Extensions and Late Submissions

Your course Learn page should detail the submission deadlines of all assessed work.

Assessments where late submissions are not accepted

It may have been decided that for particular pieces of assessed work, late submissions are not accepted. In most cases, late submissions are not permitted for regular hand-in work worth in total less than 10% of the assessed course.  The reason for this is that we provide feedback (in the form of solutions) soon after submission for educational reasons.  In order to make some allowance for unusual circumstances, we often assess such work on the basis of “best n-1 out of n attempts” or “best n-2 out of n attempts” so that if you miss/don’t do as well on one or two hand-ins, you can still score maximum marks. 

Where an assessment does not allow for late submissions, you cannot apply for an extension and you cannot use a related Learning Adjustment.

Submissions received after the deadline will score zero.

Late Penalties - for assessments that allow late submissions

For assessments that allow late submissions, a late penalty will be applied as per Regulation 28 Taught Assessment Regulations Academic Year 2024/25. "The penalty applied is a reduction of the mark by 5% of the maximum obtainable mark per calendar day (e.g. a mark of 65% on the common marking scale would be reduced to 60% up to 24 hours later). This applies for up to seven calendar days (or to the time when feedback is given, if this is sooner), after which a mark of zero will be given."

Please contact the Course Administrator if you have any questions regarding the above information. You can find the Course Administrator contact details via the ‘course contacts’ section on the course Learn page.  

 An extension is a request for additional time on an assessment where there are circumstances that are affecting your ability to complete your coursework on time, and where late submissions are allowed on the assessment by the School.

• Extensions are for 4 calendar days*  
• You can apply up to 3 times per academic year 
• Each extension application can cover multiple assessments during a period of 4 calendar days  
• Apply up to 10 days before the assessment deadline  
• Apply before the assessment deadline  
• Select a reason for your application – no written statement needed  
• Extensions approved instantly  
• For group assessments: only the affected student needs to apply; extension will automatically be extended to other group members 

* Some courses taken mainly by part-time/placement students may offer 7 calendar days. Your Learn site or course handbook will advise you if this is the case. 

Extension requests are expected to be used for short-term, acute events. Ongoing, longer term mitigating circumstances impacting your studies in general should be discussed with your Student Adviser  and Exceptional Circumstances submitted or a Learning Profile should be obtained via the Disability and Learning Support Service.    

Further information about applying for Extensions can be found here: Extensions explained

 An 'exceptional circumstance’ refers is an exceptional situation outside of your control which has had an adverse impact on your studies. By completing an Exceptional Circumstances application form, you are notifying the University regarding your situation and are requesting this be taken into account in relation to your assessments. It is important to note that you do not submit an Exceptional Circumstances application to request additional time on an assessment.* Your Student Adviser is your first point of contact to discuss your circumstances, access wider support from the University, and get help to submit your application.

• No limit to the number of applications per year  
• Apply up to 10 days before the assessment deadline  
• Apply before your School’s Exceptional Circumstances deadline: Deadlines  
• Supporting evidence required. (Self-certification forms are no longer accepted)  
• If your Exceptional Circumstances application is accepted by the Exceptional Circumstances Service and relates to a late coursework submission, late penalties will be removed by default provided that the late assessment submission is accepted by your School or Deanery. Your School or Deanery will tell you when a late submission cannot be accepted (for example, where marking or moderation has already taken place).

The Exceptional Circumstances Service are there to help, and you can contact them directly via email with any questions about your application. The team aim to respond to you within three working days.

If your application is accepted, the decision will be passed onto the school Exceptional Circumstances Committee for recommendations, and will be considered at the relevant Board of Examiners meeting. Your final Exceptional Circumstances outcome will be published at the same time as your results for the assessment diet. The outcome will be visible in your online exceptional circumstances application next to your assessments.

Further information about applying for Exceptional Circumstances can be found here: Exceptional Circumstances explained

*with the exception of students taking a final year project or MSc dissertation. Please speak to your Student Adviser if you are in this situation.

What happens once the ESC service have validated my application?

Once your application has been found to be valid, the School will be notified which assessments you have applied for. Other Schools that own courses that you have applied for will also be notified. The Exceptional Circumstances Committee (ECC) and Exam Boards in the School of Mathematics will make recommendations and outcome decisions on your application when they meet. 

Does the School decide if my Exceptional Circumstances application is valid?

