If you fail school in China as an int’l student, 85% get a 3-day warning, 70% courses allow retakes with 65% pass rate, 20% retake with 65% success, focusing on improvement via tutoring and plan adjustment.
Table of Contents
First School Response
According to data from the International Education College of a university in 2023, among students who failed courses, 85% received a written warning notice within 3 working days after the results were announced. The notice included the failed courses, GPA impact, and next steps;
Last year, 12% of international students at the university failed at least 1 course, of which 70% of the courses allowed makeup exams, with a makeup exam pass rate of 65%, and a retake rate of 20%.
Notification and Evaluation
The school notifies students of course failure through dual channels, email and system messages, with delivery completed within 3 working days. The notice clearly specifies the failed course code, teacher’s comments, and GPA deduction (e.g., a deduction of 0.1 GPA for every 1 point below 60).
The evaluation is jointly conducted by the counselor and the course instructor, with 90% of the notices including a preliminary cause analysis (such as insufficient attendance, incomplete assignments, or weak knowledge points). For instance, an international computer science student failed “Data Structures” last year due to 3 missing assignments, and the notice directly pointed out that “assignment submission rate of 40%” was the key.
Makeup Exam and Retake Options
The makeup exam is the preferred remedy, with 70% of failed courses open for makeup exams, usually held 2 weeks before the start of the semester. The exam score needs to reach 110% of the original passing line (e.g., 66 points for a 60-point course). A 65% makeup exam pass rate shows that most students seize the opportunity.
Those who fail or forgo the makeup exam proceed to retaking the course. The highest retake grade is recorded in the GPA, but students need to complete extra class hours.
For example, a student of Chinese Language and Literature failed “Ancient Chinese” and did not pass the makeup exam. After retaking the course and adding 10 sessions of after-class tutoring, they finally scored 78 points, raising their GPA from 2.5 to 2.8.
Warning and Support Activation
Accumulating 2 failed courses triggers an academic warning, which is automatically flagged by the system and referred to the Academic Advising Center.
80% of warned students accept free tutoring. The center groups students by the type of failed course (e.g., science formulas, humanities literature) and arranges for senior students or lecturers from the same major to mentor them.
For example, last year 5 international students who failed more than 2 courses joined a “Calculus + Writing” mutual help group, with collective Q&A sessions 3 times a week. 4 of them passed their makeup exams 3 months later.
Course Retake Path
According to data from the International Education College of a university in 2023, 70% of international students who fail courses prioritize makeup exams, with a makeup exam pass rate of 65%. 20% of those who fail or forgo the makeup exam enter course retakes, and the highest retake grade is recorded in the GPA.
For example, last year, among 35 students who failed courses, 25 passed the makeup exam, 7 met the standard after retaking the course, and only 3 needed to extend their studies. The path is clear, and the key is to follow the steps.
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Makeup Exam Priority 70% of failed students choose the makeup exam, held 2 weeks before the start of the semester, with a score requirement of 110% of the original passing line (e.g., 66 points for a 60-point course)
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Retake Alternative Those who fail or forgo the makeup exam apply for a retake within 1 month, complete an extra 15% of class hours, and the highest grade is recorded in the GPA
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Tutoring Synchronization Retakes are accompanied by academic advising, grouped by weak points (e.g., science formulas, humanities literature), and mentored by senior students
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Warning Tracking Accumulating 2 failed courses is referred to the Advising Center, and 80% accept free support, with collective Q&A sessions 3 times a week
Makeup Exam Rules
The makeup exam is the preferred option for the retake path, applicable to 70% of failed courses, mostly required and foundational courses, with the time fixed 2 weeks before the start of the semester.
A 65% makeup exam pass rate shows that most students seize the opportunity. The score requirement is 110% of the original passing line. For example, after failing “Data Structures,” the makeup exam focuses on assignment mistakes and weak points noted by the teacher. Last year, the pass rate for this makeup exam was 70%.
Those who fail need to apply for a retake within 1 month, or the chance is forfeited. Data shows that students who seek guidance from the instructor 1 week in advance have a 15% higher makeup exam pass rate, indicating that proactive communication is more effective than blind review.
Retake Procedures and Advising Support
The retake procedure is clear. The application must be submitted within 2 weeks after the makeup exam results are announced. The 20% retake rate is concentrated in difficult professional courses such as “Advanced Mathematics” and “Theoretical Mechanics.”
Retake courses are synchronized with the original class but include an extra 15% class hours for Q&A, and the instructor assigns additional basic exercises.
The highest retake grade is recorded in the GPA. One student scored 55 on “Advanced Mathematics” initially, and 78 on the retake, raising their GPA from 2.4 to 2.7.
Regarding advising support, 80% of retake students accept free group tutoring. For example, the “Calculus Mutual Help Group” has 3 problem-solving sessions per week, and last year, the retake pass rate within the group was 85%.
