All the fresh faces from September are now old hands at student life as we head towards November. This means the reality of assessments and exams may be kicking in for students who were excited about moving to Belfast and tasting the student experience.
We have seen the first trickle of queries in Drop-in about Exceptional Circumstances for upcoming assessments. This year has brought about changes to the Exceptional Circumstances process, with the key information collated into a handy Student Guide to Exceptional Circumstances available on the Assessment Support Hub. The Assessment Support Hub is our university’s one-stop shop for information around all things assessment including demystifying assessment, where to get more help for assessment (including the Student Wellbeing Service, the Learning Development Service, the Graduate School and the Academic English Service), and provides support if things aren’t going as planned.
To help, we have some included some common EC queries students ask about in Drop-in.
“I have a funeral and can’t attend an exam.” “I am sick and won’t make my assessment deadline”. “I have personal issues that mean I can’t focus”. This year, the Exceptional Circumstances process has introduced the option to self-verify for up to seven calendar days for all exceptional circumstances. This means that you (the student) will declare that there is a reason that you cannot meet the assessment needs at this time and you will verify this by completing a Student Impact Statement as part of your exceptional circumstances application. For exams, this means that you are requesting to defer to the next available exam opportunity. For coursework and continuous assessments, you are requesting an extension of up to seven calendar days, appropriate to the reason you have stated. If you need longer than seven days, you will need to provide independent evidence, such as a letter from a GP if it is health-related. We at Wellbeing Services will be able to provide an Interaction Letter if you have been receiving ongoing support from us. Evidence of one call into Drop-in would not be considered sufficient.
“I have a condition that means I can’t meet deadlines.” Exceptional Circumstances- the clue is in the name. These have to be circumstances that were not predicted, are out of your control and relate to the assessment time period. In the case of an ongoing health condition, Accessible Learning Support (formerly Disability Services) provide students with an Individual Student Support Agreement detailing reasonable adjustments such as extra time for exams and deadlines. Unless there is a change or unexpected flair-up of the condition, EC does not apply. Students need to register with Accessible Learning Support for ongoing support in these cases. If the condition is anticipated to be short-term, the school can provide support through the Short Term Impairments process.
Further information on other University processes which can provide you with adjustments and mitigations for your assessments can be found on the Assessment Support Hub.
“I was going through a tough time and pushed through to complete my exam. Can’t that be taken into consideration?” The university operates a ‘fit to sit, fit to submit’ principle-
This means that once you have submitted your assessment, you are not eligible for exceptional circumstances to be taken into consideration as you have confirmed that you were fit to be assessed. Watch the Fit to Sit Explainer video on the Assessment Support Hub to find out more.
We always suggest that students get advice from their School regarding Exceptional Circumstances. You may need to know what your options are if you are deferring an exam, or what the impact will be. SU Advice can also provide guidance on submitting an exceptional circumstances application.
As the exceptional circumstances process is meant to cover unpredictable and uncontrollable events, regular use will trigger an Assessment Support Check-in by your School to ensure that you are getting all the help that you need to complete your assessments. This might include a referral to the Support to Continue to Study process if you are experiencing significant challenges that are having a detrimental impact on your ability to progress academically and function effectively and/or safety at the University. Further information can be found in the Support to Continue Study guidance.
So, what is our role in exceptional circumstances? Usually, students are going through a difficult time when they submit an exceptional circumstances. That is where we can come in. Wellbeing Services can support you with the impact of this. We are not directly involved in the process however. We cannot advise on whether to submit one or what your academic options are.
The new Assessment Support Hub has information, videos, guides and support options. It also contains the link to the Queen’s Portal to submit your request for Exceptional Circumstances.
Assessment Support Hub – Home (sharepoint.com)
Adjustments and Mitigations (sharepoint.com)
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