The table of remedies for the extenuating circumstances can be found here: Table of Remedies

If you have any questions about the remedies available and what these mean for you, contact Student Advice.

If you have missed your deadline owing to extenuating circumstances, and you were unable to declare your extenuating circumstances before the deadline, then you may be able to declare your circumstances after the deadline.

If this applies to you, you will need to provide evidence for and explain exceptional reason as to why you could not have submitted extenuating circumstances before the assessment deadline. You will need to do this as soon as possible and before your School's deadline.

If your declaration is approved, then you could be granted a restrospective remedy or deferral.

Protected Characteristics in law, are characteristics that are listed as being protected in the Equality Act (2010)

If your circumstances relate to a protected characteristic, caring responsibility or long-term health condition, you may be able to make a declaration of extenuating circumstances after the assessment but before the school deadline.

Contact Student Advice for further information on submitting extenuating circumstances relating to a Protected Characteristic, and the evidence you will need to provide.

When explaining your circumstances, Student Advice recommend the following structure:

• Explain what the issues are, when they started and if they are ongoing;
• Explain how the circumstances have affected you (emotionally, physically and otherwise);
• Explain exactly how this has affected your academic performance;
• The remedy that you want (see the remedies table in the helpful documents section).

If you are declaring extenuating circumstances before an assessment or exam, or within 24 hours of a timed assessment then you should not need to provide supporting evidence.

If you attend an exam and are taken ill, or experience technical difficulties that meant you could not complete an assessment, then you will need to provide evidence to support your declaration.

If you cannot declare your circumstances until after a deadline has passed then you will need to provide supporting evidence.

If your circumstances relate to a Protected Characteristic and you are declaring extenuating circumstances after an assessment, then you will need to evidence the impact of your condition at the time of the assessment.

Please contact Student Advice for further information on when you need to provide evidence, and what evidence you may need to obtain to support your extenuating circumstances declaration.

If you attempt an assessment and your mark is affected by Extenuating Circumstances the only way you can ask for retrospective consideration is through an Academic Appeal at the end of the Academic Year. The appeal process is lengthy and you will need to present a very strong case including explaining and evidencing why you could not report at the time.

The only exception to this is where you attempt an assessment and are subsequently impacted by circumstances that relate to a protected characteristic or a long-term health condition. Protected characteristics in law, are characteristics that are listed as being protected in the Equality Act (2010).

You may report extenuating circumstances for August resits but it is important to know that if a deferral is approved you will not be able to attempt the assessment before the start of the next academic year. This means you may need to repeat the year if you cannot carry forward the deferred module into your next year of study. Repeating the year will affect student funding and Visa status.

The University offers a range of support options through the Counselling and Wellbeing Service and the Student Disability Service. If you have a long term health condition or disability you can meet with a Disability Adviser to talk about reasonable adjustments and support. The University’s support teams can be contacted through Student Connect.

If your circumstances mean you need to defer many assessments you may need to consider an Interruption of Study instead.

Deferring many assessments might impact on your progression. If you find you need to defer multiple assessments you should seek guidance from Student Advice and/or your Personal Tutor.

If your assessments are deferred to the August resit period it is likely you will not be able to graduate until these assessments are passed. You will receive your resit results in September with the confirmation of your award if you are eligible. Normally you would attend the ceremony the following summer.

Deferring assessments may affect visa status. You can check here and contact the Visa Support Team through Student Connect for further information.

If you have not had a response to your declaration and your deadline is approaching, you will need to make an informed decision whether to submit your assessment. Submitting work can ‘cancel out’ your extenuating circumstances, so please contact Student Advice for further guidance on this.

Extenuating circumstances are defined by the University as ‘close in time to the assessment, or where you can demonstrate that the circumstances continued to have an impact on your ability to complete assessments or to undertake examinations’.

If you declare your circumstances too early and don’t explain the continued impact, then your School may reject them for not fulfilling the criteria.

If your declaration is rejected, you could resubmit your declaration closer to the time. Contact Student Advice for further guidance on this.