Current Students Assessment and results Special Consideration

Special consideration

Special Consideration takes into account short-term and/or unforeseen circumstances (known as Special Circumstances) that substantially affect a student's ability to complete an assessment item.

It is not intended for the management of long-term illnesses, disabilities, or other ongoing circumstances.

The following situations that would not be considered Special Circumstances, include but are not limited to:

  • stress and anxiety normally associated with study;
  • adjusting to the demands of university life or homesickness;
  • personal travel or holiday plans that have made a student unable to attend classes or meet required submission timelines;
  • failure to understand or ask for clarification of key dates or procedures where a student could reasonably be expected to have understood or asked for clarification;
  • inability to obtain release from the student's regular paid employment to undertake or complete the learning activities or assessment
  • misreading or failing to ask for clarification of the examination timetable;
  • an increase in hours or duties of employment which is at the request of the student;
  • social and leisure events and activities including sporting commitments not considered as elite athlete obligations.

The Application types below refer to On Course, i.e. events that occur during your study; or Formal Examinations i.e. events that occur during the Formal Examination period of your Study Period or Trimester as published in the Academic Calendar.

Application Types

The table below indicates the application types that you may apply for during your On Course study or those that can be applied for during your Formal End of Semester Examinations where you have received an exam timetable.

On Course – During the Study Period/Trimester

Application Type

Example

Timeframe to Submit

Reschedule Request

‘I have missed or am unable to attend/sit an On Course assessment or exam’

‘I have missed or am unable to attend/sit an On Course assessment or exam’

There is an exam or practical to be held in class or online in week 6. You cannot attend due to special circumstances and therefore need to apply to reschedule the exam or practical to another day and/or time.

No later than:

3 University working days after the scheduled date of the activity

Missed Compulsory Activity

‘I have missed or will miss a compulsory activity (i.e. Practical, Workshop, Tutorial)’

It is a subject requirement that you must attend a laboratory or tutorial each week however, you cannot make one of the classes due to special circumstances.

No later than:

3 University working days after the scheduled date of the activity

Missed Placement Attendance

‘I have missed or been unable to attend a placement’

You have a scheduled placement and have been unable to attend all or some of the day/s due to special circumstances.

Note: There is also a requirement to notify your placement site of your non-attendance.

No later than:

3 University working days after the scheduled date of the placement

Request Extension

‘I am unable to submit my assessment on time’

An assignment is due on the 20th of the month but you are unable to meet this due to special circumstances, so you need to request an extension until the 25th.

Before the due date of the assessment

Adverse Impact

‘I have completed my On-Course exam/assessment, but my performance was impacted by special circumstances’

An assessment was due on the 20th of the month however you fell ill one week before the due date. You were still able to submit the assessment but feel your academic performance was impacted.

No later than:

3 University working days after the scheduled assessment.

End of Study Period Exam held during a published Examination Period

Application Type

Example

Timeframe to Submit

Deferring your Formal Exam

‘I have missed or am unable to sit my Formal Exam’

The formal exam has been timetabled for the Friday of the formal exam week. You cannot attend on the day due to special circumstances. You will need to request a deferral of the exam until the supplementary/deferred exam period.

No later than:

3 University working days after the date of Examination; or

Adverse Impact

‘I have completed my exam, but my performance was impacted by special circumstances’

The formal exam has been timetabled for the Friday of the formal exam week. You become ill on Thursday, however, you recover enough to attend the exam on Friday although you feel that your academic performance was impacted due to the special circumstances that occurred.

No later than:

3 University working days after the date of Examination

Unable to sit a Supplementary or Deferred Exam

‘I have missed or am unable to sit my approved Supplementary/Deferred Exam’

The supplementary/deferred exam has been timetabled for a Friday and you become ill the morning of the exam and are unable to attend.

No later than:

3 University working days after the date of Examination

Special Consideration Application Form

Please refer to the Special Circumstances Supporting Documentation webpage to ensure that you are supplying the correct documentation, as this will improve the turnaround time of your application.  If your application is based on medical grounds you can find further information on the Applications based on medical grounds web page.

Only one application, per subject, per special consideration category can be lodged at a time. If you are experiencing special circumstances which impacts multiple assessments or subjects, you will need to lodge an application for each one.

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