Regulations for the Conduct of University Examinations: Part 14 Late Submission, Non-submission, Non-appearance and Withdrawal from Examinations

14.1. This Part provides for candidates who wish to:  

(1) withdraw from or suspend any University Examination after their names have been entered under Part 9 of these regulations, or  

(2) who do not appear at the time and place appointed for taking any examination for which they have been entered, or 

(3) who do not submit a thesis or other exercise at the time and place appointed, or 

(4) who do not submit an online examination response within the exam duration, or 

(5) who wish to withdraw a piece of written work and substitute a revised version. 

14.2 This Part also provides for the award of ‘declared to have deserved’ outcomes by the Examination Board when excusal for absence from examinations has been granted under section 14.19(1) or they are confirmed to be eligible under section 14.29. to 14.31 below. 

Late submission of a thesis or other written exercise 

14.3. A candidate in any University Examination may, through their college (or through their department for candidates without a college), request the Proctors to accept an application that the candidate will be or has been prevented by illness or other urgent cause that is unforeseeable, unavoidable and/or insurmountable from submitting a thesis (or other exercise) at the appointed time and place for any part of a University Examination. 

(1) Where an application is being made which is supported by independent evidence, the application may be made up to four weeks prior to the deadline, but must be made no more than 14 calendar days after the deadline.  

(2) Where an application is being made on the basis of self-certification, the application may only be made up to two weeks prior to the deadline, and no more than 24 hours after the deadline.  

(3) Where the candidate has already submitted work after the deadline, they may apply to have the late penalty waived. 

(4) Where the candidate wishes to be permitted to submit such a thesis (or other exercise) later than the date prescribed by any statute or regulation, they may request an extension of time up to a maximum of 12 weeks in total for an assessment item; unless on the basis of self-certification when the request may only be up to a maximum of 7 days, further applications up to the maximum 12 weeks must be supported by independent evidence. 

(5) If a candidate fails to submit a thesis (or other exercise) on time without having received prior permission from the Proctors, and does not submit it within 14 calendar days of the deadline, the consequence shall be as defined under 14.21. 

14.4. 

(1) A request under 14.3. above must be submitted in writing by the Senior Tutor or other proper officer of the candidate's college, (or by an appropriate officer in the candidate’s department where the candidate does not have a college) with sufficient independent evidence to support it; unless on the basis of self-certification in which case the candidate may apply directly.  

(2) Where an application for late submission or a request for an extension of time, outside the provisions made for self-certification under 14.3(2) and (4) above, is made as a result of the impact of a medical condition, a medical certificate from a qualified medical practitioner must be sent, and this certificate must specify, with dates, the reason why the illness will prevent or has prevented the candidate from submitting the thesis (or other exercise). 

14.5. 

(1) If the Proctors accept a submission under 14.3. above they shall send a copy of their decision promptly to the chair of examiners of the University Examination concerned and inform the candidate's college and the Registrar. 

(2) If the Proctors decide not to accept the submission they shall give reasons for their decision. 

14.6. If the Proctors accept a submission under 14.3., they may authorise the examiners to accept a submission at a later date as provided for under 14.5. above. The examiners shall accept and mark such a thesis (or other exercise) as if it had been submitted by the prescribed date. 

Consequences of late submission of a thesis or other written exercise 

14.7. If a candidate fails to submit a thesis (or other exercise) on time without prior permission from the Proctors, but submits on or after the prescribed date of submission and within 14 calendar days of the deadline, the examiners will accept and mark the work. The examiners may impose an academic penalty according to the examination conventions agreed by the relevant supervisory body. 

Substitution of a previously submitted thesis or other exercise 

14.8. If a candidate realises that they have submitted an incorrect version of a thesis (or other exercise), they may withdraw that thesis (or other exercise) and substitute a revised version in the same examination on one occasion only. The revised version must be submitted prior to the deadline for that piece of work. 

14.9. If an examiner identifies that a piece of work cannot be marked because it is illegible or otherwise unreadable they may apply to the Proctors for the candidate to withdraw that thesis (or other exercise) and substitute a readable version.  

Non-submission of declaration of authorship 

14.10. As provided for by Part 11, submissions must be accompanied by a declaration of authorship and originality. The examiners are under no obligation to mark any submission not so accompanied. In the event that the Declaration of Authorship is submitted late, the Proctors may recommend that the examiners apply an academic penalty. 

Late submission of an online examination response 

14.11. Where a candidate is required to upload part or all of their online examination response and has been prevented from submitting it within the examination duration by illness or other urgent cause which is unforeseeable, unavoidable and/or insurmountable, they should submit the examination response as soon as possible. If the response is submitted within 24 hours of the end of the examination duration, they may apply to the Proctors to have the work marked. Applications relating to examination responses uploaded more than 24 hours after the end of the examination duration will not be considered.  

