Absence from examinations due to ill health

You should make every effort to attend all examinations. It is often surprising how well candidates who are ill can perform in written examinations, and a mark of just 40% will avoid the automatic referral in August/September (level 1 and 2 only, there are no referrals/re-sits for level 3 students). It will not be possible to make special arrangements to take the exams in an alternative location, unless this has been arranged through the DASS.

If you are so ill you are unable to take an exam you must contact the Student Support Office as soon as possible, and certainly no later than the day and start time of your examination. You should complete a Mitigating Circumstances Form which must be accompanied by appropriate independent third-party supporting or collaborative documentation such as a Doctor’s note or letter signed by your GP or a letter from your health care professional. If the information is of a highly confidential nature, you may submit your evidence in a sealed envelope, marked for the attention of the Chair of the Mitigating Circumstances Committee. Students who attend a hospital Accident and Emergency (A&E) Department must obtain written confirmation of attendance either from the hospital or subsequently from their GP confirming their attendance and stating the nature of the emergency. A hospital attendance card alone will not be accepted as appropriate evidence of illness.

Please note some doctors surgeries can take 2 weeks to provide you with a letter of evidence, so it is important to organise this as soon as possible. If your evidence will not be available until after the deadline, you must ensure your application form is submitted on time and notify the Student Support Office when they can expect to receive the evidence.

2019/2020 DEADLINES for submitting your mitigating circumstances form;

Semester 1 – 5pm, Monday 27th January 2020
Semester 2 – 12pm, Friday 5th June 2020
Resit Period – 12pm, Tuesday 1st September 2020

Requests for mitigation submitted after this date for the end of an examination period cannot be considered.  Students would need to go through the Appeals process and provide a credible and compelling explanation as to why the circumstances were not known or could not have been shown beforehand.

If you miss a unit examination through illness, you will be required to take the examination again in the August/September examination period (level 1 and 2 only). Provided that you have followed the procedures described above, this re-examination will normally be counted as your first attempt and the referral fee will be waived.

Mitigating Circumstances Forms are available from the Student Support Office or can be downloaded from the Faculty intranet. All forms need to be submitted to the Student Support Office via hand delivery or email – mitigatingcircumstances.sbs@manchester.ac.uk.