Exceptional Circumstances

This page is only a brief guide to Exceptional Circumstances. The University's regulations on this are not a difficult read and we recommend that you read them too. They're here.

What are they?

The University used to call these "Extenutating Circumstances".

If something really serious, or exceptional, which you could not foresee and which is outside your control, has affected your academic performance, it is an “Exceptional Circumstance”. These factors may have prevented you from attending examinations, caused you to miss assessment submission dates or even prevented you from attending classes resulting in a loss of contact time.

Examples are serious illness, accidents, bereavement, or serious family problems.

Unless there is evidence of the problem the University almost never grants Exceptional Circumstances. For this reason, and because staff are there to help support you, if anything like these things happens make sure you seek support as soon as you can and make sure your tutors know what's happening.

Everyday occurrences such as colds or known conditions such as hayfever will not qualify unless the effects are unusually and unforseeably severe.

How do you apply?

The application form is on your e:vision portal, in the "My Student Information and Support" section.

Click here to get full details on how to apply for extenuating circumstances.

How we can help:

If you feel you need more guidance on how to apply or how to make a good case, then contact the Students’ Union Advice Centre: we're good at helping to present things and good at thinking of sources of useful evidence.

Deadlines for submitting exceptional circumstances:

Extenuating Circumstances must be submitted within two weeks (excluding days when the University is shut e.g. bank holidays) of the assessment deadline for which they are being claimed. The deadline for every piece of your work will therefore be different.

Some professional students such as Nursing Students, Education Students, some law students, and Students on courses outside of the standard undergraduate term dates, may have shorter deadlines for applying. Check your Course Handbook.