If you fail in an NPTEL exam, it will not affect your semester grades or result in a backlog. NPTEL exams are generally given by students of technical colleges for Mandatory Additional Requirement (MAR) marks, which are not compulsory. These online courses come under MOOCs courses, which are necessary for college students just for extra credit points in MAR. If you fail an NPTEL exam, you can apply for the same course in the next season. To pass and be certified, your average assignment score (out of 100) and final exam score (out of 100) must both be greater than or equal to 40. If you fail an NPTEL exam, you will not receive a certificate from NPTEL, but nothing else will be affected for the NPTEL course. You can take the exam again in the next season.