FINAL - EECS Student Handbook 2025/26

4.7. Extenuating circumstances

Extenuating Circumstances

An Extenuating Circumstances guide for students can be found at https://www.qmul.ac.uk/student-experience/student-wellbeing-hub/extenuating-circumstances-a-guide-for-students/

The Extenuating Circumstances Policy can be found at https://www.qmul.ac.uk/governance-and-legal-services/media/dgls-media/policy/current-policies/Extenuating-Circumstances-Policy.pdf

 

Extenuating circumstances are defined by Queen Mary as: 

 

“Significant and unforeseen circumstances that are outside a student’s control and which have a negative impact on a student’s ability to undertake or complete any assessment so as to cast doubt on the likely validity of the assessment as a measure of the student’s achievement.”

 

Extenuating circumstances are usually personal or health problems. Health problems include your emotional wellbeing and mental health, as well as your physical health. Extenuating circumstances do not include computer problems, misreading your exam timetable, planned holidays or events, observance of a religious festival or holy day*, or local transport delays.

*A student should plan their work to take into account participation in religious observances. 

 

Fit to Sit Policy

Queen Mary operates a fit to sit policy, which covers all assessments including coursework and exams. If you sit an exam or submit a piece of coursework you are declaring yourself fit to do so. Being ‘fit’ generally means that a student is feeling well and functioning effectively. In such instances a request for extenuating circumstances will not normally be considered. If you do not feel you are well enough to attend an exam or submit an assignment, then you should not attend and should submit a claim for extenuating circumstances instead. 

 

EC Submission Process

To submit an extenuating circumstance request you must log a claim through the online extenuating circumstances task on MySIS. Once you have submitted the claim you will be able to check the progress and will be notified of any decisions or enquiries made. Standard EC Claim

If you are submitting a standard EC claim it must be accompanied by relevant supporting evidence (for example medical certification, death certificate, police report and crime number, or other written evidence from a person in authority). Please note that although accompanying documentation can be submitted after the EC form, evidence must be uploaded within 7 calendar days of the form submission otherwise the claim will be automatically deleted from the system.

 

Self-certification

You are entitled to self-certify on up to two occasions each academic year; each self-certification can cover a period of up to seven calendar days from the assessment deadline. This means completing and submitting the Queen Mary self-certification form in place of independent evidence. Please note that self-certification does not mean automatic approval of a claim – it will consider it in the normal way and will need to be satisfied of the validity of the claim and satisfied that it justifies the outcome.

 

Where students are not able to secure evidence of their circumstances, they may submit a third self-certification claim in each academic year. This claim should be submitted as normal. It will be assessed and an outcome issued. However, in order to ensure the student is aware of support available, the student must attend a compulsory meeting with the school or institute, e.g. with their Advisor, for the outcome to be confirmed and the adjustment applied.

 

You may only submit a maximum of one self-certify claim in each examination period. If you submit a self-certification claim in more than one exam period each academic year, it will be assessed and an outcome issues. However, you must attend a compulsory meeting.

 

When to Claim

Claims should be made as soon as possible and no later than the following cut-off dates:

1. 7 calendar days after the indicated deadline for coursework assessment.
2. 7 calendar days after submission of written coursework that has been submitted up to 7 calendar days after the indicated deadline. A standard claim can be considered on written coursework where the evidence supports circumstances that have an impact of longer than 7 calendar days, where the written coursework has been submitted up to 14 calendar days after the indicated deadline (providing this date does not exceed the mark return date).
3. Three calendar days after the last day of the Examination Period for exam

 

It is your own responsibility to submit any claims for extenuating circumstances. Please ensure that if you have what you believe is a valid case for ECs, you complete the submission process in accordance with the  guidelines. 

 

It is not possible to make a retrospective claim for ECs, specifically once you know your results of any assessment that might have been affected. Consequently, claims for ECs submitted after the deadline will not be considered.