bristol uni coursework extension

Current students

How exceptional circumstances work.

Find out what to do if your attendance or ability to complete an assessment has been affected.

On this page

What an exceptional circumstance is.

• Who can submit 
• How to submit 

How exceptional circumstances are considered

• Impact classifications and outcomes

Exceptional circumstances are unexpected, unavoidable, and outside of your control. They:

• impact your ability to complete an assessment
• impact your academic performance in an assessment
• cause you to miss a coursework deadline where you did not have an extension.

If you experience this, you can ask the exam board to consider the impact on your performance. They will decide an outcome (if any action is needed ).

The exceptional circumstance process does not include circumstances where mitigations could have been put in place in advance. It takes into account how close the circumstance is to your assessment.

If you are already aware of circumstances or long-term health conditions that may affect your studies, it is important that you  tell us (the university) or your personal tutor in advance  so that support can be put in place before the assessment.

Circumstances where action is likely to be taken:

• a sudden illness or injury
• a flare up or worsening of a chronic condition or disability, including mental health condition, where adjustments in your  study support plan (SSP)  are not enough or not in place yet
• mental health problems that unexpectedly affected your studies
• someone close to you dying or is seriously ill
• symptoms of an infectious disease that could be harmful if passed to others
• unexpected changes in your personal responsibilities, such as caring for someone close to you
• jury service
• money problems that unexpectedly affect your studies.

This is not a complete list.

Circumstances unlikely to be considered:

• holiday, weddings or other celebrations
• house moves or other events that were planned or are reasonably expected
• minor illnesses such as common cold, unless the symptoms are particularly severe
• assessments that are scheduled close together
• poor time management
• minor transport disruption
• computer failure where the student has not backed up their work
• exam nerves
• paid employment.

If you miss an exam,  you may be able to self-certify your absence  and take it again at the next opportunity. This is likely to be in the  reassessment period .

Who can submit

• International Foundation Programme students
• Undergraduate students
• Postgraduate taught students
• If you are not taking taught units, speak to your supervisor(s) first. You can also refer to the  regulations for research students, section 9.4.6

Students on the Study Abroad programme should follow the  Study Abroad process .

How to submit

You can tell the university about your exceptional circumstance before your assessment, but it can be helpful to submit it afterwards so you can explain the full impact on your assessment.

You must submit before the deadline .

Find out how to complete the form

Your school's Exceptional Circumstances Committee (ECC) will review your form and evidence to consider if:

• the circumstances are unexpected and beyond your control
• the circumstances have reasonably affected your performance in an assessment
• sufficient allowance has not already been made
• relevant evidence is provided from an independent source and is in English.

If your exceptional circumstances are accepted, they will be classified according to the  severity of the impact on your assessment (low, medium, high, severe) and not the situation itself.

To determine the classification, the ECC will consider the impact on and proximity to your assessment. 

The exam board will then decide what action, if any, is required to take these circumstances into account.

It will consider:

• the number of assessments that have been impacted
• the proximity of the circumstance to your assessment period
• the evidence of impact on your performance  during the assessment, in reference to the marks you have achieved 
• the level and year of study (and whether it relates to your progression, the award of the qualification or its classification)
• whether the impact has been already mitigated by prior action 
• whether any potential mitigation may impact your academic progression, award or classification 
• the academic requirements of the programme and the overall fairness of the outcome.

The exam board will not know your identity when reviewing your marks, making progression or awarding decisions.

Impact classifications and possible outcomes

Undergraduate programme.

No or limited action will be taken.

Medium impact

For most accepted cases, common outcomes could allow you to: 

• retake the missed or failed assessment again if you have failed a unit
• removal of late penalties for late submission of coursework
• the assessment is needed to show a specific unit intended learning outcome has been met
• the unit learning outcomes has not been demonstrated elsewhere in the programme
• if the conditions for progression or award haven't been met by the end of the academic year, retake the assessment either as part of a supplementary year; or, on specific programmes, repeat the entire year without an academic penalty.

High impact

For cases where there is a more significant impact upon assessment, we may:

• award credit for affected unit/s, despite a fail mark, where the learning outcomes have been demonstrated elsewhere in the programme 
• disregard the affected mark or assessment from classification if it will improve the outcome (up to 40 credits per year) if the conditions of the award have been met (if in the final year)
• allow you to repeat the entire year again without academic penalty.

Severe impact

Where the impact upon assessment is judged to be particularly severe, the outcome will be decided on a case by case basis.

Taught postgraduate programme

For most accepted cases:

• you may be allowed to retake the missed or failed assessment without academic penalty
• removal of late penalties for late submission of coursework.
• repeat the taught component without academic penalty if the conditions for progression have not been met
• award credit for affected unit/s, if the intended learning outcomes have been demonstrated elsewhere in the programme
• disregard the affected mark for progression or calculating the final mark and degree classification if it will improve the outcome (up to 40 credits) if the conditions of the award have been met.

Where the impact relates to the dissertation and is classified as high impact.

• Allow resubmission of dissertation for a full range of marks even if the pass mark has already been achieved (but only where a higher classification is possible).

What the exam board cannot do

• It cannot change the marks of individual assessments or unit marks 
• It cannot set aside the academic standards that are required for progression within the programme or to award a qualification (as set out in regulation)
• It cannot disregard a missed or failed assessment which must be passed to demonstrate the learning outcomes for the programme
• You will not be allowed to retake assessments in units with a total value of more than 80 credit points in the reassessment period; you will instead be allowed to do an additional year to complete the assessment for the outstanding units
• Action will not be taken for an exceptional circumstance that is judged as having no or low impact on assessment.

Finding out the outcome

For undergraduate students, the board will usually make their decision in June or July. If you complete your work in the August re-assessment period, it will be early September.

For postgraduate taught students, it will be November or December.

Exceptional circumstances can also be considered at the end of your course when your degree classification is being determined.

To find out the outcome of your request,  contact the school office  and they can provide the exam board minutes.

You can speak to your personal tutor, your senior tutor, or your school office. You can also get help from  Bristol SU's academic advice service .

How we store your data

Find out how we  keep your personal data safe and secure .

Student Groups

 Student Groups 

 what's on .

Volunteering

 Volunteering 

Advice & support

 Advice & Support 

Student voice

 Student Voice 

• Find a Group
• Start a New Group
• Committee Resources
• Awards & Recognition
• What's On?
• Balloon Bar
• Bristol SU Living Room
• Bristol SU Spaces
• Welcome 2022
• Summer Guide to Bristol
• Why Volunteer?
• Volunteer in Bristol
• Student Led Projects
• Volunteer Resources
• Information for Organisations
• Register as an Organisation
• Academic Advice
• Drugs Including Alcohol
• Sexual Violence, Harassment and Spiking
• Suicide Prevention
• Crime and More Support
• Your Officer Team
• Your Student Reps
• Democratic Events
• Our Research

Advice & Support

Extenuating circumstances.

• SelfCertification
• What If I Fail?
• Plagiarism and Exam Cheating
• Academic Appeals
• Disciplinary
• Support/Fitness to Study
• Fitness to Practise
• Changing Course or Suspending Your Studies
• About & Contact Just Ask

Extenuating circumstances (ECs) are events that affect your performance in assessment and are usually either unforeseen or unpreventable and outside your immediate control. For example: 

Sudden illness, such as appendicitis or food poisoning

A flare up of a chronic condition 

A mental health difficulty 

Bereavement 

Responsibilities such as caring for someone close to you or jury service. 

The University has been making various adjustments to many aspects of teaching and assessment to account for the impact of the pandemic but if your studies have been particularly affected it is worth putting in an extenuating circumstances form via e-vision to explain this.  

Minor ailments such as colds and normal levels of exam stress or anxiety are not generally considered to be extenuating circumstances. Your circumstances will be taken more seriously if you can show that they were significant, unexpected, unavoidable and happened around the time of the assessment. 

If you're not sure about your particular situation,  contact Just Ask  or your school office for advice. 

It is a good idea to keep your school regularly informed of any personal matters affecting your studies. You are in charge of your personal information and what you do with it, so the University will only take into account what you choose to disclose. The only way that exam boards can be notified that a student has been affected by difficult circumstances is via the extenuating circumstances system. What this means is that you must fill in a form, even though you might also have discussed things with your tutor or another member of staff. 

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I submit Extenuating Circumstances?

Extenuating circumstances forms are available on eVision. Find more information and the link to the form here . 

When filling in your form, you will need to give as much information as possible but be clear and concise. There is a limit of 1500 characters for the 'explain your situation' section. You need to explain how your extenuating circumstances affected your studies. Make sure that you include all the units that were affected.  If you'd like help with wording your explanation of your extenuating circumstances, contact Just Ask and we can give feedback on your draft text. 

What evidence do I need?

If your extenuating circumstances are health-related you can provide a letter from your doctor, counsellor, psychiatrist or other health-care professional. If you have been a victim of crime, include a crime reference number or police report. Please contact Just Ask if you are not sure about this. 

Is there a deadline to submit Extenuating Circumstances?

The deadline for submitting your extenuating circumstances form is the first working day after each exam period. This includes the August/September resit period. Your school office will send you email reminders. If you don't submit your form before the deadline the University may not be able to consider your extenuating circumstances.  The eVision form will only allow you to submit the form for particular dates. If your circumstances continue for more than one date range, submit a form for each period. If you miss the deadline for submitting extenuating circumstances the only way you can get them taken into account retrospectively is by way of an academic appeal.

I’m ill, do I need to submit extenuating circumstances?

You need to submit an extenuating circumstances form with evidence if you are absent from an exam or timed assessment, or are ill during an exam, and have been unable to self-certify. See our page on self-certification .

I have been absent, do I need to submit extenuating circumstances? 

You need to submit an extenuating circumstances form with evidence if you are absent from teaching for more than seven consecutive days. We would also recommend that you let your personal tutor know about any periods of absence. 

I can’t finish my coursework, do I need to submit extenuating circumstances?

If you are unable to submit a piece of coursework by the deadline, or you submit it late, then you need to submit an extenuating circumstances form with evidence. 

I feel my performance in assessment has been affected, do I need to submit extenuating circumstances?

If you complete an assessment or exam but wish to tell the University about extenuating circumstances that affected your performance, then you need to submit an extenuating circumstances form with evidence. 

I have had an extension, should I still submit extenuating circumstances?

If you have had an extension for a piece of work, but you feel that your performance in the assessment was still affected, then you should submit an extenuating circumstances form with evidence. The extension and extenuating circumstances processes are separate, so it is important to do this if you feel the extension hasn’t adequately mitigated for your circumstances. See our page on extensions .

What happens to my form and what are the possible outcomes?

Your school’s extenuating circumstances committee (ECC) will review your form and evidence and assign a classification based on their severity and duration. The ECC provides the exam board with the classification. The exam board are told which assessments are affected but aren’t given any details of your circumstances or personal details. 

The exam board will look at your marks and your extenuating circumstances classifications and they will decide whether and how they can take your extenuating circumstances into account. Exam boards never change marks but possible options they can consider include: disregarding a mark for the purposes of calculating your overall degree classification, allowing a further attempt at a unit uncapped, allowing you to take a supplementary year uncapped. There is more information about this in the regulations (19.26-19.30) . 

Sustainability

Bristol SU's Impact

Book a Room

Run Your Group

Find a Volunteering Project

Find your Course Rep

Commercial Hire

Careers at Bristol SU

Bristol SU Jobshop

Disabled Access

Feedback & Complaints

The Richmond Building

105 Queens Road

Bristol, BS8 1LN

0117 331 8600

[email protected]

Footer Last

© University of Bristol Students' Union 2016. Charity #1139656 Company #6977417 Terms and Conditions  | Privacy Policy   | Accessibility Statement

• Undergraduate study
• Find a course
• Why choose Bristol?
• Accommodation
• Fees and funding
• New undergraduates
• Postgraduate study
• Find a programme
• How to apply
• New postgraduates
• International students

Undergraduate applicants

• Schools & faculties
• Business & enterprise
• People & contacts
• Current students
• Current staff

Unit and programme catalogues

• Unit catalogue
• Programme catalogue

Academic year

Search catalogues

You can use * and ? as wildcard characters to help you specify your search.

Unit catalogue 2023/24

Units (modules) are the building blocks of a programme (course) and are either mandatory (core) or optional (elective) for a particular programme.

Programme catalogue 2023/24

A programme (course) is a specified structure of study which leads to an award (degree, diploma or certificate).

Study at Bristol

Find out about undergraduate study and postgraduate study at Bristol.

See our approval process for information on revising and setting up new units and programmes .

University of Bristol, Senate House, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol, BS8 1TH, UK Tel: +44 (0)117 928 9000

Information for

Connect with us.

More social media

• Students' Union
• Sport, exercise and health
• Find a researcher
• Faculty research
• Impact of our research
• Research quality and assessment
• Engaging with the public

About the University

• Maps and travel
• Tours and visits
• The University on film
• Explore the city of Bristol

Support the University

• Alumni and friends
• Working at Bristol
• Job listings

A–Z of the University

• Terms and conditions
• Privacy and cookie policy
• © 2002-2016 University of Bristol

Coursework extensions

Information on coursework extensions..

If you find that your circumstances are such that you are struggling to complete your coursework assessment on time, you can apply for an extension to your submission deadline.

Whatever the reason, if you are struggling with your assessment please talk to your Personal Tutor, Student Experience Officer or Director of Studies as soon as you can. Your discussion could be used as supporting evidence if you request a coursework extension, and could help you identify alternative options to requesting an extension.

• Granting your request for a coursework extension

Information is available on what the University considers acceptable reasons and evidence for requesting an extension.

• How to apply for a coursework extension

You should use the relevant Department/Faculty/School procedure. Please speak to the Unit Convenor in the first instance if you are unsure what to do.

Some coursework has a scheduled time rather than a submission deadline because it is event-based (for example, an in-class test or a presentation). If you think you'll have difficulty making your attempt at the normal time, you should speak to the unit convenor or Director of Studies , before the time of your scheduled assessment, about your options which might include rescheduling the attempt.

It will be important for you to consider how changed deadlines might affect your ability to work to other deadlines and the timing of University decisions about your academic outcomes and progress. Your Personal Tutor or Director of Studies can discuss these points with you.

• If you are not given an extension

There may be reasons why it's not appropriate to grant an extension. This could be:

because of the format of the assessment you are taking

the learning outcomes it is testing

in fairness to the rest of your cohort

Although extensions are not guaranteed and there may be reasons why an extension is not appropriate, most extension requests are granted, especially if they are for a short period of time (i.e. a few days). If your reasons are in line with what is normally accepted, and you have some evidence that confirms your circumstances, then it is likely you will get the time you need.

If you don’t get the extension you requested then you should still submit your assessment as close to the deadline as you can.

It’s important that you are aware that:

If you have not been granted an extension, the normal deadline will apply.

If you do not submit your coursework by your deadline - either the original deadline or the extended deadline - there will be penalties. The penalties for missing your coursework deadline are as follows (as set out in Quality Assurance Code of Practice statement, Assessment, Marking and Feedback ):

• Coursework submitted after the deadline without prior approval will normally receive a maximum mark of 40% or the relevant pass mark
• Coursework that is handed in after five working days, without prior approval, will normally receive a mark of zero.

Although getting things in on time is important, please do not be tempted to use services such as ‘essay mills’ to help you complete your work on time. If you are caught using these prohibited services the potential penalties for committing an assessment offence far outweigh penalties for submitting late. More information is available on Academic Integrity .

