Results and Resits

Understanding your Transcript

When you receive your results, a transcript will be included that tells you if you have passed your modules. 
 

Your transcript may seem quite complex at first, and you can contact us if you are struggling to understand it.

Arguably the most important information should appear on the front page: this tells you whether you are able to progress to the next academic year, or graduate from your programme, whether you are required to repeat any assessments, or whether you have been withdrawn.
 

We would encourage you to look specifically at the Grade Codes that you have received. You can use the key at the end of your transcript to help you see what your mark means, or why you have been awarded the mark that you see.
 

Getting results that you are not happy with can be quite a shock. If you have not successfully passed the year, you might get an opportunity to repeat the modules you have failed. You may find that you are required to resit in the August Resit Period, or in some cases, you may be required to repeat the year.
 

We appreciate that “repeating the year” can seem quite daunting, especially when you are unsure what this means. If you are required to repeat the year, in most cases you will only be required to repeat assessments that you have either failed or not sat/submitted. Please note, repeating the year will have financial implications on you that you may not be aware of. Please see more on Fees and Funding below.
 

You may also be given the opportunity to decide whether you will sit the year as an internal student or an external student. Your transcript may say that you have to repeat internally or externally, but it may give you the choice.
 

If it says that you are to repeat the year as an external student, you will have the option to request to repeat as an internal student during the online enrolment process. Your school will need to approve any such request.
 

Important: Please note, if you have been told you have to repeat the year, you cannot appeal that decision, unless there is an error in your marks and you have actually passed the assessment. The University’s rules are very clear that you have to pass a set amount of credits in order to progress to the next year/stage of study. The only decision you can appeal, if there is no error, is the capping of any marks (please see below).

Repeating as an internal student

Repeating as an internal student means you will not progress to the next level of your course and you are required to attend lectures, seminars and tutorials as you did the first time you studied the modules.  You will normally only be required to attend modules you have failed. An exception to this may be if you are on a professional programme. Your School should advise you on what is required. 
 

The University's Academic Regulations state;

"Where a student repeats module(s) as an internal student, the student will attend all teaching and be assessed in the same way as other students taking the module during the session. Internal repeating students will only be assessed in elements of the assessment that they have not successfully completed in that module, against the original learning outcomes of the module. Students will be credited with the highest mark achieved for any failed component."

Fees & Funding

You will be charged a pro-rata amount for each module you are required to repeat. How much this will be will depend on whether you are a home or international student and your level of study. For example, if you pay £9,000 fees usually, you will be charged £750 per 10 credit you will be repeating. For confirmation on how much fees you will be charged, please contact the Fees Office.
 

The general rule for undergraduate student funding is every student is entitled to funding for the length ordinarily required to complete their course, plus one additional year.
 

• If you haven't used this additional year, you could be entitled to full funding for the time you are required to attend and repeat.
   
• If you are studying full time but repeating part time, you would usually still receive your full funding for the year.
   
• If you have studied in the past and you have used your additional year of funding, you would be entitled to a maintenance loan only for your repeat year.

If you are funded by the NHS and you need to repeat part of your course, you can be considered for NHS funding for repeat study. This includes Medicine and Dentistry students in an NHS funded year. Your case for repeat NHS funding requires the support of your School and is usually only considered on medical or compassionate ground. Applications for repeat NHS funding is not guaranteed.
 

If you are eligible for the reduced undergraduate Maintenance Loan, you can apply for this during a repeat year even if you are not entitled to the NHS Bursary.
 

If you do not qualify for NHS funding for repeat study, you might be eligible to apply for 'full' financial support via your student finance service.
 

If you are in receipt of a Postgraduate Masters Loan, no additional amount is awarded if you are required to repeat a year.
 

If you need further student finance because you have compelling personal reasons, you could be entitled to further funding. You must provide evidence of this.
 

Depending on your circumstances this may be:

• medical evidence from your GP;
• evidence from Social Services; or
• evidence from the student advisory service at your university or college that substantiates your personal or family crisis.
   

Your compelling reasons will be considered carefully before a decision is made about your entitlement.
 

For further advice on fees and funding, you can contact the University's Advice & Money Team.

Repeating as an external student

As an external student, you are only expected to attend University to re-sit the exams or submit coursework you have failed.
 

• You would not usually attend any lectures, seminars and tutorials.
   
• You will not be given a student card, or normally have access to the library or computers. Sometimes, access to the library and computer facilities can be arranged through your School.
   
• You must enrol as an external student. If you do not enrol, the University will initiate the Non-engagement with Study procedure.
   

Please be aware that if your exam results require you to repeat the year as an external student, you will have the option to request to repeat as an internal student during the online enrolment process. Your school will need to approve any such request.
 

The University's Academic Regulations state;

“Where a student repeats module(s) as an external student, the student will not be required to attend teaching sessions and will only be assessed in elements of the assessment that they have not successfully completed in that module, against the original learning outcomes applicable when the student attempted the module as an internal student. Students will be credited with the highest mark achieved for any failed component."

Fees & Funding

You will not have to pay tuition fees but you will have to pay a one off external examination fee. In 2023/24 the fee is £144, no matter how many exams you re-sit. We would advise you to confirm the cost of an external repeat year on this page of the Student Intranet.
 

You will not receive student funding (e.g. student loans or grants for fees or living costs) as you are not required to attend your course. It is your responsibility to inform the relevant student finance service of your situation, including:

• if you have already applied for student funding as if you were progressing on your course
• if you are already receiving funding, such as a maintenance loan.

