Exceptional circumstances

If you are worried that your circumstances could affect your assessments, you should tell us as soon as possible, rather than waiting for your results. We have a procedure in place for all students to take exceptional circumstances into account, so that you have a fair opportunity to perform to the best of your abilities.

Fit-to-sit policy: important information

The university operates a 'fit-to-sit' policy. This means that if you sit an exam or submit a piece of coursework, you are confirming that you are 'fit' to do so - that is, you believe you are well enough to complete the assessment and that your performance was not significantly affected by any exceptional circumstances.

If you complete an assessment, the mark you achieve will stand and you will not be able to later claim that your performance was affected by exceptional circumstances, unless there is a good reason that you were unable to make a rational decision about whether you were fit enough to complete an assessment at the time, supported by evidence.

For example, a student attended their exams and by doing so is confirming they are ‘fit’ to do so. However, after the exams, the student’s friends became concerned about their mental health and encouraged them to visit their GP. The GP diagnosed the student with depression, which had likely been affecting them for several months. The GP prescribed treatment and referred the student to counselling. The GP also wrote a letter explaining that the student’s ability to make rational decisions was impaired due to their mental health condition. This suggests the student may not have been truly 'fit to sit' at the time of the exams. The student withdraws their “fit to sit” declaration and the University allow them to sit their exams later in the year as a first attempt.

Read on to find out what to do if affected by exceptional circumstances.

What are exceptional circumstances?

An exceptional circumstance is something that has had a significant impact on your ability to study or complete your assessment. It is something that is short term and unexpected which you could not have foreseen and over which you have no control.

Not all events which cause disruptions will be considered exceptional circumstances. We expect students in general to be able to cope with normal life events, to manage workloads, and to expect a level of pressure around assessments.

Examples of exceptional circumstances likely to be accepted:

A serious short-term illness (including mental health) or injury
Worsening of an ongoing health condition with side effects beyond your control, such as flare-ups or episodes
Death or significant illness of a close family member or friend
Pregnancy-related illness
Unforseen travel disruption, normally causing delays of over an hour (for example, industrial action or a road traffic accident)
Acute personal difficulties/domestic disruption beyond your control
Jury service.

Examples of exceptional circumstances likely to be excluded:

Minor illnesses, unless the symptoms are particularly severe
Computer or IT failure, as we expect students to back-up their work and allow enough time for submission
Minor transport problems
Misreading assessment dates and times
Holidays, house moves or other events that were planned or could have been reasonably expected
Inadequate planning, organisation or time management
Timetabling of coursework/examinations.

Find out more in our Exceptional circumstances policy and procedure (pdf, 196kb)

Find the right support for you

It’s important that you let us know about any issues you may be experiencing as soon as possible so that we can assist you in finding the right support. Waiting until the end of the year before telling anyone will limit the options available to you.

If your situation is more long-term or ongoing, the exceptional circumstances procedure may not be appropriate, as this is designed to deal with short-term, unexpected issues. In these cases, we advise you to discuss your situation with either your Personal Tutor or Programme Team. If you are a PGR student, you should contact your Supervisory Team or Postgraduate Research Administrator.

BU will make reasonable adjustments to learning and assessment so that students with additional learning needs are not significantly disadvantaged compared with other students, like extra time or rest breaks in exams and timed assessments. If you think you might need this kind of support, please contact our Additional Learning Support Team as soon as possible.

More information

What to do if you become aware of an issue before an assessment deadline

If you feel that exceptional circumstances have impacted you to the point that they could affect your performance, you have two options available to you:

Request an extension to your coursework/academic milestone submission date
Request a postponement to your examination.

However, we advise that you first talk to your Personal Tutor or Programme Team so that you can find out about all relevant support options provided by the university, as some of these may be more suitable for your situation. If you are a PGR student, you should contact your supervisory team or Postgraduate Research Administrator.

It is important that you request an extension/postponement prior to an assessment deadline, otherwise you may be penalised if you submit coursework at a later point or do not attend an exam.

How to submit an extension / exam postponement request

You can submit extension requests and exam postponement requests via myHub (using your student account) to make a request. For PGR students, you can submit an extension request on ProGRess, but please also email your Postgraduate Research Administrator directly.

When completing your request you will be asked to provide supporting evidence. This should help confirm the reasons for your request. Each request will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Examples of supporting evidence can be found in Appendix 1 of the Exceptional Circumstances policy (pdf 278kb).

Self-certification of short-term circumstances:

You may use self-certification as evidence for short-term illness and other circumstances up to 7 calendar days. The myHub application form allows you to specify this when you apply.

In addition, Faculty of Health Environment and Medical Sciences students who are on placement should contact the university's Placement Team, Practice Placement Educator (PPE) and Academic Advisor. You will need to refer to specific guidance provided by the faculty.