• If you need more time

Please talk to the unit convenor and your Director of Studies as soon as possible if you think you will need more time to complete your assessment. It may be that an extension is not the best option for your circumstances.

• Individual Mitigating Circumstances (IMCs)

You can still submit an IMC claim whether or not you've been granted an extension or submitted your assessment.

On this page

Late submission window

The 48-hour late submission window is effective from 1 September 2023. Late submissions before this date will have five days.

What is the 48-hour late submission window?

You are expected to plan your workload to avoid being impacted upon by a minor illness or other causes, such as technical issues. However, if you encounter unexpected difficulties, a 48-hour late submission window is available to all students, during which you can submit your assignment without penalty. 

An assignment cannot be submitted after the late submission window has ended. Failure to submit the assignment within the 48-hour late submission window will result in a non-submission being recorded.

Can I access support during the 48-hour late submission window?

For the assignment that is due, your programme or module team will not be able to provide with you any additional assignment support within the 48-hour window. You will, however, be able to access support from other UWE Bristol services such as Student Support Advisers  and the Wellbeing Service . 

Do I need to provide evidence to use the 48-hour late submission window?

No, if you are unable to meet the original hand-in deadline you do not need to provide a reason or evidence indicating why you need to use the late submission window. 

Reasonable adjustment to a deadline

The reasonable adjustment length is 14 days following the original hand-in deadline for students who are eligible for the reasonable adjustment, as a disabled student, carer of a disabled person or due to pregnancy, maternity, and paternity. There are certain exceptions to this. Please see our page on applying for a reasonable adjustment for more information.

Apply for a reasonable adjustment

For resit submissions, the reasonable adjustment length is 5 days following the original hand-in deadline.

There may be cases where the 48-hour late submission window cannot be accommodated for due to the nature of an assignment. These assignments will be exempt from the 48-hour late submission window, and you must submit by the deadline. You can check whether your assignment is exempt on the module Blackboard page or the assignment brief.

Further support

We want all our students to be able to succeed and so we want to support you if personal difficulties or circumstances affect your studies and mean that you may be unable to complete, submit or attend assessments. If this happens to you, please contact us via the Information Point  and we will give you advice and support.

If you do not pass a module at the first sit, you will normally get an automatic resit. Find out more about uncapped resits .

Our  Information Point staff  will help you understand the options available, and can refer you to specialist staff or support processes as appropriate to your situation.

For further information, please look at our assessment support options webpage .

You may also be interested in

Assessments

Helpful information and advice about assessments at UWE Bristol.

Prepare for assessments

Advice to help you prepare for assignments and exams.

Details of UWE Bristol term times and key dates for the current and future academic years.

Student Support Advisers

Find out how the Student Support Advisers can help you, including the process for getting support.

UG and PGT Coursework Extensions (with the exception of PGT Project and Dissertation Modules)

Guidance on the process for coursework extensions for all undergraduate and postgraduate taught modules, with the exception of postgraduate project and dissertation modules, for which a separate process applies.

Purpose of coursework extension process and interaction with mitigating circumstances process