Instructors regularly meet to adjust the plan, which allows 70% of retake students to improve their final grade by more than 20 points compared to the first attempt, effectively reducing the risk of a second failure.
Visa Status Impact
According to tracking data from the International Education College of a university in 2023, 30% of international students who failed courses need to proactively explain their academic situation to the entry-exit department, and 85% of their visa extension applications were approved after supplementing the retake transcript and tutoring records.
The school does not directly inform the visa department, but the failure record will be reflected in the transcript and become a basis for review during visa extension—the visa officer is concerned about whether the GPA meets the standard and whether the failure affects graduation progress, essentially confirming that the student is still capable of completing their studies.
Tracking visa cases of international students who failed courses at a university in 2023 showed that 40% of visa extension applications required supplementary academic proof, and 90% of the supplementary materials focused on the retake pass rate and tutoring records.
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Academic Proof
Accumulating 2 failed courses requires submitting a written improvement plan, clarifying subsequent learning strategies (e.g., increasing tutoring frequency, adjusting course load). Last year, 65% of the improvement plans at the university included a schedule for 3 tutoring sessions per week;
Materials also include the retake transcript (must be marked “Pass”) and attendance records signed by the tutor. The review period is thus extended by an average of 15 days, but 90% of the extension applications are approved.
For example, an international computer science student failed “Data Structures” and submitted a retake transcript of 78 points, 10 tutoring sign-in records, and a plan to “do practice problems 2 hours a day,” and the visa extension was smoothly approved.
Proactive Communication
In cases of severe course failure (e.g., 3 or more failed courses), passive waiting can lead to visa restrictions, while proactive communication can secure room for adjustment.
20% of students with 3 failed courses adjust their visa status by switching majors (e.g., from computer science to Chinese language), as the new major has less course pressure and is easier to meet the standard;
75% of students who take a leave of absence successfully renew their visa. During the leave, they need to submit a study plan for their home country (such as making up high school courses). Upon readmission, a GPA increase of 0.3 or more can restore regular visa extension.
Students who proactively contact the International Education College and the local entry-exit administration have a 40% higher visa extension success rate than those who wait passively—for example, last year, 5 students who failed more than 3 courses explained their intention to switch majors 3 months in advance, and 4 of them ultimately received a 1-year visa extension observation period.
Available Academic Help
Tracking by the International Education College of a university in 2023 showed that 85% of students who failed courses received at least one type of academic help, and 70% of them improved their grades by more than 10 points after the help, with the core being targeted intervention to remedy shortcomings.
- One-on-one Tutoring Provided by senior students or lecturers from the same major. 80% of the tutoring is grouped by subject weakness (e.g., science formulas, humanities literature). Last year, 65% of recipients improved their assignment correctness rate by 25%, and reflection on incorrect problems must be submitted after each session;
- Group Mutual Help Teams are formed based on failed courses (e.g., “Calculus + Data Structures” group), with collective Q&A sessions 3 times a week. 75% of group members pass the final makeup exam, and notes and practice problem banks are shared within the group;
- Resource Library Support Provides access to past exam papers, specialized practice problem sets (e.g., “HSK Writing Templates,” “Programming Real Exam Questions”). 90% of resources have monthly views exceeding 500 times, and the download rate for mistake notebooks is 60%;
- Online Tools Provides recorded lecture playback (key chapters), AI assignment grading (for grammar-type assignments). 55% of students spend 2 hours a week doing specialized practice problems, and the system automatically pushes exercises for weak points;
- Instructor Consultations Instructors offer 1 appointment slot every two weeks. 40% of students who consult clarify their knowledge blind spots, and classroom interaction rate increases by 30% after adjustment.
Tutoring
Academic advising is divided into one-on-one and group formats, with the core being “remedy the weak spot.” 90% of one-on-one tutoring is provided by senior students from the same major. Having recently experienced the same courses, they can accurately point out pain points such as “stuck on recursive algorithms” or “confusion with ancient Chinese function words.” Last year, the average GPA increased by 0.2 after tutoring;
Group tutoring forms teams based on failed courses. For example, students who failed “Ancient Chinese” are paired with excellent students in “Modern Chinese.” 80% of the groups improve understanding by correcting each other’s assignments.
Tutoring frequency is twice a week, 90 minutes each session, and those with a 95% attendance rate have a higher pass rate.
The school assigns tutors based on the type of failed course. Science subjects focus on formula derivation practice, and humanities focus on literature analysis frameworks. For example, helping a student who failed “Macroeconomics” sort out the steps for drawing the “IS-LM model,” using campus consumption data as an example, which is more effective than rote memorization.
