Frequently Asked Questions

1. What are extenuating circumstances?

During your programme of study you might experience significant personal difficulties.

Extenuating circumstances (ECs) are events that affect your performance in assessments which are unforeseen and out of your control. Our EC procedure is intended to support students with these exceptional, short-term circumstances.

In the first instance we recommend that you notify, for example, your Personal Tutor, PhD supervisor, Faculty Offices, School/Faculty Senior Tutor, Health and Wellbeing Services, as soon as possible.

All Year 2 and above Undergraduate Students, Postgraduate Taught (Master) Students, Postgraduate Research Students

• Faculty Office of Science and Engineering: FOSE@nottingham.edu.cn
• Faculty Office of Humanities and Social Sciences: FHSS@nottingham.edu.cn
• NUBS China Faculty Office: NubschinaFO@nottingham.edu.cn

Preliminary Year (Year 1) Students

• CELE Professional Services Office: cpso@nottingham.edu.cn

These people will be able to provide advice and direct you to appropriate procedures or support services, if applicable.  

If you’ve discussed your circumstances and you identify you need to make a claim under the Extenuating Circumstances procedure, you will need to let us know by raising an extenuating circumstances claim via the Student Portal.

Your claim will be reviewed and you’ll be informed of the outcome of your claim via email.

If you have a Support Plan that states on it that extensions to deadlines in relation to your disability should be allowed on request by submitting an EC Claim.

If the issue affecting you is a long-term one, then an EC is not the appropriate route to go down. In these circumstances, you should seek advice on getting a Support Plan in place.

• Health and Wellbeing Centre:  disability-support@nottingham.edu.cn

More details on ECs and what they are outlined in the EC Procedure here.

The University EC Regulations are outlined here.

The University Policy on Circumstances Affecting Students’ Ability to Study and Complete Assessments is outlined here.

2. What are acceptable circumstances for an EC claim?

Please refer to the University Policy on circumstances affecting students' ability to study and complete assessments and Extenuating circumstances regulations.

3. What are the timescales for EC claims?

Coursework:  Claims must be submitted before the coursework deadline.
Note: Make sure you submit any work you have done by the original deadline - even if you haven’t received your EC outcome by this point.

Timetabled examinations/assessments:  Claims must be submitted prior to, or within five working days of, the examination/assessment, including PGR Progression Review.
Late Extenuating Circumstances claims outside aforementioned EC timeframe will usually be rejected, unless there is evidence to prove not only the impact of the situation but also why the claim could not be submitted within the above timescales. Not being aware of the need to submit a claim is not sufficient cause.  

4. What are the timescales to provide evidence supporting my EC claim?

According to the EC Procedure, evidence should usually be provided at the time of making the extenuating circumstances claim, but may be submitted up to 10 working days from the deadline/examination. 

It can exceptionally be provided later than this, but any extension to the evidence deadline must be approved in advance by the extenuating circumstances panel and cannot in any case be more than 10 working days.

Extensions of the deadline to provide evidence will be confirmed to you in writing.

5. What kind of evidence do I need to submit with my EC?

Please refer to Extenuating circumstances regulation Section 4.3: Standard of Evidence section