• The purpose of the coursework extension process is to provide for situations where exceptional and unforeseeable circumstances beyond a student’s control prevent them from submitting coursework by the submission deadline, and where a relatively short period of additional time (normally up to 48 hours) will be sufficient to address the problem.
• Where 48 hours of additional time is insufficient to address the problem, the Mitigating Circumstances process should normally be used.
• In most situations, students are advised to submit either an extension request or a Mitigating Circumstances claim and not both. However, there may be instances where a student initially seeks (and is granted) an extension, but then realises that the extension did not fully address the circumstances affecting them. In such a case, the student may submit a Mitigating Circumstances claim notwithstanding that they have already been granted an extension. (The student should still submit as much of their coursework as they can prior to the extended deadline in order to avoid being awarded a zero mark for non-submission in the event of no action being taken in relation to their Mitigating Circumstances claim). When considering the Mitigating Circumstances claim, the Mitigating Circumstances Panel will take into account the granting of the extension, and may decide that the extension was sufficient to address the circumstances. Alternatively, the Mitigating Circumstances Panel may decide that the extension did not fully address the circumstances described in the Mitigating Circumstances claim, and may therefore decide to take action in accordance with paragraphs 12.1-12.4 of Regulation XVII. 
• Where the circumstances mean that an extension of slightly longer than 48 hours might make the difference between the problem being fully addressed by an extension or the student needing to submit a Mitigating Circumstances claim, students are encouraged to submit an extension request as soon as possible and explain in as much detail as they can why they believe a slightly longer extension is the best solution to the challenge they are facing. Such longer extensions will only be granted exceptionally with the approval of the School Associate Dean (Education and Student Experience) and, where a longer extension is not granted, students may be advised to submit a Mitigating Circumstances claim. 
• The coursework extension process does not preclude bespoke adjustments in relation to a disability being negotiated by individual students on a case by case basis, with the involvement of Student Well-Being and Inclusivity (SWAI) and the student’s School.
• To be eligible for an extension the coursework assignment must be a piece of work submitted online or in hard-copy such as a problem sheet, essay, or lab report.  Extensions are not normally available for work marked in labs, class tests, CAA tests, presentations and other assessments which are undertaken at a specific time and location, and/or which are assessed face to face.  If you are unsure about whether your coursework is eligible for an extension please contact the relevant module leader for clarification.
• Students who think they may need a coursework extension should consult with their School at the earliest opportunity.
• Students wishing to request a coursework extension must do so in writing, to the Associate Dean (Education and Student Experience) responsible for the module, via their School Administrator, using the form below, detailing the exceptional circumstances they wish to be considered.
• Coursework extension requests should be supported by relevant documentary evidence if it is available. However, we recognise that it might not always be possible to provide supporting evidence - in which case we advise students to submit their request without it. Students should give their evidence directly to their School Administrator with, or as soon as possible after submitting, their form. Students should not delay submitting their form if they are waiting for evidence from a third party. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that any supporting evidence is given to their School in good time.
• Students who submit an extension request fewer than 2 working days before the original submission deadline, and who are not informed of the outcome by the original deadline should submit as much of their coursework as they can prior to the original deadline in order to avoid being awarded a zero mark for non-submission in the event of their request being rejected.
• Where an extension is granted, any initial submission made by the student prior to the original deadline date will be superseded for all purposes by the student’s subsequent submission made prior to the extended deadline.
• Where an extension is granted in relation to a coursework deadline on a Thursday or Friday, the student will be expected to submit the work electronically (according to School guidance) prior to the expiry of the agreed extension (even though this will be at the weekend). It follows that submission deadlines for coursework which is not capable of being submitted electronically should not be set by Schools/Departments on Thursdays or Fridays.
• Decisions on coursework extension requests will be made by the Associate Dean ( Education and Student Experience ) responsible for the module (or nominee). In practice it is anticipated that decision-making on extension requests will be formally overseen and periodically reviewed by AD(E&SE)s but delegated to School administration teams. Schools will be expected to ensure they have a robust process for reaching decisions on extension requests. Extensions shall be granted only where exceptional circumstances beyond the student’s control prevent submission of the coursework on time.
• Only one extension, for a fixed period of 48 hours from the original deadline date, may be granted in respect of each coursework assignment.
• Any coursework not submitted by the due date (plus any agreed extension) will be marked at zero. Students who fail to submit coursework by the submission date (plus any agreed extension) due to extenuating circumstances beyond their control should submit a Mitigating Circumstances claim. A zero mark for late submission may only be amended if a mitigating circumstances claim is upheld.
• Where the circumstances mean that an extension of slightly longer than 48 hours might make the difference between the problem being fully addressed by an extension or the student needing to submit a Mitigating Circumstances claim, students are encouraged to submit an extension request as soon as possible and explain in as much detail as they can why they believe a slightly longer extension is the best solution to the challenge they are facing. Such longer extensions will only be granted exceptionally with the approval of the School Associate Dean ( Education and Student Experience ) and, where a longer extension is not granted, students may be advised to submit a Mitigating Circumstances claim.

