Extenuating Circumstances - before you submit

Further information about the sort of circumstances covered and not covered by the procedure can be found in the Guidance on Circumstances and Evidence.  For example, IT issues and misreading an examination timetable aren’t grounds for a claim.

It may not be possible for your School/Department to consider the claim before the relevant deadline or examination or for you to acquire the necessary evidence. 

For an examination you will need to decide whether to miss the examination.

For a coursework deadline you must submit any work that you have done by the time of the original deadline.  

If your claim is not subsequently approved you will receive a mark of zero for the relevant examination (if you did not attend). If you submitted the coursework you had done by the original deadline, that submission will be marked.

Coursework:  Claims must be submitted before the coursework deadline.

Timetabled examinations/assessments:  Claims must be submitted prior to, or within seven days of, the examination.

If your claim is being made outside the EC timescales, don’t forget to provide a compelling explanation for and supporting evidence of the reasons for late submission, for example, you were in hospital.

Panels will automatically reject late claims if you don’t provide this information.

Waiting for evidence is not an acceptable reason for a late claim.

If you’re wanting to tell the University about ECs after a progression or classification Examination Board has met, the EC procedure is no longer open to you, instead the Academic Appeal procedure should be followed. Any circumstances or evidence which could have been raised before the meeting of the Board, but, without good reason, were not raised, will not be considered in the event of an Appeal.

The sooner your evidence is received, the sooner your claim can be considered.  If you don’t yet have it, but are confident you will be able to provide it later, submit your EC claim form within the required time, then submit your evidence to The Hub within 14 days of your assessment date.

If your evidence is going to be delayed beyond 14 days, seek permission from your faculty office for an extension to the deadline for evidence submission by sending an email to thehub@nottingham.edu.cn. Please note, irrespective of the deadlines above, evidence can only be considered as part of an EC claim if it’s received prior to a meeting of a progression or classification Board of Examiners.

We would ask that photographs containing sensitive imagery (e.g. photographs of medical procedures/injuries) are not submitted with extenuating circumstances claims. Suitable written evidence supporting the nature of the claim (e.g. medical documentation) should be provided in place of such images.

Please understand that it’s your responsibility to provide the evidence, staff are not expected to submit it on your behalf or to chase you if you don’t provide it.

Students wishing to self-certify their absence from an examination should indicate this on the claim form and using self-certify form.

Please don’t assume the EC Board know you or know your circumstances - you have to tell them!  EC claims are frequently held up while further details are sought or even rejected because students haven’t explained what happened and the impact. This is true even if you have already made the University aware of these circumstances.

Remember, Panels will consider not only the circumstances cited, but the information you provide in support of your claim of impact.  You need to explain and evidence the practical impact of your situation on your ability study.

EC claim can be submitted at The Hub (Portland Building 120) during its service hours (09:00 – 11:30, 12:30 – 17:00, Mon. – Fri.) or by sending an email to us. For any inquires about EC claim, please visit us or contact us by email thehub@nottingham.edu.cn or telephone 0574-8818 0000 ext. 8062.