Mitigating Circumstances - Extensions and Additional Consideration

To apply for an extension to a coursework deadline, you must apply before the coursework submission original deadline using the online application form.

Your Academic Personal Tutor or Module Leader cannot approve extension requests. Please do not send your request to them; instead submit your request by completing the online application form.

You can apply for an extension to assessed coursework.

It is not possible to request an extension for an examination. If you have mitigating circumstances which affect your ability to undertake your examination, then the option open to you is to apply for 'Additional Consideration' (please see additional consideration FAQs below for further information).

Fourteen (14) days. You will need sufficient supporting evidence as part of your extension request.

If you have applied on medical grounds, you can apply for a seven (7) day self-certified extension, and you do not require evidence for this.

The maximum number of days Schools can grant extensions for coursework is normally 14 calendar days.

If a coursework extension is granted, but you are unable to submit the work after 14 calendar days, you will need to make an application for Additional Consideration to request either the removal of penalties for late submission (if incurred) or a further attempt at the assessment at the next available opportunity.

If the group work element is an essay/poster/presentation and does not impact the rest of the module then an extension request can be reviewed.

You must provide sufficient supporting evidence at the time of application if applying for a group extension, as provisional extensions cannot be granted for group work assignments. Only one group extension can be granted per assessment.

If you are applying for an extension to a coursework deadline on medical grounds, you will be able to self-certify for a period of up to 7 calendar days without the need to provide evidence.

All other applications will require supporting evidence.

If you are applying for a coursework extension on disability grounds and are registered with Disability Services at the University, your Summary Support Sheet will constitute supporting evidence.

You will receive an email from LUBS Student Support. This email will advise whether your extension request has been accepted or rejected. If accepted it will advise you of your new submission deadline.

We are unable to review extension requests submitted after the assessment deadline. All extension requests must be submitted before 12 noon (UK time) of the day of the deadline.

Please refer to the FAQ for Additional Consideration.

If the work is not submitted by the deadline, late penalties will be applied for each day the work is late and after fourteen (14) days of non-submission a mark of zero (0)  is returned.

You can find more information on late penalties on the 'Submitting Assignments' page on the Taught Student Guide.

Please refer to the FAQ on Additional Consideration

The University has a Counselling & Wellbeing Service.  You can self-refer for an appointment, and a counsellor, mental health advisor or wellbeing practitioner will contact you depending on your needs.

If you're not certain this is the right step for you the service also hosts 30-minute same-day one-off appointments during term-time, where you can discuss your difficulties and explore options for support.

The service also has information on self-help support and they run Wellbeing Workshops covering topics such as managing anxiety and stress.

• Complete the online form fully and accurately
• Providing sufficient supporting evidence
• Where possible, do not leave it to the last minute to submit your request
• Do not send follow up emails which will slow processing down and read the FAQs if you have further questions.

Find more information on helping yourself and your circumstances by accessing help and support

You can find further information on students.leeds.ac.uk

Like extensions, Additional Consideration is for unexpected circumstances that are out of your control, such as a bereavement or a sudden illness that has impacted your studies or ability to take an assessment.

Please note that not all circumstances are grounds for mitigating circumstances and you can find out more on the circumstances normally accepted in section 2.1 of the Mitigating Circumstances Guidance.

You can apply for any of the following:

• First Attempts – this is an uncapped further attempt to be taken in the next assessment period.
• Removal of Penalties – to remove any late penalties that have been accrued on an assignment.
• Exemption – this can only be requested on certain elements that are 30% or under, if granted the element would not be considered in the final total of the module.
• Consideration - this is a request that your circumstances be taken into account at the Classification Board at the end of your University career.
• Repeat of Year – if your circumstances have meant that you have missed the majority of your teaching and assessments the School may be able to consider allowing you to repeat the year.

Please note that the School Special Cases Committee will award you what is appropriate and acceptable for both you and the School.

Yes. If you have either missed an exam, have suffered some disruption in an exam or feel that your circumstances have negatively affected your preparation and performance, you can apply for Additional Consideration.

Evidence must be in documentary form from a professional third party (i.e. doctor/therapist/government body/employer).

The evidence should cover the assessment period in question and should be signed and dated. All evidence must be in readable English, or if not, translated by a certified translation company. We cannot accept evidence in another language, prescriptions for medication, or photographs of physical maladies/injuries.

Please see the Mitigating Circumstances Guidance for further information about evidence.

You can apply online via the online application form.

If you run into any difficulties, please contact your Parent School for advice.

Your Additional Consideration application will go to your Parent School. If you have any further questions, please contact your Parent School for any advice and for further information on application deadline dates.

If you are a LUBS student, you should contact LUBSStudentSupport@leeds.ac.uk

LUBS Student Support will communicate upcoming Additional Consideration deadlines to students via Minerva. The deadlines to submit Additional Consideration applications during the 2023/24 academic year are as follows:

If you do not apply by the deadline you will need to submit an academic appeal.

If you wish to make an appeal to the University, we recommend that you speak with a member of the LUU’S Help and Support Team for independent support and advice. To make an appointment with an advisor in the Student Advice Centre, you should connect with LUU’S Help and Support Team directly. You can also contact them via telephone on 0113 3801 400. 

 If you decide to formally appeal, you will need to follow the University’s appeals process and submit your appeal within 20 working days of receiving your final results. You should seek independent advice regarding your case from LUU’s Student Advice Centre.  

 More information about the university’s appeals process can also be found here. 

Your application will be first looked at by a Student Support Officer (SSO). The SSO will check that the information you have submitted in your application is correct for your programme of study and that the reason and evidence you have supplied is valid.

The SSO will then present your request to the School Special Cases Committee.

Each School has a Special Cases Committee that meets a number of times throughout the year to look at mitigation circumstances requests. This Committee is chaired by a representative of the Head of School and is attended by a quorum of academics.

Outcomes are usually released to students upon the release of results.

If you have any questions about your outcome, please contact your Student Support team in the first instance at: LUBSStudentSupport@leeds.ac.uk

If you are still unhappy with the School Special Cases Committee outcome after speaking with the Student Support team, you have the option of appealing the decision through the University Appeals Procedure.