If Things Don’t Go Well 

There are always options if things don’t go well: 

I’ve missed an exam because I was ill 

• If you have been unable to attend an exam because of illness you must tell your department as soon as possible and submit a special circumstances form.
• Section 4 of the special circumstances form needs to be completed by your GP before you hand it in to the University. You should consult the University Health Service or your own GP if you have to miss an exam because of illness
• The exam may be recorded as non-assessed rather than a fail
• Your department will let you know the arrangements for taking the exam at another time. It may not be possible for it to be rescheduled during this exam period

I’ve missed an exam because I turned up late/went to the wrong place 

• You won’t be allowed to enter the exam if you arrive 30 minutes late
• If the exam is still underway you need to contact the Exams Office at Edgar Allen House on Glossop Road. The phone number is 0114 222 1298
• If the exam has finished you need to contact your department to report your absence. We recommend submitting a special circumstances form explaining why you missed the exam
• The exam will probably be awarded a fail grade of 0
• Your department will let you know whether you will be able to re-sit and when

I had to leave the exam early because I was ill 

• If you feel ill during an exam you should tell an invigilator. Put your hand up to get their attention. An invigilator should accompany you out of the exam venue
• You might feel able to continue with the exam after a short break, and should be allowed extra time at the end to compensate for the disruption
• If you don’t feel able to continue with the exam the invigilator will report your situation to the Exams Office. You should see your doctor as soon as possible
• The invigilator’s report will be considered by the Exam Board. We recommend that you also submit a special circumstances form explaining why you were unable to complete the exam
• Your department will let you know whether you need to take the exam again, and if so when

I’ve been accused of cheating in an exam 

• If you are caught with unauthorised notes/material during an exam you are likely to face disciplinary action for ‘use of unfair means in an examination’. The Chief Invigilator will send a report to the Exams Office and you will have to go to the Exams Office after the exam to provide a written statement. The Exams Office will notify your department
• It is likely that you will be refused credit for that exam, even if you did not actually use the notes. You might be required to attend a formal disciplinary hearing
• If you are accused of cheating in an exam and need further advice please contact Student Advice Centre

My mind went blank! I know I will have failed 

• Don’t panic – it is really hard to know how well you have done until your results have been published. Avoid over-analysing your performance after each exam – but do ask your tutors for feedback when you have your results so that you can learn from your mistakes and build on your successes
• When you get your results you should be told if you have the option of re-sitting any failed exams. For first and second year students, re-sits usually take place during the August exam period. For final year students, re-sits usually take place the following academic year. For more information on exam failure and re-sits please contact Student Advice Centre.
• If your department has serious concerns about your academic progress you might be referred to a Faculty Student Review Committee. For more information on this please contact Student Advice Centre

I’m not happy with my results! 

Whether you are unhappy with a result, talking to someone in your department can be useful. Feedback may help you understand and accept the decision, or identify mistakes by the University that can be put right.

If you still disagree, you can submit an academic appeal asking for the result to be looked at again.

Important points to remember:

• You are entitled to appeal if you think there has been procedural error by the examiners (for example the exam paper contained mistakes) or if you want new evidence of personal circumstances to be taken into account. You will need to explain why you did not provide that evidence earlier
• Appealing simply because you think your work deserved a better mark will be unsuccessful
• For more information about the academic appeal process, please contact Student Advice Centre