accommodation | Changes how the exam is taken, not necessarily how many times |
| Limit exception | Changes Maximum passed attempts and/or Maximum failed attempts for one student |
| User assignment | Highest-priority ruleset connection — overrides cohort and program |
| Fallback | After removing a user assignment, cohort then program then defaults apply |
What rulesets change — and what they do not
| Decision type | Usually changes ruleset limits? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Extra time / breaks | No | Organize on the sitting; document in the case file |
| Assistive aids / separate room | No | Logistics and invigilation |
| Alternative exam format | No (unless the board also changes attempt rights) | May involve a different exam offering; still not a silent program-ruleset edit |
| One additional failed attempt | Yes — user-level max failed | Keep program ruleset intact for peers |
| Extension of improvement rights | Yes — user-level max passed | See Grade improvement |
| Permanent waiver of a module attempt rule | Rare / legal — if granted, model carefully with dated user assignment and review | Prefer explicit validity and removal dates |
Worked examples
Example A — Extra time only
A student receives 25% extra time. Staff record the accommodation for the sitting and handle logistics. The program ruleset stays unchanged; attempt tabs match peers. No user-level ruleset is required.
Example B — Extra failed attempt after board decision
The examination board grants one additional failed attempt. Staff:
- Create or reuse a narrowly scoped ruleset version with Maximum failed attempts one higher than the program rule.
- Assign it to the user (priority 1).
- File the board reference and a review date.
- Verify attempt usage in OrgHub → Programs → Users and on a sample exam in My Exams.
When the exception ends, remove the user assignment and read the fallback confirmation carefully. See Assignment priority.
Example C — Hardship late withdrawal
A medical certificate justifies withdrawal after the normal withdrawal deadline. That is usually a process exception for one sitting, not a permanent change to the cohort’s deadline field. Do not rewrite the program Withdrawal deadline for one case.
Example D — Accommodation plus limit exception
Same student needs both extra time and a higher failed ceiling. Treat them as two deliverables: sitting logistics and a user-level ruleset. Mixing both into an informal note without a ruleset assignment leaves examiners with the wrong attempt tabs.
Example E — Forgotten user assignment
Months later, peers show “2/3 attempts used” while one student shows “2/4”. Check the Academic ruleset column. If the board decision expired, remove the user assignment so fallback restores the cohort or program rule.
How to apply a limit exception
Confirm the written board or disability-office decision (what changes: sitting conditions, attempt limits, or both).
If only sitting conditions change, organize the accommodation and exam requests — leave the program ruleset alone.
If attempt limits change, prepare a ruleset version with the approved Maximum passed attempts and/or Maximum failed attempts.
Assign that version to the user via the version connections page or OrgHub → Programs → Users.
Verify the effective ruleset and attempt tabs, then schedule removal when the exception expires.
Decision table
| Question | If yes… |
|---|---|
| Does the student need different conditions on the day? | Sitting accommodation / exam request — not a cohort ruleset rewrite |
| Does the board change how many times they may fail or pass? | User-level ruleset with new ceilings |
| Should peers keep the old PO? | Never edit the shared program version for one person |
| Is the exception time-bounded? | Diary a removal date; confirm fallback on removal |
| Is permanent failure already reached? | Extra attempt (if granted) still needs a higher failed ceiling on the effective ruleset before eligibility returns |
Best practices
- Separate accommodations from ceilings — two checklists, one case file.
- Paper-trail every user assignment — treat it like an individual regulatory decision.
- Never “fix” equality by editing the program ruleset mid-cohort.
- Sample attempt tabs after assignment and after removal.
- Coordinate offices — disability / equal-opportunity advises; exam office owns ruleset connections and permanent-failure communication.
- Read How exam attempts work so staff understand permanent failure before granting extra attempts.
Common pitfalls
| Pitfall | Impact | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Raising program max failed for one student | Entire cohort gains attempts | Use user assignment |
| Accommodation without documenting the sitting | Invigilators unaware | Pair ruleset work with operational briefing |
| Leaving expired user assignments | Permanent wrong tabs | Review and remove with fallback check |
| Confusing hardship withdrawal with limit changes | Wrong field or wrong process | Deadlines vs attempt ceilings are different levers |
| Assuming Nachteilsausgleich auto-raises limits | Eligibility unchanged | Only a user ruleset (or equivalent process) changes ceilings |
FAQ
Does Nachteilsausgleich automatically change attempt limits?
No. Documented Fuxam behavior is that disability compensation does not by itself change attempt ceilings. Limit exceptions are typically modeled with a user-level ruleset assignment.
Where do I assign an individual exception?
On the ruleset version Connections, or via the Academic ruleset column in OrgHub → Programs → Users. See Assignment priority.
What about exam requests for accommodations?
Use the Exam Center request workflows for operational sitting changes. See Handle exam requests.
Can a user assignment reverse permanent failure?
If a board grants a further attempt, the effective ruleset must carry a higher Maximum failed attempts than the student has already consumed. Verify with How exam attempts work before communicating eligibility.
Related pages
- Assignment priority — user overrides cohort and program
- Configure attempt limits — passed and failed ceilings
- How exam attempts work — permanent failure and domain vocabulary
- Appointment and withdrawal deadlines — hardship withdrawals
- Handle exam requests — operational accommodation requests
- Academic rulesets — section overview