14.12. If the Proctors accept an online examination response under 14.11. above, they shall authorise that the work submitted late be released for marking along with any material submitted during the examination. 

14.13. If the Proctors decide not to accept the online examination response, they shall give reasons for their decision and authorise only the marking of any material submitted during the examination.   

Substitution of a previously submitted online examination response 

14.14. If an examiner identifies that an online examination response cannot be marked because it is illegible or otherwise unreadable, they may apply to the Proctors for the candidate to withdraw that online examination response and substitute a readable version. 

Non-appearance at an examination 

14.15.A candidate in any University Examination may, through their college (or their department for candidate’s without a college), request the Proctors to accept a submission that they will be or have been prevented by illness or other urgent cause that is unforeseeable, unavoidable and/or insurmountable from attending at the appointed time or place for any part of a University Examination or from attempting an online examination.  

(1) A candidate may apply for excusal from an examination up to four weeks prior to the examination, but must apply no later than 14 calendar days after the examination. 

14.16 For the purposes of this regulation, a candidate will be deemed to have attended or attempted an examination if they were present in the place designated for that examination and had the opportunity to see the question paper there (where used) or had accessed the question paper for an online examination.  

14.17. 

(1) A request under regulation 14.15 above must be submitted in writing by the Senior Tutor or other proper officer of the candidate's college, (or by the candidate’s department where the candidate does not have a college) with sufficient evidence to support it. 

(2) Where non-appearance is caused by illness a medical certificate from a qualified medical practitioner must be sent, and this certificate must specify, with dates, the reason why the illness will prevent or has prevented the candidate from attending or attempting the examination. 

14.18. 

(1) If the Proctors accept a submission under regulation 14.15 above they shall send a copy of their decision promptly to the chair of examiners of the University Examination concerned and inform the candidate's college and the Registrar. 

(2) If the Proctors decide not to accept the submission they shall give reasons for their decision; 

(3) If the Proctors decide not to accept the submission and the candidate does not attend or attempt the assessment or assessments, the consequences will be as defined under 14.21. 

14.19. If the Proctors accept a submission under 14.15 above they may authorise the examiners either: 

(1) to examine the candidate at another place or time under such arrangements as they deem appropriate with invigilation carried out in accordance with Part 15; or 

(2) if other work that the candidate has already submitted in the Examination is of sufficient merit, to act as if they had completed the part of the University Examination which they were unable to attend, in accordance with 14.20 below. 

14.20. 

(1) Where it is decided under 14.19.(2) above that the examiners are to act as if the candidate had completed the part of the University Examination concerned, and the University Examination is one in which Honours may be awarded, the examiners may adopt one of the following courses: 

(a) if they consider the candidate has submitted enough work to allow them to determine the candidate's proper class, they may award the candidate the class their performance merits; 

(b) if they are unable to adopt course (a) but consider, on the basis of the work submitted, that but for the candidate's absence they would have obtained classified Honours, they may deem the candidate to have obtained Honours and publish the candidate's name accordingly at the foot of the Results List under the words ‘declared to have deserved Honours’; 

(c) if they are unable to adopt course (a) or course (b) but are nevertheless satisfied with the work submitted, they may include the candidate's name on the Results List to show that the candidate has satisfied the examiners; 

(d) if they are unable to adopt course (a), (b), or (c) they shall fail the candidate. 

(2) Where the examiners have adopted course (b), (c), or (d) above it shall be open to the candidate to apply to Education Committee for consideration of their standing for Honours at a future examination. 

(3) Where it is decided under 14.19.(2) that the examiners are to act as if the candidate had completed the parts of the University Examination concerned, and the University Examination is one in which Honours are not awarded, the examiners may adopt one of the following courses: 

(a) if they consider the candidate has submitted enough work to allow them to determine whether it is of a sufficient standard to enable the candidate to pass the Examination they may include their name in the Results List; 

(b) if they are unable to adopt course (a), they shall fail the candidate. 

Consequences of non-appearance or non-submission 

14.21. 

(1) For any University Examination in which Honours may be awarded (except Honour Moderations), if a candidate fails to appear for any part of a University Examination (including a viva voce examination other than as specified in (3) below) or fails to submit a thesis (or other exercise), the candidate will be deemed to have failed the entire University Examination or, in the case of a Second Public Examination divided into formal Parts, the entire Part of the University Examination, unless a successful submission under Part 14 has been made. 

(2) For any University Examination in which Honours are not awarded or for Honour Moderations, if a candidate fails to appear for any part of a University Examination (including a viva voce examination other than as specified in (3) below) or fails to submit a thesis (or other exercise), the candidate will be deemed to have failed the paper as defined in 14.22(1) unless a successful submission under Part 14 has been made. 

