Everything you need to know about the transition rules (BA-MED)

(Disclaimer, this is NOT an advocature for you to stop trying to get your ECTS from this year!)

Ah, sweet april 5th, I remember it as if it was only 2 months ago… This was the first day of blok 2.5 (1.5 for year one) but it was also the day I started my countdown until the summer holidays! Only 13 more weeks and I would have survived another year! That is, if I would pass all my exams and papers. But what would happen if I didn’t? And what would (taking old auntie ‘Rona in mind) be the consequences? 

First, the year one students. On April 8th, an announcement was posted with the transition rules for this academic year. It stated that the progress test was made formative and therefore only 52 out of the 60 ECTS can be obtained in year 1. The transition rule is therefore adapted to “28 ECTS, of which at least 25 from block examinations year one and a Progress test analysis in your EPASS.” But what does this really mean?

For each eight-week-course, you can obtain 7 ECTS, for every four-week course you can obtain 4. To reach the 25 necessary to pass to year two, this means you must at least pass three big courses and one small course. This is, if you also get at least 3 points out of other activities, such as the clinical skills or the assessment of your EPASS. You could also pass the four big courses to obtain all the necessary ECTS. 

Then, the second year students. In the same announcement the rules about transition for year two to three were also mentioned. Now this is where it get’s complicated, because they had to take our missing points from year one in account as well. Again, the progress test was formative, so only 52 out of the 60 ECTS of year 2 can be obtained. As a result, the transition rule was adapted to “28 ECTS of year 2 and 60 of year one. If you failed 2.4 or 2.5 it’s 28 of year 2 and 53 of year 1. If you failed 2.4 and 2.5 it’s 28 of year 2 and 46 of year one. A progress test analysis is obligated.” Let me elaborate on this.

The stable factor is the 28 ECTS of year 2. This means that you could either pass all your big courses, or three big courses and the two small ones to conditionally pass to the next year. In contrast to year one, it is not specified how many of these points should be from course exams. As a result, you could also obtain all the points for your portfolio (16) and then pass 2 big courses. 

Next to that, there is the complicated construction about 2.4 and 2.5. This specifically only applies to second year students that entered this year in 2020/2021, because only the students in this category are missing the points from 1.4/1.5. For those who did not pass 2.4 or/and 2.5, they have taken in account that you also did not receive the points from year one (2×7). This allows you to conditionally move on to year three with respectively 53/46 points from year one.

Last but not least, year three. This announcement was placed on May 27th. In order to proceed to the master’s programme, you get some breathing room as well. Not as much as year one and two, but still better than nothing. The announcement stated “All ECTS from year 1 and 2. 48/60 ECTS from year 3. All clusters of year 3 are obtained.” Some practical notes: deficiencies from year 2 will be compensated in the clusters of year three. The May progress test will be used to assess if you obtain the year 2 ECTS for the progress test. 

By passing all clusters you are already on 40 ECTS. Add the progress test to that and you are already almost there. Only 4 more point from your portfolio and you are allowed to start your master’s program. The only condition to that is that you obtain the remaining of the ECTS before January first 2022. 

Now that we got that clear, here is some advice from students who had to take resits:

  1. Start in time with learning for the resits. The longer you wait, the deeper you have to dig for the information
  2. Take a look into the future. If you don’t pass 1.2 (Circulation I) for example, you have to do it again after taking 2.1 (Circulation II) which can work in your advantage. If you fail 1.1 (Growth I) you have to take it before 2.2 (Growth II) which can be a disadvantage.
  3. If you have multiple resits, try to find out which ECTS you need, in order to conditionally pass to the next year. It can be easier to pass 1 or 2 and the last one the next year, than to pass them all at once.
  4. Think about the consequences of not passing the resit. It will build up on your workload of the next year. Do you think you can handle that? Or do you feel better about staying a freshman for an extra year, to be able to start fresh on year two, a year later?

But most important: If you have multiple resits, go talk to a study advisor. They can help you decide on a strategy.

I hope you all found this article helpful. I wish you the best of luck with the home stretch and a very nice summer. 

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