EC Process Summary Table

Please see the Extenuating Circumstances Guide for Students, on the Student Wellbeing Hub.

STA EC Deadline for Semester 1 

  • Monday 26 January 2026 

According to QMUL regulations, extenuating circumstances are:

‘Circumstances that are outside a student’s control which may 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.’ 

The ‘circumstances’ mentioned in the definition above are usually personal or health problems. Health problems include your emotional wellbeing and mental health, as well as your physical health. However, please note that as the Advice and Counselling booklet on Extenuating Circumstances states:

Extenuating circumstances do not include events such as:

❌ Computer problems (including connectivity issues)

❌ Planned holidays

❌ Conflicting deadlines

❌ Running out of time

❌ Difficulty in obtaining books from the library

❌ Transport delays

❌ Work commitments.

❌ Submitting an incorrect version of an assessment.

❌ Academic workload issues

❌ Observance of a religious festival

Personal or health problems are only ‘extenuating circumstances’ if they are unforeseen and outside your control and are likely to have a negative impact on your ability to undertake or complete academic assessments such as exams or coursework. Flare ups of pre-existing conditions are grounds for extenuating circumstances but having a diagnosis of a condition is not.

See the section on “What if I have ongoing health or other problems?” in the Advice and Counselling booklet, which states that the extenuating circumstances process is designed to help students who have an ‘acute episode’ of difficulty.

The University can only consider extenuating circumstances that directly affect the validity of an assessment and are beyond the student's control. We assess actual achievement, not potential. Issues like missing teaching due to illness do not qualify unless they impact the assessment itself.

QMUL follows a strict ‘fit to sit’ policy: if you submit or attend an assessment, you are declaring yourself fit. Claims made after receiving results will not normally be accepted.

Extenuating Circumstances During Term Time

Extensions to Assessed Coursework Deadlines

If you are unable to meet an assessed coursework deadline owing to extenuating circumstances you may submit a claim to apply for an extension. This should be before the assessment deadline; claims submitted more than 24 hours after the assessment deadline may be rejected. This applies even if a deadline falls at the very beginning of a semester or during holidays. The same rule applies if your assessment is an "in-class" test during Semester One or Two.

For "in-class tests", an extension, should your claim be accepted, would mean an opportunity to sit the original test at the earliest opportunity after the original sitting. Once your claim is accepted, you must liaise directly with your seminar leader to rearrange this. If you are unable to complete this by the specified date, you will need to submit a Non-Attendance EC claim (with evidence) to request another opportunity in the Late Summer Resit period.

How to Make a Claim During Term Time

You will need to submit your claim using the online form in MySIS. Please ensure you familiarise yourself with the STA EC process before submitting a claim as this may differ from other Schools. If you wish to discuss your claim before or after submitting it, you should contact your STA Student Support Officer at sta-studentsupport@qmul.ac.uk. 

Please remember:

  1. EC claims for extensions or missed class tests must be submitted via MySIS no earlier than 1 week before or no later than 24 hours after the assessment deadline. 
  1. Coursework deadline extensions are usually set one week from the original deadline, with a valid claim. 
  1. Class tests with a valid claim for 'non-submission', depending on how much these are worth, can be rearranged within the week or by the end of the term, or (depending on the weighting of the assessment) sometimes discarded.
  1. If you have had an extension, but still cannot meet the extended deadline, you will need to submit a new claim to request a further opportunity to complete the affected assessment during the next available resit period. Please note that having a resit may delay your progression or classification.
  1. If you have submitted a piece of coursework up to seven days late, you can make a claim for 'late submission' to ask for late penalties to be removed.
  2. If you are more than 7 days late submitting your coursework, you cannot submit your work as normal. You would need to make a claim for 'non-submission' and ask for a First Sit to be submitted in the Summer (see above).
  3. There can be no 'late submission' claims for class tests nor exams.

You must complete all parts of the form and submit it before the assessment deadline; claims submitted more than 24 hours after the assessment deadline may be declined. 

There are two kinds of claim:

Standard Claim

You must upload appropriate documentary evidence (such as a medical certificate or police report/crime number) with a Standard EC Claim before submitting the claim. The evidence needs to cover the period of the assignment deadline or leading up to it. Standard Claims without evidence will not be considered. There is no limit on the number of Standard Claims that you can submit.

Self-Certification 

There are some situations that fit the definition of ECs, but where it can be difficult or impossible to obtain evidence, for example, very short illness, family or accommodation crisis etc. In these situations, you can choose to make an EC claim with Self-Certification. You can only do this twice per academic year so please use these carefully.  Your statement still needs to show how the situation meets the above EC criteria and is having a detrimental effect on your studies.  

