The way exams are conducted at Italian universities may differ from that in other countries. Furthermore, as there are several exam sessions, students must register for their preferred one on the ESSE3 platform.
How do exams work in Italy?
In Italy, university exams are held at various times throughout the year in sessions called 'appelli'. You can take the same exam several times: if you fail or wish to improve your grade, you can choose not to accept the result and take the exam again in a subsequent session. A course may consist of one or more modules, each of which has its own exam.
Depending on the course, exams can be oral, written or a combination of both. Oral exams take the form of an interview with the lecturer, and you will receive your mark immediately. Written exams may include open questions, exercises or tests, and you will receive your mark at a later date. Some courses offer exemptions or partial exams during the semester. If you pass these, they count towards the final exam.
Grades can be expressed in two ways: out of 30, or as a pass/fail.
- For exams out of 30, you must obtain at least 18/30 to pass. The maximum grade is 30/30, sometimes with honours. After the exam, you can either accept or reject the mark and retake the exam in another session. If you do not pass the exam, your mark will not be recorded. If you wish to have a record of the failed mark, you must ask the professor for a certificate immediately after the exam.
- Pass/fail exams do not involve a numerical assessment, only passing or failing. Therefore, you will not have a numerical mark on your transcript of records.
To take the exam you must register on ESSE3 before the specified deadline. Without registration, you will not be permitted to take the exam. In some cases, attendance is also mandatory, meaning that you must attend classes in order to be eligible to take the exam.
When registering for an exam, you will usually be required to complete a teaching evaluation questionnaire. You can find the guide below.
How do I register for the exam on ESSE3?
Log in to your ESSE3 account using your UNIPR username and password. From the hamburger menu, select 'Exams', then 'Exam sessions' to find the exam you want to take. Click 'Register'. If you have completed the procedure correctly, you will receive a confirmation email.
Remember that you can only register for exams that have an open blue book icon. If you see a red circle with a line through it, it means that you cannot register for that exam. Check the registration period. If it is open and you have already completed the questionnaire, contact the lecturer to ask how to proceed.
From the 'Booking Notice Board' menu, you can then find a summary of the exam sessions you have registered for.
Guide to registering for exams
Guide to registering for partial exams
Partial exams and recording of results
Your Learning Agreement may include modules that form part of an integrated exam.
If a course consists of several modules, you may be able to take an exam for each one. In such cases, you can register for either the individual module exams or the overall course exam.
However, to have your mark recorded, you must always register for the overall appeal session. When registering, remember to write 'Verbalizzazione' (Recording) in the note to the lecturer so that they can correctly record the mark you have already obtained.
Please note: if you enrol in a second appeal session after passing the exam without providing the lecturer with the note “Verbalizzazione”, your mark will be rejected, even if you do not attend.
Tip: If you only have to take one module that forms part of an integrated exam, it is advisable to show your Learning Agreement to the lecturer to confirm which exam you are taking.
The Transcript of Records (ToR)
The Transcript of Records is an official document listing the exams taken, credits earned, and grades achieved during the mobility period. It is essential for accrediting exams at the home institution.
For further details, please refer to the dedicated page. Transcript of Records.
FAQ – Exams and enrolment for the appeal session
Everything you need to know about recording grades and the Transcript of Records.
If you passed the exam with a numerical grade (from 18 to 30), you will find it recorded in your Transcript of Records (ToR).
No, if your mark is below 18 it will not be included in your Transcript of Records, as it is not considered a pass.
If you still want written proof of the exam you took, you must ask the lecturer for a certificate immediately after the exam.
If you have not taken an examination specified in your Learning Agreement, it will not be recorded in your Transcript of Records.
It is not necessary to remove the activity from your Learning Agreement.
If you have completed an activity and received a 'suitable' assessment (i.e. without a numerical mark), this will still be included in your Transcript of Records.
However, no number will be indicated, as in Italy 'suitable' simply means that the activity has been passed without indicating a mark out of thirty.
Check that you have registered for an exam session on ESSE3. If you have taken an exam but it is not registered, it may not have been officially recorded.
Firstly, please check that you have sent the Learning Agreement (or its update) with all the necessary signatures to the Erasmus Office.
If you have only just sent the form with the LA changes, wait a few days; the courses are only uploaded to ESSE3 after the official deadlines.
Remember that changes are only possible within the official deadlines. If you have any questions, please contact the Erasmus and International Office.
After the examination, your grade will be published on the ESSE3 results board. This process can sometimes take a few weeks, so please be patient.
