Failed the OPPE in IITM BS? Your Options and Fees

If you scored below the OPPE cut-off but your Total Course Score (T) is 40 or more, your grade is I_OP. You then retake only the OPPE in the next term, and your assignment, quiz and end term marks carry over. In Data Science (DS) this costs Rs 1,000 for a foundation course and Rs 2,000 for a diploma or degree course. In Electronic Systems (ES) it costs Rs 2,000. If your T is below 40, you get a U and repeat the whole course at the full course fee.

What decides your grade after an OPPE fail

The repeat table in both handbooks looks at three things: your OPPE result, whether you wrote the end term, and T.

Each course sets its own OPPE cut-off. The handbook writes it only as x out of 100, so find the real number in your course's grading document. Note that when you miss the OPPE, the line is 35, not 40.

What you pay for each option

With any I grade you may also choose a full repeat instead. For a DS foundation course, the full fee for students who joined from January 2026 is Rs 6,000 (4 credits at Rs 1,500), before any waiver. So the OPPE-only retake is far cheaper, and it keeps your other marks.

Three worked examples

These apply the handbook tables to common cases. They are not official rulings.

1. OPPE below cut-off, end term written, T of 52. You get I_OP. Next term you register for the OPPE only. Both OPPE1 and OPPE2 are held for you, and no end term. Clear the OPPE and the course gets a normal grade.
2. OPPE missed, end term written, T of 36. T is 35 or more, so you get I_OP and retake the OPPE only. With a T of 33 you would get a U instead.
3. OPPE below cut-off, end term missed. You get I. You register to retake the OPPE and the end term, so you write OPPE1, OPPE2 and the end term. In a DS diploma course this costs Rs 4,000.

One conflict: missing both the OPPE and the end term

The main grade table in both handbooks says that missing both gives I_BOTH. That grade lets you write the end term and both OPPEs next term, with assignment and quiz marks carried over. But the repeat OPPE table says missing both gives U and a full repeat. The handbooks do not settle this. If it happens to you, confirm with support before you register.

Registering is not the same as being eligible

An update dated 5 January 2026, for the January 2026 term, explains OPPE eligibility on a retake:

• Students who were OPPE eligible and got I_OP in September 2025 stayed eligible for the retake.
• Students marked OPPE ineligible (with I_OP or I_BOTH) had to earn eligibility again. They had to submit the required assignments and the OPPE SCT in the new term.
• If they did not, no OPPE was scheduled for them and they got a U.

So check your eligibility status early in the term, and finish whatever your course lists.

What the handbook does not say

• Whether an OPPE-only retake counts toward your CCC or your limit of 4 final exams. That limit names full courses and make-up exams only.
• What happens if you skip the next term. The grade table says to complete the OPPE in the next term, so plan to do it then.

How to prepare better next time

• Do the system compatibility test on the dates the admin team sets. The handbook makes it compulsory for every student.
• Check your setup. The handbook lists the latest Chrome, a phone with a front camera and good internet (VoLTE is ideal in the DS handbook, at least 4G in the ES handbook), a mic and speaker, and any app you are asked to install. See laptop and system requirements.
• Practise coding against a timer, with no notes open, so the exam format is not new to you.
• Read the course plan for OPPE eligibility tasks, so you do not lose eligibility again.

For the exam itself, see what OPPE is and the Python OPPE guide.

Common questions

Do I lose my end term marks if I only failed the OPPE?

No, as long as T is 40 or more. You get I_OP, and your assignment, quiz and end term marks carry over while you retake the OPPE.

How many OPPEs will I write on a retake?

Both. The handbook says both OPPEs are held for anyone who registers to retake the OPPE, with or without the end term.

My T is below 40 and I failed the OPPE. Can I retake just the OPPE?

No. That combination gives a U, and a U means repeating the full course with all assignments, quizzes and exams. See repeating a course.

Is the OPPE retake fee the same in ES?

No. The ES handbook lists Rs 2,000 for every OPPE retake option at foundation and diploma level, including OPPE with the end term. DS charges by level.