The Exceptional Factors regulations provide you with a means of having exceptional factors that have affected your performance in assessment considered. See:

Regulation for Undergraduate & Postgraduate Programmes

They are exceptional, short-term events which have a serious impact on your assessment by:-

• preventing you from attending, completing or submitting an assessment on time; or
• significantly affecting your performance in an assessment.

Exceptional Factors are:

Severe:	The event or circumstance must have had a serious impact on assessment performance;
Unexpected unpreventable	If you knew there was going to be a problem and you did not prepare, then it is your fault.   There must have been no reasonable steps you could have taken to prevent the event or circumstances from occurring;
Relevant	The event or circumstance must have occurred at the time of the assessment or during the period immediately leading up to the assessment;
Corroborated:	You must meet the requirements for independent documentary evidence that are outlined in the policy.

You must also be able to provide evidence of a demonstrable adverse effect on your academic performance, which may take various forms, including:

• that you have been unable to submit work by a deadline date or attend a  presentation,  test or examination;
• that the event or circumstances have meant that the work you have completed has not been to your usual standard, with the result that you have underperformed in the assessment task.

Click Here for more detailed Types of Exceptional Factors.

Please read the following guidance and remember:

• Exceptional Factors should not be submitted as an insurance against possible poor performance and acceptance of Exceptional Factors will not result in individual marks being raised.
• Some events, even if difficult, distressing or unpleasant, are not in themselves Exceptional Factors.

The following are not Exceptional Factors

• completing and submitting coursework too late and missing deadlines (time management problems);
• non-availability of books or other resources;
• losing coursework (not backed up);
• financial problems (other than cases of the most extreme hardship);
• house moves, family celebrations or other events where you have control over the date or you could choose not to participate;
• problems with postal delivery of work (you are advised to obtain receipts for assessments submitted in this manner);
• normal work commitments reducing time available for study or coursework;
• appointments (legal, medical, etc) which could be re-arranged;
• a long-standing condition, such as susceptibility to hay fever;
• misreading the examination timetable;
• over sleeping / alarm clock not going off causing you to be late for or miss an exam or assessment; holidays or travel.

 

Long-term life circumstances such as a disability or a chronic/ on-going medical condition are not dealt with under the Exceptional Factors Procedures.  You should seek advice from the University’s Learner Development Service, ideally at the beginning of your studies if you have a disability or medical condition that may affect your assessment.

You must provide relevant and current independent documentary evidence (Post-dated evidence will not normally be accepted). Click Here for types of acceptable evidence

Evidence must be:

• Original (If you need to keep the original you must present it to Student Life Office who will take a photocopy and sign the copy).
• Signed by an appropriate third party such as a GP, police officer, solicitor University counsellor, who knows you and is able to provide objective and impartial evidence
• In English (It is your responsibility to ensure that non-English evidence is accompanied by a translation certified as correct by a Public Notary or translated by an accredited translator)

Medical evidence must:

• relate specifically to the dates and duration of the illness;
• contain a clear medical diagnosis or opinion and not merely report the claim that you felt unwell, nor merely report any claim that there was reason to believe that you was ill.

NB: It is entirely your responsibility to submit all the necessary documentary evidence to support your claim.  Failure to do so will result in your claim being rejected.

All the information you provide will be respected by the University in accordance with data protection requirements. If you feel that the exceptional factors are highly personal, then claims should be submitted in a sealed envelope marked confidential. Prior to the meeting of the Exceptional Factors Panel, the Secretary to the Panel will open the sealed envelopes and anonymise your claim. All students are encouraged to allow information to be shared at least with Chairs of the appropriate Boards of Assessment. You should be aware that the Panel may reject your claim if you do not disclose any relevant information

• Form EF1 (Word doc) must be submitted for all claims.
• Form EF1 (Mac Users) must be submitted for all claims. (if you are unable to save the document or send as an email please print it out and send it into your appropriate Student Life Office or SIP)
• Submit the form, along with all necessary documentary evidence, to the appropriate Student Life Office or SIP for all units affected,  even if the units are from other faculties, using the envelope and checklist available.

For up to date information about Exceptional Factors submission deadlines please visit:

http://www.mmu.ac.uk/students/assessments/

I’m still not sure what to do
If you require assistance with the procedural matters, such as how to complete the Exceptional Factors form or procedures in relation to the submission of Exceptional Factors to the University, you can discuss your claim confidentially with your Student Support Officer or the Students’ Union Advice Centre.

I’m unable to complete the form myself
If you need help completing your form your Student Support Officer or staff at the Students’ Union Advice Centre are available to assist you.

NB: Staff at the Student Information Point and Student Life Office are unable to give advice on the merits of your claim.

Exceptional Factors Panels will meet at intervals during the year. 
The panel will decide whether the circumstances described by you are valid Exceptional Factors or not, and assess whether or not they are likely to have adversely affected your performance.  The panel will notify you of their decision and will also notify the appropriate Board of Examiners.

If your claim is successful the panel will recommend to the Board of Examiners:

• That you should be allowed to take the assessment that was affected again (If the assessment was a first attempt you will be allowed to take it again without a cap on the mark. If the assessment was a second or third attempt, the cap on the mark will remain).
• If you did not take the assessment then you will be given the opportunity to do so at the next available opportunity.
• For coursework, the panel may agree to offer you an extension.

 

If the Panel decides that your underperformance was not caused by Exceptional Factors your claim will not be accepted, and the mark awarded by the Board of Examiners will stand.

You will receive written notification of the decision of the panel within 5 working days of the relevant panel meeting.  A report of the decision will also be forwarded to the Programmes Officer for consideration at the appropriate Board of Examiners.

Yes you can use the Academic Appeals Procedure. Guidance on the procedure and an application form can be found at: http://www.mmu.ac.uk/sas/studentservices/appeals/index.php