Special Consideration

During your studies, there may be times when you experience serious misadventure, accident or extenuating circumstances beyond your control which affect your academic performance.

When events of a grave or severe nature like this happen you may apply for Special Consideration. Keep in mind you will need to show that you were unable to stop these severe/grave events from affecting your academic performance.

You may seek Special Consideration for an assessment task or tasks, or for your overall performance in a unit or units.

All applications for Special Consideration must contain appropriate supporting documentation to substantiate the circumstances that are impacting on your studies. Applications without supporting documentation will not be considered.

You should read through the information below carefully, and check the Special Consideration policy before you apply. If you need please contact the Student Welfare Service.

Special Consideration (during the teaching session)

You may apply for Special Consideration if you have suffered severe and/or grave illness, misadventure, accident, or have extenuating circumstances beyond your control.

These circumstances must have:

• prevented you from meeting an assessment deadline; or 
• caused you to perform below your usual standard during an assessment; or 
• prevented your from attending a compulsory component of your course.

You may be considered for Special Consideration for:

• an assessment task in one unit of study; or
• part or the whole of a teaching session for one unit of study; or
• for part or the whole of a teaching session for more than one unit of study.

To apply you must complete the Special Consideration During Teaching Session application form.

If you are applying for Special Consideration during the teaching session you must submit your application at a Student Central.

For assessment tasks in one unit of study the form must be lodged no later than 5.00pm on the 2nd working day after the due date of the assessment (working days are defined as Monday to Friday, not including public holidays).

For all Special Considerations in one or more units in a teaching session the form must be lodged as soon as you are aware that you may have extenuating circumstances which could affect your studies.

The Application will be forwarded to the School who will send an email to your student email account telling you if your application has been successful within two days of the decision.

^ Back to top

Special Consideration (during the formal exam period)

You may apply for Special Consideration if you have been seriously ill or have other extenuating circumstances beyond your control.

Normally requests will relate to situations where you:

• believe your studies and academic work have been adversely affected such that you will be unable to perform in the examination at your usual standard; or
• you are unable to complete the final examination due to ill health or another cause.

To apply you must complete the Final Examination Special Consideration application form.

This form will only be available during end-of-session examination periods.

You must complete this form and submit it, with supporting documentation, to any Student Central no later than 5pm on the second working day after the examination. (Working days are Monday to Friday, not including Public Holidays.)

The supporting documentation must link the severity/gravity of the extenuating circumstances to your ability to perform in the examination.

If the extenuating circumstances mean that you can not lodge your application in time, we may consider a late application. If this happens, you should contact Student Central.

Supporting document reference list

Your application for Special Consideration should include evidence to support the claim and clearly indicate the severity and/or gravity of the circumstances, the extent of the impact and the relevant dates in addition to the required supporting documents referred to below.

» Supporting document reference list

Deferred examinations

If there are exceptional circumstances where the severity/gravity of the events prevent you from attending your examination, you may apply to sit a deferred examination.

More information is available on the deferred examinations page.

^ Back to top

Related links

• Special Consideration policy
• Deferred exams
• Student Central