The University also knows that very occasionally something beyond your control may happen suddenly and unexpectedly that prevents you from either attending an examination or completing an assessment. On such an occasion you should submit a claim for extenuating circumstances. If your claim is approved, you will be permitted to take the affected assessment at the next opportunity (which may be in the following academic year) and the work will be graded as if it were a first attempt unless it is a resit or a retake when the grade will be capped. This event must be one you could not have foreseen and cannot be made manageable by short term arrangements e.g. an extension.
Examples of circumstances that would normally be accepted are:
- The death of a close member of the family - a parent or grandparent, guardian, sibling, son or daughter (claims relating to members of your extended family will not be accepted).
- Serious ill health
- Personal accident or injury.
- Major and unplanned changes to employment (only relevant where a student’s course or mode of study permits employment).
- Jury service (if attendance is compulsory and cannot be deferred).
- Low mood, depression, stress – if you have given consent that your details can be shared with the Student Support and Wellbeing, an email will be sent to them.
Please note that your claim will only be granted where you can demonstrate that the event significantly affected your ability to complete the assessment for which you are claiming.
You must submit your claim as soon as you experience difficulties, so do not delay. Your claim must be submitted before or on the day of your examination or due date for your assessment.
Please follow the steps below:
- Log into e:Vision. Go to your dashboard and then click on the "Assessments, Extenuating & Extensions" and then the Extenuating Circumstances option.
- Click into the relevant assessment that you wish to apply for. You need to apply separately for each affected assessment in each affected module. Please note that if there is a message stating ‘unavailable’ next to a module code this means that the deadline for submitting an extenuating circumstances claim has passed.
Upload the original and independent supporting evidence onto the on-line task at the time of your claim.If you do not have the evidence at this time you can upload it later but it must be within 10 working days of the deadline submission date.The ASK@WLV office can help you if you are unsure how to do this.
A claim must be made for each period of assessment within the academic year i.e. Semester 1, Semester 2, Semester 3 and the resit period. Claims should be made no earlier than 3 weeks before the submission date.
Please be aware that the University will not normally accept a second claim if the reasons given are the same as the first claim.
You must still apply online for each assessment before the assessment submission date to support your claim. Evidence should be independent and will not usually be considered from University Academic staff.
Please take care in ensuring that you provide all necessary information when completing the sections of the task in e:Vision and upload the correct evidence to support your claim. If any sections are incomplete your claim will not be considered.
Your claim will be considered by the relevant University department. They will advise you of the outcome by e-mail which will be sent to your nominated email address. The decision will also be made available in e:Vision in the ‘Extenuating circumstances Claims’ section within 10 working days.
If your claim is accepted for your first attempt at an assessment you will be permitted to submit the assessment at the next opportunity, which is usually within the current academic year. The work you submit will then be marked and graded and you will receive the true grade (i.e. uncapped. If you do not then pass this re-assessment you will still have a right to resit at the next opportunity. All resit grades are capped.
Information regarding the next available opportunity to submit your assessment is given in your module guide and will normally be within the same academic year. Please check your module topic in CANVAS or contact the module leader who will be able to give you further advice.
If you do not take the assessment at the next opportunity, your assessment will become subject to the rules governing resit assessments which means that your next attempt will be capped at 40% for Undergraduate students and 50% for Postgraduate students.
Please check the module details on CANVAS and with your module leader for the assessment details as you may be required to undertake a new or different assessment.
If your claim has been declined you will receive brief information and feedback to explain the reason why.
You can appeal the decision by submitting a helpdesk call in e:Vision using the link to ASK@WLV. This should include any additional information or evidence you may have. The appeal needs to be made within 10 working days of the publication of the original decision. You will be informed of the outcome within 10 working days.
University regulations require that all courses must be completed within a series of maximum registration periods. Successful extenuating circumstances claims do not extend your maximum registration period(s). Please check with your Personal Tutor, ASK@WLV or your Course Leader if you are submitting a claim for the re-sit period to seek advice so that you are clear about any consequences which may affect your course progression or completion.
If you have valid extenuating circumstances that relate to a re-assessment (resit), you will normally be given the opportunity to take the assessment again at the next available opportunity. As the assessment is a resit, the grade for this assessment will be capped at 40% for undergraduate students and 50% for postgraduate students.
If you do not submit the re-assessment at the next available opportunity, you will receive an NS (Non-Submission) grade for the assessment and you will deemed to have failed the module.
If you have been granted extenuating circumstances but then submit your assessment, this will void the extenuating circumstances and the grade awarded will stand, this in line with the Fit to Sit policy.
Minor and short term illnesses e.g. coughs, colds, headaches, stomach upsets are not considered and covered by the extenuating circumstances process. However, you can apply for a maximum 7 day extension.
If the situation is likely to be ongoing, depending on your condition, you may be advised to take a Leave of Absence if your performance on the course could be affected.
Retrospective claims for Extenuating Circumstances will not usually be considered. If you do however, have genuine reasons for not being able to apply at the time, you can follow the Univeristy Appeals Procedure, providing evidence to support your retrospective claim.