Failed a module at a UK university: resits, caps and limits

At most UK universities a failed module gets one further attempt, and a pass at that attempt is usually capped at the pass mark. Leeds caps undergraduate reassessment marks at 40, and the time allowed varies from about a year to two academic sessions. The rules differ by university, so your own regulations decide what applies to you.

If you have failed a module, you will normally be offered another attempt, the mark from that attempt is often capped, and the attempt has to fall inside a set window. The detail varies by university, so each figure below is attributed to the university that states it. Your own university's regulations are the document that counts for your case.

Most universities offer one more attempt

The common pattern is one second chance, though the wording differs.

• The University of Birmingham says a student who fails a module has one opportunity to retrieve the failure, either by re-assessment (resitting the exam and/or resubmitting coursework) or by repeating the module.
• The University of Leeds says a student may have two attempts to pass a module: the first attempt and one reassessment.
• King's College London says students will normally be offered one reassessment opportunity in each failed module.
• UCL allows a second attempt, and says that resitting students must only be reassessed in the failed components of the module.

A resit and a repeat are not the same thing. A resit re-examines you on the failed assessment. Repeating means taking the module again. Birmingham names both routes in its regulations, so check which one your university uses for your module.

UCL also says that, exceptionally, a student may be allowed to progress provisionally and resit the module alongside the next year of study, in a maximum of 30 credits.

A resit pass is usually capped

A cap means that if you pass the resit, the mark recorded is limited, whatever you scored on the day. This matters most for your average and your final classification.

• Birmingham says that after a retrieval attempt, the mark used for the weighted mean, progress decision and classification is the pass mark if you pass the module. Students in year zero of a Foundation Year programme are the exception.
• Leeds says the maximum mark on the reassessment attempt for undergraduate modules (FHEQ levels 4, 5 and 6) is 40. Leeds also says it gives no partial credit: a passed module earns the full credit, and a failed one earns none.
• UCL says that where a student passes a resit, the module mark must be capped at the Pass Mark.
• King's says the final overall module mark is capped at the relevant pass mark after reassessment, unless the core competency clause applies.

The Facts gathered for this page do not give a Leeds cap for postgraduate taught modules, so check the Leeds regulations if that is your level.

The window for resits differs

The time allowed ranges from within about a year to two academic sessions, and some universities fix a particular period.

King's adds that reassessment attempts will normally be held before the start of the next academic year, except where a student must resit with attendance. It also says faculties have discretion to offer reassessment earlier than period three.

Leeds also says assessments must be taken on the first occasion they are offered, unless the School gives specific permission to defer, and that permission must be documented.

Failing the further attempt has consequences

The sources are clearest on this at two universities.

• Birmingham says that if a student fails at the repeat attempt, any credit previously gained in that module will not stand.
• UCL says a student who still fails at the second attempt must leave the programme and cannot re-enrol on the failed programme or module.

The Facts for this page do not state what Leeds or King's do after a second failure. Look this up in their regulations rather than assuming it matches the others.

Questions to answer from your own regulations

Before you decide anything, find these points in your university's academic regulations, assessment policy or module specification:

• How many attempts you are allowed, and whether the next one is a resit or a repeat.
• Whether a pass at the further attempt is capped, and at what mark.
• The latest date, period or academic session in which the further attempt must be taken.
• Whether you are reassessed in the failed component only or in the whole module. King's says programmes with professional or regulatory body accreditation may require reassessment of all components, and that the module specification will say so.
• What happens if you fail again.

If you are unsure how a rule applies to your module, ask your department or programme team to point you to the regulation, so the answer comes from the written rule.

Common questions

Can I resit a module I have failed?

Usually yes. Birmingham gives one opportunity to retrieve a failure, Leeds gives one reassessment after the first attempt, and King's normally offers one reassessment in each failed module. UCL allows a second attempt. Your own regulations set the exact terms.

Will my mark be capped if I pass the resit?

Often. Leeds caps undergraduate reassessment marks at 40. UCL caps a resit pass at the Pass Mark, King's caps at the relevant pass mark unless the core competency clause applies, and Birmingham uses the pass mark for its calculations.

What if I fail the resit as well?

It depends on the university. UCL says the student must leave the programme and cannot re-enrol on the failed programme or module. Birmingham says previously gained credit in that module will not stand if the repeat attempt is failed.

How long do I have to take the resit?

It varies. Birmingham normally expects it within one year of the failure, Leeds at the next available opportunity (normally July or August), UCL within the next two academic sessions, and King's in assessment period three for exams from periods one or two.

Sources

1. University of Birmingham, checked 3 November 2026.
2. University of Leeds, checked 3 November 2026.
3. University of Leeds, checked 3 November 2026.
4. University College London, checked 3 November 2026.
5. King's College London, checked 3 November 2026.

General information, not legal or migration advice. Rules differ between universities and change; your university's current page and your own letter apply. If you hold a student visa and the outcome could change your enrolment, a regulated immigration adviser or an immigration solicitor can look at your own situation.