What is the extenuating circumstances process?
Please refer to Guidance for Students on Extenuating Circumstances for more details on how to complete the process.
During your period of study any number of circumstances may affect your ability to perform well in assessments (this includes essays, class tests and final examinations). For exceptional and unforeseeable circumstances beyond your control that occur within the last 24 hours of the assessment submission period or deadline, you normally should use the Extenuating Circumstances process.
Extenuating circumstances are almost always retrospective. They refer to exceptional and unforeseeable circumstances beyond your control that have adversely affected your performance in assessments. They are submitted to your School by an advertised deadline. Depending upon the nature and severity of these circumstances your School may wish to take them into account when the Board of Examiners meet to decide what your progress decision should be.
To ensure that details of your extenuating circumstances are handled with the utmost sensitivity, privacy and confidentiality, discussions about the validity of requests for extenuating circumstances will take place at Extenuating Circumstances Panels, rather than the full Examination Board. The Examination Board will not discuss details of the extenuating circumstances you present.
Please ensure that you are aware of the cohort legislation that will apply to you. This means the Legislation that applies to you throughout your Programme of study, this is dependent upon your entry cohort, i.e. the year in which you started your studies.
Extensions
Extensions to coursework deadlines are normally prospective. These are for use in situations where exceptional and unforeseeable circumstances beyond your control prevent you from submitting coursework by the last date of the assessment submission period or deadline.
You can only request an extension if the coursework deadline has not passed.
Extensions Guidance can be found on the webpage linked below:
Guidance on Coursework Extensions for UG and PGT Students
Presenting an extenuating circumstance
You should use the forms and guidance below to ensure that you correctly submit your request for an extenuating circumstance to be taken into account.
Forms and guidance
Extenuating circumstances
College online forms for Extenuating Circumstances
College of Arts and Law
College of Social Sciences
College of Life and Environmental Sciences
College of Medical and Dental Sciences
Chemical Engineering
Chemistry
Computer Science
Dubai Campus
Engineering
Mathematics
Metallurgy and Materials
Physics and Astronomy
Medical certificates
Mental Health and Wellbeing Service users
If you have registered with the Mental Health and Wellbeing Service, you can discuss with your counsellor/wellbeing advisor the issues which have affected your academic work. If appropriate, they may provide written support for your extenuating circumstances. However, they are unable to provide this written evidence unless they have worked with you for a minimum of two sessions following your initial assessment.
Further help
Staff information
Additional information for staff is available here: