What to think about before you make a claim

  • Requests for an extension to a coursework deadline

    If you make a claim for an extension to a coursework deadline which is successful, you will be awarded an appropriate extension and will need to submit the completed work by the new deadline. As long as you have received confirmation that your claim has been successful, you do not need to hand in anything by the original deadline, just complete your work and hand it in before the new deadline.

    If you don’t know the outcome of your application, you should hand in the work you have been able to do by the original deadline to ensure that you are eligible for a resit should your claim not be successful. If you then hear that your claim has been successful, you can submit an amended piece of work.

    If you make a claim for an extension to a coursework deadline which is unsuccessful and you are still able to get the work in on time for the original deadline, your work will be assessed and you will be awarded the mark as if you had not submitted the claim. If your work does not receive a pass grade, you will be eligible for a capped resit.

    If you have made a claim for an extension to a coursework deadline and you do not know the outcome, you should attempt to submit your work before the original deadline. If your claim is not approved and you have not submitted work by the original deadline, you will fail the assessment and will not have an opportunity to resubmit the work.

    Scenarios

    These scenarios should help you make the right decision for you in the circumstances.

  • You hand in work by the deadline, which may not be your best work, but is good enough to pass.

    Successful claim

    You make a successful claim for exceptional circumstances.

    The work you handed initially won’t count as you told us (and we’ve accepted) that you weren’t fully able to engage with the assessment task.

    You will be given an appropriate extension (so you’ll get the chance to complete the assessment, working to the best of your ability).

    Unsuccessful claim

    You make an unsuccessful claim for exceptional circumstances.

    The Panel considers that your claim does not meet the definition of exceptional circumstances or is not supported by appropriate evidence.

    Your work will be marked and the mark awarded as though you had not submitted the request for exceptional circumstances.

    You hand in an attempt at the work by the deadline (to ensure that you’re eligible for a resit) which you know is unlikely to be sufficient to pass.

    Successful claim

    You make a successful claim for exceptional circumstances.

    The work you handed initially won’t count, as you told us (and we’ve accepted) that you weren’t fully able to engage with the assessment task.

    You will be given an appropriate extension (so you’ll get the chance to complete the assessment, working to the best of your ability).

    Unsuccessful claim

    You make an unsuccessful claim for exceptional circumstances.

    The Panel considers that your claim does not meet the definition of exceptional circumstances or is not supported by appropriate evidence.

    Your work will be marked and the mark awarded as though you had not submitted the request for exceptional circumstances. If your work is awarded a mark below the pass mark, you will be eligible for a capped resit.

    You don’t hand in any work by the deadline.

    Successful claim

    You make a successful claim for exceptional circumstances.

    You have told us (and we have accepted) that you weren’t able to engage with the assessment task.

    You will be given an appropriate extension (so you’ll get the chance to complete the assessment, working to the best of your ability).

    Unsuccessful claim

    You make an unsuccessful claim for exceptional circumstances.

    By not attempting the assessment task you will be considered to have failed it.

    You will not be awarded an extension or have the chance to resit the work. You will need to retake the module at the next available opportunity.

    You don't make a claim

    You don't make a claim for exceptional circumstances.

    By not attempting the assessment task, you will be considered to have failed it.

    You will not be awarded an extension or have the chance to resit the work. You will need to retake the module at the next available opportunity.

  • There may be occasions when there is insufficient time for us to make a decision and give you an appropriate extension in which you can complete the work ahead of the marking period. In such cases, you are likely to be awarded the opportunity to submit an alternative assessment in the resit period.

    Requests to defer an event assessment

    If you think that you’re not going to be able to take your assessment at the normal time because you’ve been affected by exceptional circumstances, you can request a deferral of the assessment. Try to apply early if you can so that you know what the outcome is before the assessment takes place. If your application is successful, you will have the opportunity to take the assessment at a later date (normally in the resit period) with access to the full range of marks (this means that your mark will not be capped). 

    However, you should think about this carefully as there is only one resit opportunity within each run of the module. This means that if you don’t take your assessment during the normal assessment period, you will need to pass it first time at the next opportunity (for examinations, this is likely to be in the resit period). If you don’t pass the rearranged assessment, your only option may be to retake the module. There is normally an additional charge to retake a module and it may mean that it takes longer for you to complete your studies.

    Scenarios

    These scenarios should help you make the right decision for you in the circumstances.

  • You think that you’re not going to be able to attempt the assessment because you believe that something has affected your ability to study or sit the assessment.

    Successful claim

    You make a successful claim for exceptional circumstances.

    *If you haven’t received the outcome of your application by the time you are due to take the assessment, see below.

    You’ve told us (and we’ve accepted) that you won’t be able to fully able to engage with the assessment task.

    If you’ve applied to defer at the first sit of the assessment, you will get an uncapped resit (so you’ll get the chance to do a new assessment, working to the best of your ability).

    If you’ve applied to defer at the second sit of the assessment (during the resit period), you will get a disregard and you will have to take the module again at the next available opportunity.

    Unsuccessful claim

    You make an unsuccessful claim for exceptional circumstances.

    *If you haven’t received the outcome of your application by the time you are due to take the assessment, see below.

    The Panel considers that your claim does not meet the definition of exceptional circumstances or is not supported by appropriate evidence.

    You can still chose to take the assessment at the first sit. The work that you do will be marked and the mark awarded as though you had not submitted the request for exceptional circumstances.

    If you’ve applied to defer at the first sit of the assessment and your work is awarded a mark below the pass mark, you will be eligible for a capped resit.

    If you make an unsuccessful application to defer at the second sit of the assessment (during the resit period) you will not be given a second opportunity to resit the assessment.

    *If you haven’t received the outcome of your application by the time you are due to take your assessment you should consider either taking the assessment or, if you are too unwell, self-certifying (to ensure that you are eligible for a resit.

    You self-certify using the online portal

    You don't need to wait for an outcome as self-certifications are automatically granted.

    You've told us (and we've accepted) that you weren't able to fully able to engage with the assessment task.

    If you've applied to defer at the first sit of the assessment, you will get an uncapped resit (so you'll get the chance to do a new assessment, working to the best of your ability).

    If you've applied to defer at the second sit of the assessment (during the resit period), you will get a disregard and have to take the module again at the next available opportunity.

    You don't self-certify using the online portal

    You don't attend the assessment.

    You don't make a claim for exceptional circumstances or self-certify using the online portal.

    You will fail the assessment and you will not be eligible to resit it. You will need to retake the module at the next available opportunity.

    You attend the assessment but are taken ill part way through so have to leave early. You tell the invigilator that you are unwell before you leave.

    You self-certify using the online portal

    You’ve told us (and we’ve accepted) that you weren’t able to fully able to engage with the assessment task.

    If the assessment you applied was a first sit, you will get an uncapped resit (so you’ll get the chance to do a new assessment, working to the best of your ability.

    If you’ve applied to defer at the second sit of the assessment (during the resit period), you will get a disregard and have to take the module again at the next available opportunity.

     

    You don't self-certify using the online portal

    If the assessment was a first sit you will get a capped resit.

    If the assessment was a resit, you will fail the assessment and it is likely you will have to retake the module at the next available opportunity.

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