You have just checked your results on the ENT and two mentions appear on your transcript: AJ and DEF. Both indicate that the year is not validated, but their causes and consequences differ on several points. Understanding the difference between ajourné and défaillant at university allows you to anticipate what comes next, whether it involves retakes, repeating a year, or conditional progression.
What the transcript really displays: AJ, DEF, and their variants
On a university transcript, each unit of teaching, each semester, and the year carries a result. AJ means ajourné: the student has taken the exams but has not achieved the required average. The grade exists; it is simply insufficient to validate the relevant block.
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DEF, for défaillant, indicates a completely different problem. The défaillant status is assigned when a grade is missing, most often due to absence from an exam. No grade means no average calculation is possible: the system cannot evaluate the semester.
A point often misunderstood: the défaillance does not only concern absence from the final assessment. At the University of Orléans, for example, a semester can become défaillant due to an unjustified absence (ABI) or even a justified absence (ABJ) from a mandatory course. A single unexcused absence can be enough to trigger the DEF status for the entire semester. To better understand these distinctions, refer to this detailed guide on the difference between ajourné and défaillant at university.
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Ajourné at university: insufficient average and access to retakes
When you are ajourné, your situation is clear: you have taken the exams, your papers have been graded, but the overall average or the average of a block remains below the validation threshold. You have access to session 2, known as the retake session.
How compensation between semesters works
The French university system is based on ECTS credits. A bachelor’s degree totals 180 ECTS over three years, or 60 per year and generally 30 per semester. If you achieve an average of 8 in the first semester and 12 in the second, compensation allows you to validate the year with an overall average of 10.
This compensation has a limit. Some programs impose minimum grades on specific blocks. At the University Paris Cité, in LCAO bachelor’s programs, a student can be ajourné for the semester despite an average above 10 if a qualifying course is not validated. The overall average does not guarantee validation when subjects are qualifying.
What to retake in the retake session
During session 2, you must present yourself for the non-acquired UEs. Only the subjects where the result is AJ are concerned. Here are the points to check before registering for retakes:
- Identify on your transcript each UE marked AJ, as these are the only ones that can be retaken in session 2
- Check if certain UEs are subject to a minimum grade, which prevents compensation even with a good overall average
- Consult your component’s calendar, as retake dates vary from one faculty to another
- Inquire about the calculation method used: some universities keep the best grade between session 1 and session 2, while others systematically replace it
Défaillant status at university: absence, consequences, and recourse
The DEF status blocks the calculation. Without a grade in a subject, the entire semester shifts to défaillant, and then the year follows. You receive a DEF mention that propagates from the missing UE to the annual result.
Défaillant and retake: what changes
A défaillant student can generally present themselves in session 2 for the missed exam. The nuance lies in the risk of a chain reaction: if you also do not show up for the retake, your absence generates a new ABI code, and the DEF status solidifies for the semester and the year. Missing the retake also locks in the défaillant result for the year.
When the initial absence was justified (medical certificate, official summons), some universities offer a replacement session or take the justification into account to recalculate the average. The procedure depends on the exam regulations specific to each component.
Consequences on scholarships and the right to repeat a year
The défaillant status can impact the continuation of the CROUS scholarship. Attendance criteria condition the payment: repeated unjustified absences from exams may be reported. Regarding the right to repeat a year, a défaillant student generally retains the possibility to re-enroll, but the modalities vary according to the component and the number of attempts already used.
AJAC, ajourné, and défaillant: three statuses, three trajectories
A third status often creates confusion: AJAC, for “ajourné autorisé à continuer”. It concerns the student who has not validated their year but has acquired enough ECTS credits in at least one semester to attend courses in the higher year while retaking the missing subjects.
The conditions for access to the AJAC status depend on each institution. Some universities require the complete validation of at least one semester, while others set a minimum threshold of ECTS per semester.
To summarize the three cases at a glance:
- Ajourné (AJ): all exams have been taken, the average is insufficient, retakes are accessible
- Défaillant (DEF): at least one grade is missing, average calculation is impossible, you must take the exam in session 2 or regularize the absence
- AJAC: the year is not validated, but conditional progression to the higher year is granted on the condition of retaking the missing UEs
The most useful reflex remains to consult the exam regulations of your component. The rules for compensation, minimum grades, and AJAC conditions vary from one faculty to another, sometimes even from one degree mention to another within the same institution. Your educational secretariat remains the only contact capable of making a decision regarding your individual situation.