Academic Rights: Extenuating Circumstances

What are extenuating circumstances?

Extenuating Circumstances (ECs) count as instances or issues which are outside of your control, and which may temporarily prevent you from undertaking an assessment, or have a significant detrimental impact on your ability to undertake an assessment to the standard normally expected. ECs are events that are outside of your control as they are unforeseeable and unpreventable.

The University has the ability to make allowances for when such circumstances arise through the extenuating circumstances process. First and foremost, it’s really important that you inform your personal tutor, staff from your department, or our Advice Centre at the earliest opportunity so that we can let you know what steps you need to take next.

There is guidance available on the Student Intranet to help you decide whether or not to apply for Extenuating Circumstances, and what they can do for you.

Some examples of extenuating circumstances are:

• Illness (excluding minor illnesses)
• Hospitalisation
• Bereavement
• Worsening of a long-term condition
• Major adverse family circumstances
• Acute personal circumstances

Some issues that will not be considered as extenuating circumstances include:

• Short-term illness (coughs, colds, sore throats, etc.)
• Computer/tech failure (please see EC guide for further details)
• Minor, local transport issues
• The workload/ number of submissions for your course

It’s important to bear in mind that this list is not exhaustive and you can find more information about what circumstances do and do not count as ECs on the Student Intranet. If you're unsure of whether you should apply for ECs, you can speak to an advisor to discuss this further.

How do I apply for extenuating circumstances?

As the Extenuating Circumstances application process has recently undergone significant changes, it’s recommended that you read the information and guidance available in the Student Guide to Extenuating Circumstances 2024/25 prior to submitting an application. When starting your application, you’ll need to review and agree to several important declarations. Make sure to read and understand them carefully! Ticking the boxes means you’re confirming your agreement to what’s stated in them.

The application system can now be found on Campus Connect via the ‘Extension and EC’s Card’ or by following the link on the Extenuating Circumstances homepage. From the day after your original (or extended) deadline/assessment date, you have up to 10 working days (i.e. not including weekends) to apply for ECs.

Please note that the Extenuating Circumstances (EC) form must be completed in one go, so it’s important to get everything ready before you start.

The most significant change to the process is that you will now be asked to self-certify your circumstances as supporting evidence is no longer required. You will, therefore, need to provide a brief outline of your circumstances (a maximum of 400 characters) as part of the process which should detail what has happened and how this has impacted on the assessment you are applying for. If you would like some guidance on writing your statement, our Advice Centre would be happy to help – get in touch at advice@su.rhul.ac.uk.

It's important to note that you won't receive an outcome from your Extenuating Circumstances application right away. You will receive an email, containing a reference number, to confirm your submission has been received. This reference number should be included in any future communication about your application. Throughout the process, you’ll also receive email updates and can check the status of your application in the system.

Once reviewed by the Extenuating Circumstances Committee, who meet monthly, you’ll receive an Interim Outcome confirming if your application is accepted or rejected. If lifting a late submission penalty or deferring an assessment applies to your case, you’ll receive a final outcome at this stage. For all other cases, the School Progression and Award Board (SPAB) will determine the appropriate mitigations at the end of the academic year, considering how your performance in the affected assessment compares to your overall performance. You will be notified of the decision when you receive your final results for the year.

There are a limited number of actions that can be taken as a result of an Extenuating Circumstances application and ECs cannot increase module marks, a year/degree average or Classification.

In very exceptional cases, they may decide to request a suspension of regulations; however, these are only granted in very exceptional circumstances by the Executive Committee for Assessment and there is no guarantee that such requests will be approved. You are strongly advised to read the Possible Outcomes of Extenuating Circumstances Applications guide so that you are aware of the options that the School Progression and Awards Board has available. Further information is available in the Extenuating Circumstances Policy.

How can the SU help?

Remember, these processes are in place to be a support for you during your time at Royal Holloway. If you need help understanding/completing the process or want to discuss extenuating circumstances further, please contact the Advice Centre.

To give you a helping hand, we hold Extenuating Circumstances drop-ins close to EC application deadlines to answer any questions you may have relating to the application, so keep an eye on our Events Calendar for more information.