The University of Copenhagen has annulled the results of a major medical examination taken by around 300 graduate students, after discovering that parts of the test had been mistakenly reused from an earlier exam. The decision, communicated in an email from the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences (Det Sundhedsvidenskabelige Fakultet), affects students who sat for the exam on 22 June 2025 in internal medicine, surgery, pathology, anaesthesiology and patient safety.
According to Jørgen Kurtzhals, pro-dean at the faculty, the reuse of previous exam material was a “deeply regrettable error” and contravened internal guidelines designed to ensure academic quality and fairness. “We risk that students are not treated equally and that the exam does not guarantee the necessary academic standards,” he wrote in a statement.
New exam date disrupts summer break
Students will now have to retake the exam on 8 August 2025, directly in the middle of the summer holiday period, or choose to defer it to 23 January or 19 February 2026. For many, this has led to frustration and disrupted personal plans. Mikkel Marquard, a 33-year-old medical student, told Danish broadcaster TV 2 that after twelve intense days of studying up to 12 hours a day, he had finally looked forward to his summer break. “It was simply the culmination of all that exam stress. I just thought: ‘Yes!'”
His relief was short-lived. “It’s simply too much,” Marquard said, criticising the university for not informing students earlier or involving them in discussions about the solution. “I don’t understand why we have to bear the consequences of their negligence.”
University defends the decision
In a written response to media inquiries, Kurtzhals said he has “enormous sympathy” for the students and understands that the situation is frustrating, especially given the impact on their summer holidays. However, he stressed that with three exam papers having been reused by mistake, cancelling the original exam was the only viable option to uphold the university’s academic integrity.
The university has assured that the annulled exam will not count as an examination attempt, and that students can continue their autumn studies without delay. The faculty is also tightening its procedures to avoid similar incidents in the future.
Broader context of exam integrity
This incident highlights broader challenges that universities face in maintaining exam integrity and equal assessment standards, particularly in highly competitive fields like medicine. While the University of Copenhagen has apologised and promised stricter controls, the case raises questions about how institutions can balance administrative errors with students’ right to predictable and fair education paths.
