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In the event of an illness, a sick note (Krankschreibung) - including the doctor’s stamp and signature - must be submitted to the Examination Office without delay, i.e. within three days at the latest (the first day being the day of the examination). If a sick note is not submitted to the Examination Office in due time, a medical certificate (ärztliches Attest) must be submitted. To ensure that a specific certificate is submitted, the examination boards provide a form. Care must be taken to ensure that the certificate is completed correctly, in particular that it includes the practice stamp and the doctor’s signature.

Since the start of 2023, it is no longer necessary to print out the certificate for the employer on a regular basis. Contract doctors are now only required to print out the sick note for the employer in exceptional cases, at the patient’s request. This is particularly important for the unemployed, students, and school pupils, as it is not yet possible to receive employer details digitally in these cases. The cost of issuing the employer’s copy where required is included in the insured person’s flat-rate fee or the basic flat-rate fee.

As a general rule, the decision as to whether an illness constitutes a valid reason for not sitting an exam is made by the Examination Board.

Special conditions apply to interruptions during an examination (illness during an examination); these can be enquired about from the Examination Board.

In the event of an additional oral exam or an oral assessment, or in the case of a colloquium, the examiner must be informed that the examination cannot take place due to illness.

Special provisions for the examination formats ‘"presentation (with written paper)" and/or “term paper”: Whilst, in the case of written examinations, a doctor’s note is, in practical terms, equivalent to withdrawing from the examination, this is not the case for examinations in the form of a presentation or term paper. Instead, it is possible to apply for an extension to the submission deadline. Applications for extensions must be made to the relevant Examination Board and supported by a doctor’s certificate.