Every year, thousands of students discover on their report cards mentions whose meaning remains unclear. The two acronyms that raise the most questions are AJ (postponed) and DEF (failing). Both results indicate a failure, but their causes and administrative consequences diverge on one specific point: attendance or absence from the exams.
Failing at university: the determining role of absence from exams
The mention DEF (failing) is awarded as soon as a student has not taken at least one exam that is part of the semester. It doesn’t matter if the other exams were passed with good grades: a single absence is enough to trigger failure for the entire semester, or even for the year.
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The point that escapes many students concerns the nature of the absence. Several universities specify in their regulations that failure applies in cases of both unjustified absence (ABI) and justified absence (ABJ). A medical certificate does not automatically protect against the DEF status. The rules vary by institution, but the basic rule remains the same: no exam submitted, no calculable grade, therefore failure.
In practical terms, a failing student does not have an average for the semester in question. The calculation of compensation between semesters becomes impossible, as there is a missing numerical value. Understanding the difference between postponed and failing allows for anticipating administrative consequences before the resit session.
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Postponed in bachelor’s or master’s: a failure on the average, not on attendance
The mention AJ (postponed) concerns a student who has taken all their exams but whose average remains below the validation threshold. In both bachelor’s and master’s programs, this threshold is generally set at 10/20, with exceptions depending on the programs (some UE impose a minimum grade).
The postponed student has a complete report card. Their results are included in the calculation of semester and annual compensation. If the average of one semester is below 10/20 but the other semester compensates sufficiently, the student may be declared admitted by compensation (ADMC) for the year.
This compensation mechanism does not exist for the failing student. This is the most significant difference between the two statuses: the postponed student retains all their grades, while the failing student has a gap in their record.
Resits: different rights depending on the status
Both postponed and failing students have access to session 2 (resits), but not under the same conditions. The postponed student knows exactly which subjects to retake: those where their grade is below the required threshold. They can target their preparation.
The failing student, on the other hand, must first take the exams they missed to obtain a grade in each subject. As long as this gap is not filled, no average can be calculated. The resit session then becomes a mandatory step, not just an opportunity for improvement.
- The postponed student retakes the exams where their grade is insufficient to improve their overall average.
- The failing student must take the missing exams so that their semester can be evaluated.
- In both cases, the best grade between session 1 and session 2 is generally retained, according to the knowledge control methods of each university.
AJAC status: when postponement does not prevent progress
An unknown provision complicates the binary reading of postponed/admitted. The AJAC (postponed allowed to continue) status allows a student to enroll in the higher year while retaining a debt on certain UE or unvalidated semesters.
The AJAC student follows two years in parallel: the courses of the higher year and the resits of the remaining subjects. This mechanism exists in the majority of bachelor’s programs, with varying conditions (minimum number of validated ECTS credits, for example).
This status is only accessible to postponed students. A failing student, lacking complete grades, generally does not meet the criteria to benefit from it. Again, attendance at exams conditions the available options.
Consequences on re-enrollment
Some programs, especially distance learning ones, impose a strict schedule: in case of failure or postponement in session 1, re-enrollment for the following year may be blocked until the publication of the results of session 2. A student who already knows they will not attend the resits remains, nonetheless, in administrative limbo. This delay can postpone the choice of course or reorientation.
University results: how to check your status on the report card
Report cards display standardized acronyms, but their presentation varies from one university to another. Here are the most common mentions and their meanings:
- ADM (admitted): the semester or year is validated, the average is greater than or equal to the required threshold.
- ADMC (admitted by compensation): the semester average is insufficient, but annual compensation allows validation.
- AJ (postponed): all exams have been taken, the average is insufficient, the student can attend session 2.
- DEF (failing): at least one exam has not been taken, no average is calculated for the semester.
- AJAC (postponed allowed to continue): the year is not validated, but the student can enroll in the higher year under conditions.
In case of doubt, the educational secretariat of the component remains the only reliable contact. The exam regulations and knowledge control methods, available on the ENT or the university’s website, detail the validation thresholds and the compensation rules specific to each program.
The distinction between postponed and failing comes down to a question of attendance at exams, but its ramifications affect the calculation of the average, access to resits, semester compensation, and possibilities for progression to the higher year. Checking your report card as soon as the results are published allows you to act before administrative deadlines reduce available options.