Birmingham academic appeal: deadline and grounds

Rule checked against University of Birmingham's own pages on 3 November 2026.

Taught students have 10 working days from the results release date shown on the 'My Exams' tab to submit an academic appeal; postgraduate research students have 10 working days from the date of the Registry email confirming their progress decision. First, contact your School directly, because the guidance encourages this so the School can check whether an option exists outside the appeals process; if the School is not forthcoming, you still need to meet the appeal deadline. Submit the appeal on the appropriate form by email to the Student Conduct, Complaints and Appeals Team, which confirms receipt by email.

Time limit to appeal

Taught students have 10 working days from the results release date shown on the 'My Exams' tab to submit an appeal. Postgraduate research students have 10 working days from the date of the Registry email confirming their progress decision.^[1]

What to try first

The guidance encourages students to contact their School directly first, so the School can check whether an option exists outside the appeals process.^[1]

Grounds you can use

You can appeal on grounds that circumstances unknown to the Board of Examiners affected your performance (with good reason for not making them known before the Board met), an administrative or procedural irregularity, or, for postgraduate research students only, bias by an examiner. Being dissatisfied with results or wanting higher marks is not a ground.^[2]

Where to submit

Submit the appeal on the appropriate form, by email to the Student Conduct, Complaints and Appeals Team, which confirms receipt by email.^[1]

If that fails

If the initial appeal decision goes against you, you may request a Senate Review on the grounds in section 3.3 of the Code of Practice on Academic Appeals.^[1]

External review

A student unhappy with the outcome of an appeal may be able to submit a Complaint to the OIA. The OIA normally expects the internal processes to be completed and a Completion of Procedures letter to have been issued.^[1]

Taught students have 10 working days from the results release date shown on the 'My Exams' tab to submit an academic appeal. Postgraduate research students have 10 working days from the date of the Registry email confirming their progress decision. Those dates start the clock. The pages we read do not state the penalty for a late appeal, so confirm this with the Student Conduct, Complaints and Appeals Team or Guild Advice.

Contact your School first

The guidance encourages you to contact your School directly first. This gives the School the chance to check whether an option exists outside the appeals process. It does not remove the appeal deadline: if the School is not forthcoming with a response, you still need to meet the deadline. The pages we read do not state a separate deadline for contacting your School, so ask your School about its timing.

Check whether you have a ground

You can appeal on one or more of these grounds. First, circumstances unknown to the Board of Examiners contributed to your academic performance and the progress decision, and you can give good reason why those circumstances were not made known before the Board met. Second, there was an administrative or procedural irregularity or failure in the relevant assessment. Third, for postgraduate research students only, there was bias in the assessment of your thesis by one or more examiners. Being dissatisfied with your results, or believing you deserve higher marks, is not a ground.

Submit the form by email

Submit the appeal on the appropriate form, by email to the Student Conduct, Complaints and Appeals Team. The team confirms receipt by email. A copy of the appropriate form is available on the University's Academic Appeals webpage. Keep copies of the form and emails you send.

If you have evidence, it must be true evidence. The guidance says outstanding evidence should be identified in your submission, with when it will be available. The Student Conduct, Complaints and Appeals Team has discretion to deem an appeal ineligible if evidence is not submitted within a reasonable timeframe. It also has discretion to process an appeal if remaining evidence is not received within a reasonable timeframe. The pages we read do not state what counts as a reasonable timeframe, so confirm this with the team.

After the initial decision

If the initial appeal decision goes against you, you may request a Senate Review on the grounds in section 3.3 of the Code of Practice on Academic Appeals. The grounds are narrowly defined. A Senate Review is not simply an opportunity to have a rejected initial appeal reconsidered. A copy of the appropriate submission form can be found on the web, and the form must be completed for written submissions with accompanying evidence.

A student unhappy with the outcome of an appeal may be able to submit a Complaint to the OIA. The OIA normally expects the University's internal processes to be completed and a Completion of Procedures letter to have been issued. A Complaint must be submitted to the OIA no later than 12 months after the issuing of a Completion of Procedures letter.

Guild Advice is listed under Free help. You can talk to Guild Advice about the process. Read your own letter and the university's appeal page carefully, and keep copies of everything you submit.

Common questions

What is the deadline for a Birmingham academic appeal?

Can I appeal because I am unhappy with my results?

No. You cannot appeal on the ground that you are dissatisfied with your results or believe you deserve higher marks. The grounds are circumstances unknown to the Board of Examiners with good reason for not making them known before the Board met, an administrative or procedural irregularity, or, for postgraduate research students only, bias by an examiner.

Where do I submit the appeal?

Submit it on the appropriate form by email to the Student Conduct, Complaints and Appeals Team, which confirms receipt by email. A copy of the appropriate form is available on the University's Academic Appeals webpage.

What if my initial appeal is rejected?

You may request a Senate Review on the grounds in section 3.3 of the Code of Practice on Academic Appeals. The grounds are narrowly defined, and a Senate Review is not simply an opportunity to have a rejected initial appeal reconsidered.

Sources

UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM, University of Birmingham. Checked 3 November 2026.

What can I appeal against?, University of Birmingham. Checked 3 November 2026.

General information, not legal or migration advice. This page can't assess your case and doesn't promise any outcome. If the university's current page or your own letter says something different, that applies. 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.