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What is a deferred exam?

A deferred exam is intended to allow a student who is unable to attend on the date first set, or who is compelled by illness to leave before the completion of an exam, to take an exam at a later date.

A deferred exam is only granted to a student whose absence or withdrawal from an exam is on acceptable grounds which are outlined in point 23 (a to f) of the Mitigation Policy and Procedure.

Students should bear in mind that if a deferred exam is granted all coursework and attendance requirements will still have to be met in order to successfully complete the module.

The deferred exam application process can only be used to defer centrally timetabled exams. Preregistration nursing students, students looking to defer a class test, or students who have alternatives to exams as part of an ARUAA, must instead contact the appropriate faculty direct. 

If a student decides to take an exam for which they have been granted a deferral, they must make this known to the invigilator. A student who chooses to take an exam at the main diet and does not pass will be eligible to repeat the exam at the resit diet. In this case the maximum mark that can be awarded for an undergraduate module is 40, and for a postgraduate module, 50.

How do I apply to defer an exam?

Students must wait until the final exam timetable has been published before applying to defer an exam.

To apply for a deferred exam please read the deferred exam guidance notes and then submit an application via the Portal, using the link “I want to…” “Apply for an Exam Deferral”.

Independent supporting documentation is always required and must be uploaded at the point of submitting the application via the Portal.

If a student does not have a supporting document at the point of application, he or she must upload a Word document confirming what supporting document will be obtained and when it will be submitted.

Deferred exam application deadline

The deadline to apply for a deferred exam is three days after the end of the relevant exam period.

When will I take the deferred exam?

Exam diet dates

The dates of the exam diets can be found here: Exam dates

If you defer your exam you should note that you will be taking the exam in the resit diet and therefore will not have the opportunity to undertake a resit should you fail on the first attempt. Though there maybe an option to retake the module, should you fail on the first attempt, you should note that this is likely to have financial implications for you.

What happens after I submit a Deferred Exam Application?

All deferred exam applications are considered by Student Administration and decisions are communicated in writing to students via their student email account as quickly as possible.

What are acceptable grounds?

Absence from studies grounds:

• Being in hospital.
• Being in court/detention.
• Participating in authorised national or international sporting competition or authorised national sports training camps. iv. Formally representing the University. v. Incapacity due to pregnancy (including attendance at antenatal appointments). vi. Helping a close person 1who falls ill, gives birth, is injured or assaulted.
• Arranging for care for a close person who is ill or injured.
• Dealing with the unexpected disruption, termination or breakdown in care or schooling of a close person who is a dependant (for example, if a childminder fails to turn up, school is closed unexpectedly or a child is suspended from school).
• Dealing with unexpected disruption to personal life (e.g. eviction/sudden homelessness or family break up; domestic abuse or being a victim of a significant incident or crime.)

Medical grounds:

• Physical or mental symptoms/recovery from medical procedure.

Compassionate grounds:

• Death of a close person.
• Sudden acute or serious illness or injury (including serious mental illness) of a close person.
• Loss of a pregnancy or supporting a close person through pregnancy loss

Disability grounds:

• Inability to attend/engage at the relevant time due to disability, defined as a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on a person's ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.
• The reason for the mitigation is within a student’s Academic Record of Access Adjustment (ARUAA).

Parental Leave grounds:

• Parental leave, including maternity leave, adoption leave, shared parental leave and paternity leave, according to current UK legislation, are Acceptable Grounds in respect of deferring examinations

Exceptional grounds:

• Circumstances other than those set out above may also be exceptional and will be considered on their own merits, considering their cause, impact and the criteria for the type of mitigation sought by the student. Where this is the case, supporting documentation should be provided wherever possible.

What are unacceptable grounds? 

The following will not be considered acceptable grounds for deferred exam applications:

• going on holiday
• returning home early
• attending weddings or other family occasions (except funerals)
• misreading the exam timetable or turning up at the wrong time
• failing to check changes between the provisional and final exam timetables
• failing to get up in time
• transport difficulty
• death or illness of pets

In any of the above circumstances, students may contact the appropriate faculty to request a discretionary resit. In this case the maximum mark that can be awarded for an undergraduate module is 40, and for a postgraduate module, 50.

All students seeking to defer an exam should read the deferred exam guidance notes and then submit a deferred exam application via the Portal, using the link “Apply for a Deferred Exam”.

Independent supporting documentation is always required and must be uploaded at the point of submitting the application.

If a student does not have a supporting document at the point of application, he or she must upload a Word document confirming what supporting document will be obtained and when it will be submitted.

The deadline for deferred exam applications is three days after the end of the relevant exam period.

Decisions are communicated in writing to students via their student email account.

The following will not be considered acceptable grounds for deferred exam applications:

• going on holiday
• returning home early
• attending weddings or other family occasions (except funerals)
• misreading the examination timetable or turning up at the wrong time
• failing to check changes between the provisional and final examination timetables
• failing to get up in time
• transport difficulty
• death or illness of pets

Where a deferred exam has been approved Student Programmes will upload the grade of DE. 

Schools can see from the Class List Function on the Portal which students have been granted deferred exams.