Extenuating Circumstances Policy and Guidance - Applicants

1. Definition and scope

1.1. Extenuating circumstances are significant personal difficulties or circumstances which have a considerable impact on your academic performance or to complete or participate in any type of assessment due to matters outside of your control.

1.2. The University has a separate policy for contextual admissions and will not consider these under our extenuating circumstances policy and guidance.

1.3. This policy and guidance applies to applicants. A separate policy exists for enrolled students related to their current programme of study.

2. Qualification assessment or attainment

2.1. Extenuating circumstances which impact on qualification assessment or attainment (such as GCSE, A-level, first degree) must have been considered through the appropriate process by the Awarding Body either through access arrangements (pre-assessment) or through special consideration (post-assessment) at the relevant assessment time.

2.2. Where extenuating circumstances occur during the assessment or assessment period, post-assessment adjustments can be made through special consideration by the Awarding Body. Post-assessment adjustments will make allowances for any adverse circumstances based on your performance in other assessments on that qualification.

2.2.1. For undergraduate programmes, where a grade has been changed post-assessment due to special consideration, Cardiff University will guarantee a place for September entry in the current year if the grade meets the required level by 12 noon (BST) on 31 August in the current application year, excluding applicants in Dentistry, Healthcare, Medicine, and Optometry, where the oversubscription policy applies. Thereafter the University will guarantee a deferred entry place where a place in the current year is not possible.

2.2.2. For postgraduate taught programmes, where a final (or module) grade has been changed post-assessment due to special consideration, Cardiff University will guarantee a place for entry in the current year if the grade meets the required level by 12 noon (BST) two weeks before the course start date as stated in the formal offer letter. Thereafter the University will guarantee a deferred entry place where a place in the current year is not possible.

2.2.3. For postgraduate research programmes, where a final (or module) grade has been changed post-assessment due to special consideration, the decision on acceptance will be based on the individual requirements of the programme by the relevant academic School.

3. Externally administered admissions tests (e.g. UCAT)

3.1. You should check directly with the external body responsible for administering the test with regard to their extenuating circumstances/special consideration policy.

3.1.1 Where the test provider does not take into account extenuating circumstances (such as in the case with UCAT), the University cannot retrospectively take these circumstances into account as by taking the test you are declaring yourself “fit to test”.

3.2. Applicants who are not able to take the test due to illness or other personal circumstances must reschedule their test for a later date where possible, and ensure it is taken prior to any advertised deadlines in the admissions cycle.

3.3. Where you are not able to sit an externally administered test due to significant unforeseen medical or personal issues and where you are unable to schedule a new date your application will be rejected and you will be required to reapply as a new applicant for a future intake.

4. Attendance or performance at admissions interview or audition

4.1. Applicants who are not able to attend an interview or audition due to illness or other personal circumstances must contact the relevant academic School as soon as possible to notify them.

4.2. Where an interview is compulsory for entry (for example health and medical related programmes) and cannot be rescheduled due to staffing or time constraints, applicants will be made unsuccessful and will be given equal consideration for entry in the next cycle should they reapply.

4.3. Where extenuating circumstances occur at or during an interview, you should inform a member of Cardiff University staff immediately. Where circumstances prevent you from doing so, you should contact the admissions office immediately after the interview at admissions-advice@cardiff.ac.uk (quoting your full name, programme of study and UCAS personal ID or Cardiff University application number) providing full information along with medical or appropriate evidence which can be verified.

5. Re-sits and re-takes

5.1. We welcome applications from applicants who are determined to succeed and will consider applicants who are re-taking a qualification on a single occasion for the majority of our programmes.

5.2. Additional re-takes (i.e. where you have taken a qualification on more than 1 occasion previously) may only be considered in exceptional circumstances via the process described below.

5.2.1. Where extenuating circumstances have impacted on previous performance and an applicant is attempting or has attempted a qualification more than twice, excluding the MBBCh, information should be provided in your application or directly to the University to our Admissions team via the online form (quoting your full name, programme of study and UCAS personal ID or Cardiff University application number) providing full information along with medical or appropriate evidence which can be verified. Where appropriate the University will consider a re-take in line with applicants sitting the qualification for the first time (please note, that a qualification will only be considered on this basis once and further re-takes will not be considered).

5.2.2. For applicants to the MBBCh programmes, an additional Extenuating Circumstances policy regarding resits applies (see School-level policy).

6. Formal appeals on the grounds of extenuating circumstances

6.1. Where an applicant wishes to pursue a formal appeal on the grounds of extenuating circumstances, the appeal must be investigated under the Applicant Complaints and Appeals procedure.

7. Further Resources: Awarding Bodies' Regulations

7.1. Further information about the UK Awarding Bodies’ definitions and procedures for ‘special consideration’ are available as follows:

England and Wales and Northern Ireland
Statutory Body: Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ)
Awarding Body: AQA, CIE, OCR, WJEC, Edexel
For further information: JCQ website

Scotland
Statutory Body: Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA)
Awarding Body: Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA)
For further information: SQA website

8. Contact details

8.1. Further information about this policy is available from:

Admissions Support Team
Cardiff University
McKenzie House
30-36 Newport Road
Cardiff
CF24 0DE
admissions-advice@cardiff.ac.uk
+44 (0)29 20879999