(3) This regulation shall not apply where candidates (a) fail to appear for, or to submit work in respect of, optional papers supplementary to the compulsory elements of the examination; (b) fail to appear for a viva voce examination which has the sole purpose of confirming their final position in a Results List. 

14.22. 

(1) For the purposes of this Part, a paper is the assessment unit and may comprise a single assessment item (for example, a timed examination, a dissertation, a project, a practical work requirement) or multiple assessment items. In special subject regulations it may be described as a subject, an option, a course, an elective, a project, a unit rather than as a paper. Each individual paper may be compulsory or optional; however, all special subject regulations define the required number of papers that must be completed in order to complete the Examination. 

(2) Where a candidate is deemed to have failed a paper under this Part and the Examination is one in which Honours may be awarded (except Honour Moderations), for any further attempt at that paper that is permitted by regulation the examiners shall assess the paper on its merits; 

(3) Where a candidate is deemed to have failed a paper under this Part and the Examination is one in which Honours are not awarded or for Honour Moderations, for any further attempt at that paper that is permitted by regulation the examiners shall award a mark no higher than the minimum pass mark (as defined for the Examination) for the paper. Where a paper has more than one assessment item, the marks of those assessment items that were successfully completed will be carried forward and the candidate will only be required to retake the assessment item(s) that was/were not successfully completed. All assessment items repeated under this Part shall be awarded a mark no higher than the minimum pass mark in addition to the capping of the paper mark. The candidate will not be eligible for a distinction or merit where the award of distinction or merit is otherwise permitted. 

Withdrawal from a University Examination 

14.23. A candidate whose name has been entered for a University Examination may withdraw from that Examination at any time prior to the last examination date or submission deadline whichever is later. A candidate may not withdraw once the last examination date or submission deadline (whichever is later) has passed. 

Suspension of the University Examination 

14.24.  No University Examination can be suspended after results for that Examination have been released. 

14.25. A candidate may not suspend the final University Examination for their intended award aim once the last published examination date or submission deadline (whichever is later) has passed. 

14.26. Where a candidate has been given permission to suspend their studies by the relevant body after the start of the Examination, or date for submission of the first paper or other exercise belonging to it, their Examination will be suspended according to the following provisions: 
 

• (1) for candidates suspending during Full Term, the candidate will be withdrawn from all assessments that are due to be submitted or sat from Monday of week 1 of that Full Term until Friday of week 0 of the Full Term in which the candidate resumes their studies; 
• (2) for candidates suspending outside Full Term, the candidate will be withdrawn from all assessments that are due to be submitted or sat during the approved suspension period; 
• (3) where candidates are permitted to suspend for periods other than terms, candidates will be withdrawn from all assessments that are due to be submitted or sat during the approved suspension period. 

14.27. Candidates will be required to confirm their entry according to the provisions of Part 9 for all outstanding assessments in the academic year of their return to study. 

14.28. Assessments that were completed before the suspension of the Examination as defined in 14.26 will be carried forward to the resumption of studies. 

Declared to deserve outcomes 

14.29. A candidate who has certified that they are unable to complete a University Examination and that they are unable to suspend and return in the following academic year may be considered for a ‘declared to have deserved’ outcome. 

14.30. The candidate’s college (where applicable) and department will be required to confirm that the candidate: 

• Has passed all summative assessment to date, in accordance with the subject’s normal rules, and; 
• Does not have any resits for summative assessment outstanding, and; 
• Has achieved a satisfactory performance in formative assessment, and; 
• Is not subject to outstanding academic disciplinary procedures. 

14.31. The exam board should consider whether the candidate has submitted enough work to allow them to award a classified degree, and where possible will determine the candidate's proper class, based on the academic performance achieved. If a classified outcome cannot be awarded and the candidate meets the eligibility criteria as defined in 14.30, the candidate will be awarded one of the following outcomes as appropriate for the original qualification aim: 

Outcomes collectively known as DDH 

• Declared to have Deserved Honours,
• Declared to have Deserved Undergraduate Advanced Diploma,
• Declared to have Deserved Undergraduate Diploma,
• Declared to have Deserved Undergraduate Certificate,
• Declared to have Deserved Certificate of Higher Education,
• Declared to have Deserved Foundation Certificate.

Outcomes collectively known as DDM 

• Declared to have Deserved Masters,
• Declared to have Deserved Postgraduate Diploma,
• Declared to have Deserved Postgraduate Certificate,
• Declared to have Deserved PGCE,
• Declared to have Deserved PFCE.

Appeals under this Part 

14.32. A candidate or their college who is dissatisfied with any decision made by the Proctors or by the examiners under this Part, may appeal against that decision in accordance with the provisions of Part 18.