Any errors could lead to problems with your future funding.

You will need to plan how you will support yourself during this time. You are unlikely to qualify for state benefits, as you are still classed as a student, having not abandoned your course.

Can I choose to be an internal or External student?

Your transcript will usually state that you can choose to repeat internally or externally.
 

There may be exceptions to this if you have failed a number of modules, or if you are studying on a professional programme such as Optometry, Dentistry or Medicine.
 

We strongly advise you to talk about your repeat year with your Personal Tutor.

Will my repeat assessments be capped?

Whether or not your repeat assessment will be capped depends on what attempt number the repeat will be deemed to be. If your repeat is deemed to be a further 1st attempt, it will not be capped. If it is deemed to be a 2nd or 3rd attempt, it will be capped at the minimum pass mark.

The Academic Regulations state that; 
 

• A student who is re-assessed in a module, resitting or repeating, and who passes an assessment in which they have previously failed, will be credited with the minimum assessment mark for a pass; if re-assessment is by a synoptic assessment, the module mark will be capped at the minimum pass mark. 

If my assessments are capped can I appeal the decision?

Yes, you may be able to appeal the decision by using the Academic Appeals Procedure.
 

The Academic Appeals Procedure specifically has three grounds under which students can appeal their results. The process can also take some months to complete. This means that when you initially return to study, your repeat year is likely to remain capped, but may be uncapped later should your academic appeal be successful.

The only way to have an assessment mark uncapped is to have that attempt deemed as a 1st attempt. This means that you would need to have any prior attempts at the assessment disregarded.
 

The Appeals Procedure has a strict 28-day deadline from the date that you receive your Official Transcript. If you are appealing a transcript that you received over 28 days ago, this will be considered a late appeal. If this is the case, we would strongly advise you to contact us for guidance.

Why does my transcript state I am to be withdrawn from study?

Students are usually withdrawn from study if they have exhausted the number of attempts available to them, or they will not be able to complete their course within the permitted time limit:
 

Number of attempts

An undergraduate student is normally permitted three attempts to achieve the award of credit in a module (a first attempt and two re-assessment attempts).
 

A postgraduate student is normally permitted two attempts to achieve the award of credit in a module (a first attempt and a re-assessment attempt).
 

Any failed attempts for which you reported (and your School accepted) Extenuating Circumstances should be diresgarded. This only covers circumstances reported for an Examining Board remedy, not to request an extension.
 

If you are concerned that the number of permitted attempts has been calculated incorrectly, you should contact your Academic School in the first instance. If you are not happy with their response, contact Student Advice.
 

Permitted time for completion

An Examining Board will withdraw you from study if you are unable to complete the programme within the specified time limit. The time-limit for a full-time student to complete their Programme is no more than 2 years beyond the approved duration of the Programme.
 

This period may be extended in exceptional circumstances, by the Academic Standards and Quality Committee.

Can I appeal this decision to withdraw me from study and if it is successful can I return to study?

You may be able to appeal the decision by using the Academic Appeals Procedure. This is the only way to challenge the decision of the University regarding your academic progress. As above, there are limited grounds for appeal and the process can take many months to complete.
 

Given that this tis the case, it is likely that even if your appeal is successful and you are permitted a further attempt, you will not be allowed to return to study with immediate effect; in most cases, you may be permitted to re-join your programme from the start of the next academic year, with a view to either repeating the year, or completing any outstanding assessments in the August Resit Period.

How will the Repeat year impact on my visa?

Repeating a year can have a serious impact on your immigration status. Further information is available on the University's intranet page.
 

If you have a UK Student visa, it is only valid for study as an international student. If you are repeating as an external student, you will no longer be attending lectures or classes and so won't be fulfilling the conditions of your UK Student visa.
 

If there will be more than 60 days between the start of the next academic period and the date of your first re-sit exam or course work submission deadline, the University will inform the Home Office that you are no longer studying. Your visa will be curtailed (cancelled) as a result and you must leave the UK.
 

You will need to make the appropriate visa application from overseas in order to return to your studies. Please contact Student Visa Support for guidance about the most appropriate visa application for you.
 

International students can find out more about re-sitting or repeating as an external student  on the Student Visa Support intranet page.

Sponsorship

Repeating a year may affect your sponsorship. Before deciding how to repeat your year of study contact your sponsor to confirm if funding will continue to be available. Your School Finance Officer might also be able to assist you 

Important Considerations

Whether to repeat internally or externally is a big decision which some potentially serious implications either way. You will need to consider:

• If you need to attend teaching and have full access to all resources and if this will give a better chance of academic success. Do you think you have a realistic chance of achieving what you want to achieve without attending?
• If you want or need to undertake assessments again that you have already passed. This is an important consideration because, if you repeat externally, you will only repeat the failed elements of your repeat module(s). If you repeat internally, you have to repeat the entire module, even if you have previously passed elements of it;
• If you do choose to repeat internally and so have to repeat assessments that you have already passed, will the new mark be capped or uncapped? This will depend on what attempt your repeat is deemed to be (see above);
• If you are you able to finance your study through Student Finance as an internal student and how will this impact on the future funding of your course;
• If you opt to repeat as an external student, will you be able to find work or self-fund? Most students are not entitled to claim benefits and you will keep your student status during an external repeat year, even though you are not in attendance. You will need to be able to fund yourself during this period;
• How your Student visa be effected if you repeat externally or internally;
• If your sponsor will cover the cost of a repeat year of study.

Contact Student Advice

Advice@cardiff.ac.uk
+44 (0)2920 781410