UNSW special consideration: deadline, evidence and review

Apply by the deadline

The standard deadline is 3 working days after the assessment due date. Most students apply through the Special Consideration portal on myUNSW. Higher Degree Research candidates contact the Graduate Research School for special consideration requests. UNSW Diploma students should seek advice about Special Consideration from UNSW College. If you apply later than 3 working days after your assessment, a late application may be considered in exceptional circumstances. Your documentary evidence must include additional and adequate information to explain how or why you could not apply on time. If a Short Extension exists for your assessment, the pages say it lasts 1-7 days, is pre-determined by the course authority and is stipulated in your course outline.

Check if your circumstances fit

The pages say you may be eligible if your circumstances are:

• short-term
• unexpected and beyond your control
• substantially disruptive to your assessment performance
• not reasonably foreseeable, avoidable or preventable by you And either:
• occurred during a critical study period for 3 consecutive days
• prevented you from completing or attending an assessment on a specific date or due date. If you access or sit a timed assessment on the scheduled date, you will no longer be eligible for Special Consideration for it. During a timed assessment, if you feel unwell or are impacted by other circumstances to the point that you cannot continue, the pages say you must stop taking the assessment before 80% of the scheduled assessment time has elapsed. You must immediately advise a staff member, such as an exam supervisor or Course Authority, before the end of the timed assessment. You must apply for Special Consideration within 3 working days of the assessment date and provide supporting documentation dated within 24 hours of the assessment date.

Give evidence that shows what happened

Supporting documents must be provided and must clearly show what happened, when it happened and how it affected you. For medical circumstances, you may ask your doctor or allied health professional to complete the Professional Authority Form (PDF) as supporting documentation. Alternatively, you may provide other eligible medical documentation that meets the Special Consideration requirements. Keep copies of what you submit. Use documents that are true and show the dates and impact.

What happens after you apply

The Student Case Review team assesses your eligibility and advises you of the outcome. If Special Consideration is approved, the relevant School or Course Authority determines the arrangement. Possible arrangements include an extension to the submission due date, a supplementary examination where a final examination was missed, an alternative assessment, aggregating or averaging marks from other completed assessments, reweighting the affected assessment to other assessments, or another appropriate arrangement in exceptional or complex circumstances. The Student Case Review team does not determine, and cannot change, the arrangement set by the School or Course Authority. Not all applications are approved. The pages also say to keep working on the assessment and submit it when you believe you have completed it to a satisfactory standard.

If the outcome goes against you

If you have genuine grounds to contest an outcome, you may request a review no later than 3 working days from the application outcome date. Requests must be made in writing and clearly set out the grounds. Include all relevant information and any additional supporting documentation not previously submitted in one email to specialconsideration@unsw.edu.au. If you want help understanding the process, talk to Arc Legal & Advocacy, the free help listed for this university.