Self-Certification Restrictions:

  • Self-certification covers up to 7 days only. Longer periods require a Standard Claim with evidence.
  • You can’t use two self-certifications back-to-back to cover more than 7 days.
  • Only one self-certification per assessment is allowed. If you miss the new deadline, you must submit a Standard Claim.

All claims are reviewed by the School and may be accepted or rejected.

Choose the Right Assignment

In the EC form, you choose the module and then the assessment.  Be sure you choose the right ones!

For modules that have several small assessments, they often bunch them into one umbrella term, called 'portfolio' or 'continuous assessment' or '10 weekly quizzes' etc. If you need to make an EC claim for one of these, you need to choose the umbrella assessment and then specify the name or type of the specific assessment in the "Additional Information" field.

Choose the right "impact": 

  • Need Extension – submit this before the coursework deadline (or up to 24 hours after) if you need an extension for a piece of coursework that you have not submitted.  
  • Late Submission – select this option if you have already submitted your coursework late within 7 days and are asking for late penalties to be removed- (Note: this cannot be used for exams or class tests.)
  • Non-submission - use this if you missed the submission deadline and did not submit late (e.g. when it’s too late to get an extension and you need another opportunity to submit your coursework). Self Certifications not permitted for this impact.
  • Non-attendance - use this if you miss an exam or in-class test, to ask for another opportunity to sit it. Self-Certifications not permitted for this impact.

What Happens Next?

If you applied for an extension, please submit the work as soon as you can – do not wait to hear about the outcome of your claim.

EC claims are normally processed or queried within 3 - 5 working days of submission but may take longer in peak periods. You will be notified about the outcome of your EC claim via email so please keep an eye on your QM emails and carefully read the panel comments for further instructions and important information. Failure to do so can have a significant impact on your overall grade so please be vigilant.

Remember that, unless an extension has been agreed, a late assessment will be penalised by a deduction of 5 marks for each 24 hours of lateness, or any part thereof, for up to 7 days, and receive a mark of zero if submitted more than 7 days late. If you do not meet the extended deadline, these late penalties will apply. If you are still unable to submit the assessment, you will need to make a new Standard claim. The Committee will then consider whether to accept the claim.  

Extenuating Circumstances During the Examination Term

Missed Exams or Non-Submitted Coursework

If you do not feel you are well enough to attend an examination, then you should not attend but must submit a claim for extenuating circumstances along with a doctor's note as evidence of your illness (Self Certification claims cannot be considered for exams). The ‘fit to sit’ rule means that if you submit an examination then you will be deemed to have declared yourself well enough to sit it, and as a result any extenuating circumstances claim will not be considered.

If you are taken ill during a timetabled examination, you should submit an extenuating circumstances claim with documentary evidence in the normal manner. In these cases, claims will only be accepted if you were fit to sit on entering the examination venue but – for unforeseen reasons – became ill during the examination. Any work you completed prior to leaving the venue shall be null and void.

Please note that extenuating circumstances in the examination term do not include:

❌ Having multiple examinations in close succession

❌ Misreading timetables

❌ Forgetting to set alarm clocks

❌ Computer failure

❌ Employment commitments

❌ Misjudging the time needed to revise. 

You are expected to manage your own time effectively.

How to Make a Claim During the Examination Term for Missed Exams or Non-Submission of Coursework Throughout the Year

You will need to submit your claim using the Extenuating Circumstances form on MySIS. If you wish to discuss your claim before or after submitting it, you should contact your seminar leader and the STA Student Support Team by emailing sta-studentsupport@qmul.ac.uk or via the STA Reception in room 1.40 on the first floor of the ArtsOne building.

You will need to complete all parts of the form and submit it - including appropriate documentary evidence (such as a medical certificate or police report) – as soon as possible after the examination and before the final deadline. 

What Happens Next?

All claims for missed coursework or exams are considered by the Extenuating Circumstances Committee of the School Board of Examiners. All claims for extenuating circumstances are kept confidential, and the proceedings of this Committee are also confidential. Details of individual claims will not normally be discussed at the full Examination Board meeting. The School will inform you of the result of your application after the Examination Boards have met.

EC claims deadlines  

Extenuating Circumstances deadlines in 2025/26 for assessments/resits due in

  • Semester 1 Monday 26 January 2026 
  • Semester 2, including exams and Spring 2026 resits Friday 5 June 2026
  • Semester 3 (Foundation Programmes only) Monday 27 July 2026
  • Late Summer Resit period (Undergraduate and Foundation Programmes only) Monday 17 August 2026
  • Late Summer Resit period (Postgraduate Programmes only) Monday 24 August 2026

Further Information on Extenuating Circumstances is available here:

Academic Regulations

Advice and Counselling booklet on Extenuating Circumstances

 

We can't do anything if you don't tell us, you have a problem

It is not possible to make a retrospective claim for extenuating circumstances, specifically once you know your results.  Therefore, claims submitted after the deadline will not be considered by the examination board.