Failed a Course or Two in IITM BS? How to Recover

By Editorial TeamLast reviewed 24 Sept 2026

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Failing one or two IITM BS courses is a setback, not the end. If you got a U, WA or WQ grade, you repeat the full course in a later term at the normal course fee. If you only missed the end term (an I grade), you can take a make-up exam once, in the very next term. Then plan a lighter term, fix what went wrong, and check that you are still on track for your checkpoints. The handbook has a whole section on repeats and make-ups, so there is a clear path back.

Step 1: read your grade, not just the word "fail"

Each grade tells you what went wrong and what you can do next.

Grade	What happened	Your route
WA or WQ	You were not allowed to write the end term (low assignment average, or no quiz attended)	Repeat the full course
U	You wrote the end term but your total score was below the pass mark	Repeat the full course
I	You were eligible but missed the end term	Make-up exam next term, or full repeat
I_OP	You missed or failed the OPPE, but the rest was fine	Retake only the OPPE next term, or full repeat

A full repeat means all assignments, both quizzes and the end term again. The fee is the normal course fee. For a DS foundation course, that is Rs 6,000 on the fees for students who joined from January 2026, or Rs 4,000 for earlier students. A make-up exam costs Rs 1,000 for a foundation course and Rs 2,000 for a diploma or degree course. The details are in repeating a course and make-up exams.

Step 2: use the make-up exam carefully

The make-up is a one-time chance for each I grade.

You must take it in the very next term. If you skip that term, you have to repeat the whole course.
Your quiz marks carry over, so you only prepare for the end term.
You get only one make-up. If you miss it, you repeat the full course at full fee.
It does not count toward your CCC, but it uses one of your 4 final exam slots for the term.

So if you have an I grade, plan to be free on the next end term date before you register.

Step 3: check your checkpoints

Do not skip this step. Count the terms since you started your current level. Terms on RKA and terms where you dropped every course still count.

Level (DS, joined from May 2024)	You must complete	Or
Foundation	4 courses in 4 terms, 6 in 6, all 8 in 9	Removed from the programme
Diploma	3 courses and 1 project in 3 terms	Academic probation and a warning
Diploma	6 and 2 in 6 terms, 9 and 3 in 9, 12 and 4 in 12	Removed from the programme

Since May 2026, the DS handbook also says registration is blocked if you can no longer reach a milestone even with the most courses allowed. So run the numbers early. See foundation checkpoints and diploma checkpoints. ES has its own counts, covered in ES checkpoints.

Step 4: plan a lighter term

You can take at most 4 final exams in a term, counting full courses and make-ups together. After a bad term, aim lower than that.

Last term	A sensible next term
1 fail, rest passed	Repeat the failed course and add 1 or 2 new ones
1 fail and 1 I grade	Make-up for the I, repeat the fail, add at most 1 new course
2 fails	Repeat both, and add a new course only if your checkpoint needs it
Failed everything	Take 2 courses. After failing all courses, your CCC is set to 2

At the foundation level, CCC is only a recommendation now. At the diploma level it is 4 by default. Either way, a smaller load you can finish beats a full load you fail again.

Step 5: fix the cause

What went wrong	What to change
Missed the assignment average	Set reminders and submit two days before each deadline
Missed both quizzes	Pick exam cities you can reach easily when you register, and block quiz dates early
Low quiz and end term marks	Timed practice, an error log, and redoing practice assignments
Too many courses at once	Fewer courses, protected study hours
Life got in the way	A lighter term, or a planned break with RKA

Resist the urge to catch up by copying graded answers from a group. It breaks the honour code, and it leaves you no readier for the in-person exams.

Common questions

Will a failed course stay on my record?

The handbook says your CGPA uses your best grade when a course is attempted more than once. It does not say whether the failed attempt appears on a transcript, so ask the support team if this matters to you.

Should I take a break after failing?

A short break can help, but it is not free. You can skip up to 2 terms in a row on academic probation, with an RKA fee of Rs 1,000 a term (10% more if you pay it later). Those terms still count toward your checkpoints. Our post on staying motivated has more on this.

I failed the same course twice. What now?

Change the method, not just the effort. Find which part failed each time: eligibility, quizzes or the end term. Take that course alone or with one light course, and start timed practice from week 2.

Can I improve a pass grade later instead?

Only within the same level, from January 2026. Once you move up a level, grades of the earlier level are frozen, and improvement costs double the course fee.