Mitigating circumstances are serious, unexpected events outside your control that affect your ability to complete an assessment or perform at your usual level. Examples include illness, bereavement, a major personal crisis, being a victim of crime, or a housing emergency. On this page you will find information and guidance on when to submit a mitigating circumstances claim or extension request, what evidence to provide, and what happens after your claim or request has been accepted.
Additional Support
If you are not sure if Mitigating Circumstances is the right support mechanism for you, please see below for additional support contacts
Other supporting processes
If you are struggling with a longer term issue, the following processes might be more appropriate in supporting you in your studies:
Your Personal or Senior Tutor may be able to advise on the best support mechanism for your individual circumstance.
Mitigating circumstances are:
-
Unforeseeable
-
Unavoidable
-
Directly affecting you during the assessment period
More information is provided in the Mitigating Circumstances Student FAQs.
Extension requests vs mitigating circumstances claims
-
Extension requests are for short‑term issues affecting coursework deadlines. Make an extension request if your circumstances mean you are going to miss your coursework deadline. You should make the request as soon as possible. Your department will tell you how much in advance of the original assessment deadline you must make your extension request.
- Mitigating circumstances claims are for more serious issues, or for assessments where extensions are not allowed (e.g. exams, timed assessments). Submit a mitigating circumstances claim if your circumstances mean that you:
- cannot submit work,
-
miss an exam, presentation, or practical, or
-
attend an assessment but your performance is significantly affected.
You should submit your mitigating circumstances claim as soon as possible, and normally within 10 working days of the affected assessment.
If you are unsure which route to use, your department can advise.
How to submit a mitigating circumstances claim or extension request
Your department determines the process for submitting a mitigating circumstances claim or making an extension request. This may be, for example, an online portal or submission of a form. Information on this is usually provided in your programme handbook or on specific department websites. Please contact your home department for details on how to submit a mitigating circumstances claim. Please contact your teaching department for details on how to make an extension claim.
Mitigating circumstances claims and extension requests should be supported by appropriate evidence. Please refer to the Mitigating Circumstances Procedure [pdf] or the Evidence section in the FAQs for more information.
Possible outcomes
Your claim is reviewed by your department’s Mitigating Circumstances Board. They decide whether your circumstances meet the criteria and whether your evidence is sufficient and make a recommendation to the Board of Examiners on the form of mitigation.
If your claim is accepted, the Board of Examiners may apply one of the following, depending on whether you pass or fail the assessment. Please note that you should carefully consider your options and seek advice or guidance from your personal tutor, the Faculty Senior Tutor, or the Student Advice Centre if you unsure about the best way forward.
- If you pass the assessment for which you have made a mitigating circumstances claim, you may not re-sit the assessment and your marks remain. Instead, the Board of Examiners will look at your full academic profile at the end of your programme of study. Where you meet the departmental requirements for extended consideration at the classification borderline your final classification may be changed.
- If you fail the assessment for which you have made a mitigating circumstances claim, or you do not attempt it, the Board of Examiners may grant a deferral. This means you will be either
- given a further opportunity to attempt the affected assessment(s) at the next available assessment point, under the same rules (re-sit). If your previous attempt was uncapped, the deferred attempt will also be uncapped. If your previous attempt was capped, the deferred attempt will remain capped at the pass mark; or
- given the option to re-take the failed module(s) as a first attempt.
- If your claim relates to the late submission of an assessment where an extension was not requested before the original assessment deadline, the work will be treated as submitted on time and marked without penalty.
If your claim is rejected and you fail the assessment, any permitted further attempt at the assessment will be capped at the pass mark. If your claim is rejected and you pass the assessment, you may not re-sit the assessment, your marks remain and there will be no further consideration. More information on rejected claims can be found in the Mitigating Circumstances Procedure [pdf] or the Evidence section in the FAQs.