Additional Notes on the Consideration of Extension Requests

• When deciding whether to grant a coursework extension, the AD(E&SE) (or nominee) will be guided by the principles set out in the Mitigating Circumstances section of the Student Handbook. However, the standard required, both in terms of the extent and seriousness of the circumstances and the supporting evidence is at a slightly lower level, recognising that the possible outcomes of a successful Mitigating Circumstances claim are more far-ranging than the granting of an extension request.
• In general, students must recognise that in the normal course of life they will experience occasional illness and other problems or events that coincide with coursework submission deadlines. Such circumstances are part of the everyday frustrations of life, must be managed, and do not necessarily provide grounds for a coursework extension. Further, students are expected to take responsibility for their own personal organisation, including managing their learning, coursework assignments and revision, in a way which anticipates that events will not always run smoothly.
• It is not possible to list all the circumstances in which it will be appropriate to grant a coursework extension, but requests which are supported by relevant evidence, and which relate to a serious or significant medical condition or illness; exceptional personal or travel circumstances beyond the student's control; or for part-time students only, paid employment where exceptional circumstances can be demonstrated will normally be supported. Conversely, extension requests submitted without supporting evidence; arising from poor time management or personal organisation; or referring to circumstances within the student’s control, to minor ailments, or for full time students, to paid employment, will not normally be supported. (See also section 2 of the Mitigating Circumstances section of the Student Handbook).
• The principles in section 4 of the Mitigating Circumstances section of the Student Handbook should be taken into account in determining whether appropriate supporting evidence has been provided.
• Coursework extension requests relating to a long-term illness or disability will normally need to be supported with evidence from the University's Counselling and Disabilities Service.
• Any student suspected of submitting a fraudulent coursework extension request and/or falsifying or fabricating supporting evidence may be charged with a disciplinary offence under University Ordinance XVII (Conduct and Discipline of Students).

Coursework Extensions

What is a coursework extension?

A coursework extension is permission to hand in an assessment after the published deadline without either incurring a penalty or waiting to re-take an alternative assessment as a referred or deferred student. 

Further information about this policy is available here  UPR AS12 Appendix 1, Section 4.2.

Coursework extensions are not automatic, permission must be granted.

Students must fully read the information below:

   1.  Students must request a coursework extension from the person(s) or follow the the process identified in their programme information. 

   2.  Students must provide the reason(s) in writing for requesting an extension but are not required to provide documentary evidence to support this. The required number of days should be clearly specified in the request and the maximum number of days an extention may be granted for is seven (7) calendar days or ten (10) calendar days for a student with a Student Needs Agreement. 

   3.  Due to the nature of some assessments, extensions may not be possible, or not possible for the maximum of seven (7) calendar days or ten (10) calendar days for a student with a Student Needs Agreement. In such cases this will be made clear to students in the assessment brief /module information.

   4.  The coursework extension can be requested any time up until the coursework deadline. It is reasonable to expect that it may take up to two (2) working days after receipt of the request to confirm whether the request has been accepted or not accepted.

   5.  If the coursework extension has been granted, students should expect to receive their coursework with feedback return to them, no later than four ( 4 ) calendar weeks after the expiration of the maximum extension period available for the particular module. This is regardless of the period of extension granted or when the work was actually submitted.

Students should find out the details of who to ask for an extension in their module /programme information.

For more information, guidance and any forms, please contact your Personal Tutor/Module Leader/Programme Leader. 

SHARE THIS ARTICLE

• Skip to main content
• Skip to navigation
• Accessibility

Reasonable Adjustment Extension Assignments - guidance for Module Leaders

Where a work item is set up in ISIS to feed into Blackboard as an assignment, any approved extension for that work item, will also be set up to be submitted via Blackboard. Marks for extended assignments will not automatically extract to ISIS and need to be given to your School Student Programme and Support (SPS) team to enter manually in ISIS.