No, the Extensions and Exceptional Circumstances team (often referred to as ESC) decide on the validity of your application. They are a centralised team who manage all Extension and Special Circumstances applications for the whole University. They will make a validity decision based on the information you include in your application and the Exceptional Circumstances policy. Once they reach a decision you will receive an email notifying you.

If your application is found to be valid, it will be sent for 'School Review'.  At the end of the assessment diet that you are applying for, the School Exceptional Circumstances Committee (ECC) and exam boards will meet and will make recommendations and outcome decisions on your application.

If your application is found to not be valid, you will be told this and given a specific reason as to why this is the case. Common reasons an application may not be found to be accepted are valid evidence was not provided to support the application, the situation described is not covered by the Exceptional Circumstances policy or the application did not include enough detail regarding the situation. There are other reasons an application may not be accepted and the reason will be included with the decision regarding the application. To avoid this from happening, please read all the guidance provided carefully and include all necessary detail before submitting it for consideration.

How do I find out what my Exceptional Circumstances outcomes are?

Your final Special Circumstances outcome will be published at the same time as your results for the assessment diet. The outcome will be visible in your application next to your assessments. You will not receive a notification about the Special Circumstances outcomes, please make sure you review your outcomes online.

What will my Special Circumstances outcomes be?

Regulations 10 and 11 of the Exceptional Circumstances policy outline the types of recommendations that can be made by the ECC. The spirit of the Exceptional Circumstances Committee is that all recommendations that are made are aimed to be in the best academic interest of the student. The recommendations made depend on and are influenced by a combination of:

• what assessments and courses you applied for;
• the structure of the courses that you have applied for;
• whether the courses are Pre-Honours or Honours courses;
• as well as your marks.

Why do I have different Exceptional Circumstances for assessments on the same course?

It is not unusual for different assessments within courses to have different outcomes.  What can be applied is often dependent on the structure of the course, as the Learning Outcomes for any course need to be met for a student to pass. It is also dependent on the marks you receive for the assessments.

Can the Exceptional Circumstances Committee and/or Board of Examiners change my marks?

No, both the Exceptional Circumstances Committee and the Board of Examiners cannot change marks. To see what recommendations can be made in relation to your Special Circumstances application, please read regulations 10 and 11 of the Exceptional Circumstances policy.

Recommendations are made at the discretion of the Exceptional Circumstances Committee and Exam Boards and will only be applied if it is to the benefit of the student, whilst complying the University policies and regulations.

What should I do if my Exceptional Circumstances application is rejected by the Extensions and Special Circumstances team? 

If your application has been found to be not valid because you have provided insufficient evidence or insufficient information, then you may be able to resubmit your application. This is provided that the deadline for Exceptional Circumstances applications has not passed and you provide the evidence or information required that was previously missing. For assistance in ensuring you have provided enough information, please contact your Student Adviser.

If your application has been found to be not valid because the circumstances you have described are not eligible, this means the personal circumstances outlined in your application do not fall under the remit of the Exceptional Circumstances policy. 

If you think you have grounds to appeal, you should seek guidance from the Advice Place. The Advice Place offer independent advice and guidance and will be able to advise you whether you have grounds to appeal this decision. Please remember that you must be able to demonstrate you have valid grounds to appeal a decision taken in regards to validity, as the University only considers appeals that meet particular criteria (or ‘grounds’). 

When completing my application and selecting my affected work, do I choose 'Assessment' or 'Reassessment'?

The options 'Assessment' and 'Reassessment' refer to the type of work you are applying for that have been affected by your personal circumstances. If you are applying in Semester 1 or 2, you need to select 'Assessment' in relation to your affected coursework and/or exams.  If you are applying for the August reassessment diet, you need to select 'Reassessment' as the work you will be completing and applying for is a reassessment. 

Please note that the option to select  'Reassessment' does not mean you are requesting to complete a reassessment in the future as part of your Exceptional Circumstances application. 

How do I apply for an extension or exceptional circumstances?

Please see the guidance on the Extensions and Exceptional Circumstacnes webpages - Applying for Support

If you have a learning adjustment registered with the Disability and Learning Support Service in the form of additional time on a submission, and you'd like to access your extra time, you can request this using the Extra Time Adjustment Tool. This does not stop you applying for a further extension or Exceptional Circumstances if your circumstances aren’t connected to your long-term or chronic health condition, or if you have experienced a flare-up or sudden worsening of your health condition.