FAQs

You should normally receive a decision within seven working days. However, if your circumstances are complex, your request may be taken to a mitigating circumstances panel. If this happens, we’ll let you know and provide you with a new date to expect an outcome.

Please provide a brief explanation of your circumstances and, importantly, the impact that they have had on you and your ability to complete assessments. It’s also important to include the date(s) the circumstances occurred.

If you are struggling to complete a statement please contact Student Support Services for advice and guidance at welfare@le.ac.uk. Additionally, the Student’s Union’s Advice Service can offer advice on how to put your case forward.

It is expected that where reasonable adjustments are required due to a long-term health condition these are made in advance of any assessments, therefore having a long-term health condition in itself is not a mitigating circumstance. However, where there is an unexpected flare up or marked deterioration in a pre-existing condition which you believe has impacted on the completion of an assessment, you can submit a mitigating circumstances claim.

The AccessAbility Centre offers support and advice for disabled students and those with long term conditions looking for extra support.

Where the condition is declared and the University made aware of the nature and details of the condition, it will not be necessary to provide additional supporting evidence for individual instances of flare ups or marked deteriorations. In all other cases evidence will be required, including where the condition has not previously been declared.

It should be noted that programmes subject to Professional, Statutory or Regulatory Body (PSRB) accreditation may still require evidence to meet PSRB requirements, students on these programmes should check with their School for guidance.

You will receive an email notification to your University email address that the outcome is now published, and will be advised to access your student record for details. This will include guidance on what you need to do next, based on the recommendation.

There is no specific right of appeal against the outcome of a mitigating circumstances claim. You may want to speak to your department for further advice and guidance regarding exams and assignment.

Once the Board of Examiners have met to make a decision on your progression or award, you may be able to submit an academic appeal, if:

• a) Your claim affects your progression or award decision.
• b) You wish to raise new evidence of mitigating circumstances. (Important note: you will be expected through the appeal process to demonstrate why it was not possible to bring these circumstances to the attention of your school at the appropriate time in line with the requirements of Senate Regulations, and the Mitigating Circumstances Policy)

Please ensure that you have read and understand the criteria for submitting a mitigating circumstances claim, before submitting an appeal.

Guidance on what evidence you need for different circumstances is available on the evidence to support your claim webpage. There is also a detailed list in Appendix A of the policy.

It is expected that students provide evidence at the point of submitting a claim, however evidence can be submitted within 7 working days of submitting a claim.

If you have any questions about this please contact your School for further advice.

Only evidence written in English can be considered. It is a student’s responsibility to obtain and submit a verified translation if the original evidence is in another language whilst still adhering to the deadlines laid out above.

For help finding a translation service, the Institute of Translation and Interpreting provide a free search facility for finding professional translators. Please note, the University of Leicester does not endorse any translation services. We recommend that you make enquiries with several services providers to ensure you find a suitable service you are happy to use.

Submissions, supporting evidence and any associated data will be retained up to 1 year after your completion of studies. The University records retention schedules are available on the University website.

If you can’t photograph or scan your evidence to upload to your claim, paper format evidence can be submitted to the School Mitigating Circumstances Expert who will attach the evidence to the original claim.

We recommend that you complete your mitigating circumstances request (within the deadline) when you have all your evidence ready to upload with it. If you can't submit your evidence when you complete the form, you are able to state this in your claim and will be able to upload your evidence later, as long as it is within 7 working days of submitting your claim.

The latest deadline for the submission of a mitigating circumstances claim will be 7 calendar days after the assessment due date. The submission of a claim after 7 calendar days will be considered in exceptional cases where this is a clear reason for the late submission.

Claims submitted after assessment results are known/released will not be permitted.

In exceptional circumstances, where there is a clear reason for the late submission, claims may be considered after the deadline.

Depending on the circumstance, your school will normally tell you to hand in the coursework at the earliest possible opportunity that your circumstances allow. If your mitigation is accepted for the affected assessment, no penalty will be applied for its late/non submission. If your mitigation is accepted but your school agrees you could have submitted your work earlier, a partial penalty may be applied.

Depending on the circumstances, your school will normally tell you to sit the exam during the next exam period.

Yes, students are able to upload up to 5 documents (not exceeding 5MB each) and the permitted file types are JPG, MSG, PDF and PNG documents.

If you can’t photograph or scan your evidence to upload to your claim, paper format evidence can be submitted to the School Mitigating Circumstances Expert who will attach the evidence to the original claim.

School/Department contact details are on their University website.

The Students’ Union provide advice and guidance on a range of issues and university processes, including mitigating circumstances. The Students’ Union can be contacted at hellosu@le.ac.uk and there is also academic advice on their website.

Students now have the opportunity to submit a self-certification claim, without the need to provide evidence, in order to waive late penalties due within the self-certification period.

Self-certification can only be used for minor short-term illnesses or disruption. For further information please read Section 4 of the Mitigating Circumstances Policy (PDF, 636kb).

The self-certification period is defined as a period in which students can submit an assessment without normal late penalties being applied. This does not alter the original assessment deadline. The self-certification periods available to students are as follows:

• Campus based students (full-time and part-time) can self-certify for a maximum of 5 working days per self-certification period
• Distance learning students can self-certify for a maximum of 10 working days per self-certification period.

See section 4 of the Mitigating Circumstances policy for further details.

Students are able to self-certify twice within an academic year, except for Distance Learning students. See section 4 of the Mitigating Circumstances policy for details.

Following a successful self-certification request, assessments can be submitted after the original deadline but before the self-certification period ends without a late penalty applying.

Assessments submitted after the self-certification period ends will be subject to late penalties.

No. Your original assessment deadline will not change.

Anything submitted 11 or more working days, 9 working days for PGT programmes (except Distance Learning PGT) will be deemed a non-submission, irrespective of whether there is a successful self-certification request.

No. Consecutive self-certification submissions will not be permitted. Students may only submit one self-certification request within a 10 day period.

Mitigating circumstances and self-certification are for assessment only. If you are unable to attend classes please contact your School office for advice.