Special Consideration

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

When this happens, and the events are beyond your control, and you can demonstrate the severity and/or gravity of the circumstances, you may apply for Special Consideration.

If you know about the extenuating circumstances before an assessment task is due, you may apply for an extension of time to complete the task. Otherwise, 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.

Request for Extension

Where you know in advance that you will not be able to submit an assessment task on time as a result of events or circumstances listed in the Special Consideration policy, you may request an extension of the due date for an assessment task.

To apply, download the "Request for Extension" application form from the Student Administration forms page. You must complete this form and submit it, with supporting documentation, to your Unit Coordinator no later than 3 working days prior to the assesment due date.

The School will send an email to your student email account to tell you if your application has been successful. If possible, we will send this before the due date of the assessment.

If you can not apply for an extension in time, your must apply for Special Consideration.

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Special Consideration (in 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 form 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 period for more than one unit of study.

To apply you must complete the "Assessment/Unit Special Consideration Application—In Teaching Session” form available from the Student Administration forms page.

If you are applying for Special Consideration for an assessment task, you must submit your application to the Unit Coordinator (with a copy to the lecturer, where applicable), or as directed in the Student Unit Outline. 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).

If you are applying for Special Consideration for the whole or part of the teaching session for a unit, you must submit your application to the Unit Coordinator. The form must be lodged as soon as you are aware that you may have extenuating circumstances which could affect your studies.

If you are applying for Special Consideration for the whole or part of the teaching period for more than one unit, you must submit your application to the Head of Program for your course. The form must be lodged as soon as you are aware that you may have extenuating circumstances which could affect your studies.

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

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Special Consideration (during the formal exam period)

You may apply for Special Consideration if you have 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 Exam Special Consideration Application” form available from the Student Administration forms page. 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 Centre 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 your Unit Coordinator.

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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.

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Related Links

• Special Consideration Policy
• Deferred Exams