This webpage is intended for use by Module Leaders as a guide to what they need to know about the extension assignments in Blackboard - it is not an explanation of the full extension request process.

Who creates the extension assignments?

Your School Student Programme and Support (SPS) team will create the extended assignment in your Blackboard module.

SPS have access to a function in Blackboard which creates a copy of the original ISIS fed assignment but with the agreed extended due date. The function adds an adaptive release rule which only permits specific students to see and submit to the assignment.

Are extension assignments created for Grade Mappings?

No. Extension Assignments are only created for work items set up to be full Blackboard Assignment submissions. If you have a grade mapping work item for which you have manually created an assignment in Blackboard, you will need to manually create an assignment for the extension too.

So that only the relevant student(s) has access to it, you will need to add an adaptive release rule to the extension assignment as follows:

Once you‘ve created the extension assignment, hover over the assignment name and click to open the drop down menu; Select Adaptive Release; the Date section will bring forward the start and dates that you have set in the assignment - leave these as they are; in the Membership section select Browse and select the appropriate student; Submit to save the Adaptive Release rule. The extension assignment will then only be visible to the student you‘ve added in the Adaptive Release rule.

There is full guidance available on manually creating assignments , including adaptive release rules.

How will I know if an extended assignment has been created in my module?

Once the extension is approved by your School SPS, part of that process is to inform both the Module Leader and the student.

Extension assignments for first run assessment work items will be placed in the Assessment area of your module. Extension assignments for resit run assessment work items will be placed in the Resit Materials area of your module.

Extension assignments are prefixed with RA to deadline for a Reasonable Adjustment extension. This prefix is in addition to the original assignment name. For example, with an ISIS fed assignment called ESSAY:2000 word essay, the extension assignment will be called RA to deadline:ESSAY:2000 word essay .

Once the due date has passed, all instructors attached to the module will receive the automated Available for Marking email notification. This will prompt you to looking in the Marking Tools for extension assignment submissions.

Will the student with the extension still see the original assignment submission point?

Yes. Both submission points will be visable to the student.

The student who has the extension will be given clear communication from your School Student Programme and Support (SPS) team on what the extension assignment is called i.e. it will have the appropriate prefix of RA to deadline .

Will the student with the extension receive non-submission emails?

Students who have extension assignments will still receive the non-submission emails regarding the original assignment submission. They will not receive non-submission emails for the extension assignment.

Non-submission emails are only generated for assignments fed from ISIS.

Can I see in Blackboard which student has been given the extension?

You will be informed by your School SPS when an extension assignment has been approved and for which student. In addition, you will be able to see which student(s) have access to the extension assignment by looking at the Adaptive Release rules.

To check the Adaptive Release rules, find the extended assignment in the module and hover over the assignment name, then expand the drop down and select Adaptive Release. Scroll down to the Membership section and you will see a table showing which students have been given access to the assignment.

How do I mark extension assignment submissions?

Please note that the Spreadsheet Marking tool cannot be used for marking extension assignments. Extension assignments should be marked via the Grade Centre - as the extension assignment is separate to the original deadline, it will have it‘s own column in the Grade Centre.

Carry out the marking as you would for other Blackboard assignment submissions. When you release marks and feedback, these will go to the students via Blackboard but the marks will not automatically extract to ISIS. You will need to provide your School SPS team with the marks for extension submissions manually so that they can enter them into ISIS by hand.

Back to top

• Schools & departments

Coursework extensions

Guidance for staff supporting students to make coursework extension applications.

The process for special circumstances and coursework extensions has changed. You can find all of the latest information on the new Extensions and Special Circumstances Service on their webpage:

Extensions and Special Circumstances Service 

Further information for staff on how to effectively support students applying for an extension or special circumstances, and what the changes in the process mean for your role, can be found here:

Information for Staff