If you have any queries, please contact the Programme Support Team for your course - get in touch with AskBU to find out who this is. If you are a PGR student, you should contact your supervisory team or Postgraduate Research Administrator.

Log-in to myHub to complete the extension request/exam postponement request

What happens once I have submitted my extension/exam postponement request?

Once you have requested a coursework extension(s) or an exam postponement(s) then this will be considered by the university. You will normally be advised if this has been authorised within five working days of submitting your request and any supporting evidence. For coursework you will be given a new deadline. Postponed exams are normally sat within the next exam period.

Please be aware that requests for extensions or exam postponements are not guaranteed. If you submit a request close to an assessment deadline, you may not receive a decision until after the assessment is due.

You will receive an email notification once a decision has been made regarding your request.

If you are not satisfied with a decision concerning your extension / exam postponement request, you may address this through the University’s complaints process. Visit our Making a complaint webpage for more details.

What to do if you become aware of an issue after an assessment deadline

This section explains what you should do in the following situations:

You completed your coursework or sat your exam and then realised you were not fit to sit
You were unable to submit a coursework extension or exam postponement and did not attempt the assessment or submitted late.

If you find yourself in one of these situations, you will be able to request that your circumstances are considered by the Exceptional Circumstances Board (UG/PGT students) or for PGR students, the Associate Dean Research, Innovation & Enterprise or nominee for your Faculty.

If you need support, we advise that you first talk to Personal Tutor or Programme Team. If you are a PGR student, you should contact your supervisory team or Postgraduate Research Administrator.

How to submit a request for Exceptional Circumstances Board Consideration

You can submit a request online via myHub, with your BU student account, to make a request. For PGR students, please email your Postgraduate Research Administrator.

When completing your request you will be asked to provide supporting evidence. The evidence you provide should support both your circumstances and the reason(s) why you could not inform the university before the assessment deadline.

Each request will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Examples of supporting evidence can be found in Appendix 1 of the Exceptional Circumstances policy (pdf 278kb)

Self-certification will not be accepted as evidence for requests for Exceptional Circumstances Board Consideration.

Please note: Board consideration requests must be submitted by the deadlines either published on Brightspace or notified to you by email. Late requests may not be considered.

Log-in to myHub to complete the board consideration request

What happens once I have submitted my request for Exceptional Circumstances Board Consideration?

Your request will be reviewed by the Exceptional Circumstances Board before the Programme Board meets. The Programme Board is responsible for making decisions on progression, awards and reassessments. This usually happens in June or July but may occur earlier depending on your course. For PGR students, the Associate Dean Research, Innovation & Enterprise or nominee for your faculty will consider your request when submitted.

If the Exceptional Circumstances Board agrees that your statement and evidence shows your situation affected your ability to either:

Take an assessment
Complete an assessment on time, or
Inform the university of any exceptional circumstances before completing an assessment.

Then they will recommend that your circumstances are taken into account by the Programme Board.

In these situations, it is important to know that your marks will not be increased but the Programme Board may agree that you be given a further opportunity to either resit an exam or resubmit a piece of coursework. This may be for the first time if you have not submitted previously. If you submitted late, the Programme Board may offer you the uncapped mark. All decisions will be made on a case-by-case basis and in line with our Assessment Regulations.

For PGR students, the Associate Dean Research, Innovation & Enterprise or nominee for your Faculty will consider your request and determine an appropriate outcome. You will receive an email notification once a decision has been made regarding your request.

If you are not satisfied with a decision concerning your Exceptional Circumstances Board request, you may address this through the University’s complaints process – please visit our Making a complaint webpage for more details.

What happens if I don’t submit a request for a Exceptional Circumstances Board Consideration?

If you find yourself in this situation, which for valid reason means that you were unable to submit a request for Exceptional Circumstances Board Consideration or to submit a request on time, then you may be able to seek consideration of your situation through the university’s appeals process under the ground of:

“I believe my performance in assessment has been affected by illness or other factors which, for valid reason(s), I was unable to divulge before the meeting of the assessment board.”

All appeals must be submitted within ten working days of the publication of your results.

In support of your appeal, you will need to provide evidence to demonstrate both your circumstances and the reasons why you could not submit a request for Exceptional Circumstances Board Consideration or to your Postgraduate Research Administrator for PGR students before the relevant deadline.

For information on the appeals process and a link to the policy, please visit our Making an appeal webpage.

We encourage you to discuss any concerns with an appropriate member of your programme team/supervisory team or your Personal Tutor, as they may be able to reassure you, explain the details and resolve any concerns you have. In addition, you can contact SUBU Advice or AskBU for further advice.