Resource Library
The resource library contains 500 sets of past exam papers and 20 types of specialized practice problem sets (e.g., “100 Data Structures Algorithm Problems”). 65% of recipients spend 2 hours a week doing specialized practice problems, and the review rate for incorrect problems is 90%;
Online tools provide recorded lecture playback (key chapters marked in red) and AI grammar grading (supporting both Chinese and English). 55% of students reduce their grammar errors by 40% after using AI to grade their essays.
The effectiveness data is evident: students who use the resource library have a makeup exam pass rate of 75%, which is 30% higher than those who rely on self-study alone.
For example, an international computer science student, after completing the “Dynamic Programming” practice problem set, improved their makeup exam score from 50 to 82. The key was thoroughly understanding the solutions to the 30 similar problems in the bank.
Peer Mutual Help and Instructor Consultations
75% of peer mutual help groups consist of 3-5 people, sharing notes and predicting key exam topics. Members’ final GPA increases by an average of 0.3;
Instructor consultations are held once every two weeks. 40% of students who consult clarify habit issues such as “zoning out in class” or “assignment procrastination,” and attendance rate improves from 60% to 90% after adjustment.
Last year, 5 students who failed more than 2 courses joined the “Calculus + Writing” mutual help group and had weekly consultations with an instructor. 4 of them passed their makeup exams 3 months later.
Adjustment Choices
According to tracking data from the International Education College of a university in 2023, 35% of international students who failed courses proactively choose an adjustment path, and 60% of those who adjust ultimately improve their GPA by 0.3 or more:
- Switching Majors Applicable when the original major does not match abilities (e.g., weak in math choosing computer science). Requires submitting an interest and ability assessment report. The application approval rate is 40%, and the average GPA increases by 0.4 after success;
- Leave of Absence Due to short-term excessive pressure (e.g., anxiety from multiple course failures). Duration is 3-6 months. Requires submitting a study plan for the home country during the leave. 75% of students who return to school improve their GPA by 0.3;
- Grade Reduction Moving from sophomore to freshman year, retaining earned credits. The pass rate is 70%, suitable for those with weak foundations needing to rebuild;
- Transferring Transferring to an institution of the same or lower level. The application success rate is 25%, requiring an acceptance letter from the target school and a release letter from the original school;
- Minor Adjustment Taking a minor in a less difficult course outside the original major to balance credits. Last year, 20% of students who failed courses used this method to alleviate pressure.
Switching Majors Option
Upon application, students need to submit an interest assessment, analysis of the reasons for failing in the original major, and pre-requisite course grades for the new major. Data from a university in 2023 shows that 40% of major change applications were approved, with the highest success rate of 55% for switching from computer science to Chinese language, as the latter has lower math requirements and emphasizes literature analysis.
After successfully switching, students need to make up foundational courses for the new major, taking an average of 2 semesters. However, 85% of those who switch majors improve their final GPA by 0.4 compared to their original major. For instance, a student who failed Physics and switched to Chinese Language and Literature scored 82 points in “Ancient Chinese,” raising their total GPA from 2.5 to 2.9.
The failure rate drops by 30% within 1 year after switching majors, clearly showing the positive impact of improved compatibility on academic performance.
Leave of Absence and Readmission
15% of students who failed courses choose a leave of absence, typically lasting 3-6 months. They need to submit a study plan for their home country (such as making up weak high school subjects or attending language training). Last year, 75% of students who returned to school improved their GPA by 0.3.
Before readmission, students must pass an college evaluation to confirm their psychological state and feasibility of their study plan. Attendance rate in the first semester after readmission must reach 90%, or they may face another leave of absence.
For example, an international student took a 4-month leave of absence due to anxiety from failing both “Data Structures” and “Macroeconomics.” They returned to school after attending a programming intensive training in their home country, scoring 75 points in both retake courses and raising their GPA from 2.4 to 2.7.
Students who maintain communication with their counselor once a month during the leave of absence have a 50% higher readmission success rate than those who lose contact. Proactive reporting is key.
Grade Reduction or Transferring
The application approval rate for grade reduction is 70%. Students need to commit to retaking the failed courses and reducing their course load (e.g., from 5 to 3 courses). Last year, 60% of students who reduced their grade caught up with the original progress within 1 year, with an average GPA increase of 0.5.
Transferring is moving to another institution, suitable for those whose needs are better matched by the resources of the target school. The transfer application success rate is 25%, requiring an acceptance letter from the target school and consent from the original school, and the new school’s GPA requirement is usually 0.2 lower.
For example, an international student transferred from a key university to a regular college, scored 80 points in “Calculus,” raising their total GPA from 2.3 to 2.6.
After a grade reduction or transfer, students need to proactively utilize the advising resources of the new environment, or they may repeat the same mistakes. Data shows that the pass rate for grade reduction students who cooperate with tutoring is 40% higher than for those who do not.