UCL Extenuating Circumstances: claim steps and deadline

UCL calls this Extenuating Circumstances (EC). The system is ECsOnline on Portico. If illness or another serious event affected your assessment, the first practical step is to read your own letter or assessment information and then submit an EC claim on Portico. Claims should be submitted as soon as possible and normally no more than one week after the first affected assessment. If you cannot get the evidence in time, you must still submit the claim on time and indicate that your evidence is to follow.

Submit the claim in the right place

1. Read your letter or assessment information carefully. Check the assessment date, any deadline and what you are being asked to do.
2. Submit your EC claim through ECsOnline on Portico. UCL says claims should be submitted as soon as possible and normally no more than one week after the first affected assessment.
3. If your evidence is not ready, submit the claim on time anyway and say that evidence will follow. Do not wait for evidence and miss the claim deadline.
4. Keep copies of what you submit, including the claim and any evidence. Keep the confirmation you get.

If you are not sure EC is the right process, read UCL's guidance on which process to use. The pages we read point students to that guidance. The EC route is for extenuating circumstances; it may not be the right route for every support issue.

Evidence and the four-week rule

Evidence must be true. If you cannot obtain the necessary evidence in time to submit your EC claim, UCL says you must still submit the claim on time and indicate that your evidence is to follow. Late evidence must arrive no more than four weeks after you submit your EC application. A decision cannot be made until your evidence is received. UCL also says this may affect the type of mitigation available to you.

This means the claim and the evidence have separate timing points. The claim should be submitted as soon as possible and normally no more than one week after the first affected assessment. The late evidence, if you need it, must arrive no more than four weeks after you submit the claim. Keep to both. If you are asked to provide new or additional evidence, that can affect when a decision is made.

What happens after you submit

Your Department or Faculty EC Panel will assess your claim and agree the appropriate mitigation. The outcome is communicated to you via the EC system. UCL says this is usually within 10 working days of your claim being submitted. That timeframe does not apply if you have submitted late evidence, are asked to provide new or additional evidence, have no evidence where evidence is required, or in exceptional cases where a decision cannot be made within the timeframe.

UCL's FAQ describes the general expectation as Category 1 or 2 mitigation. Those mainly centre on additional time: an extension, or a deferral of the exam or assessment, typically to the Late Summer Assessment period.

If a decision is pending or the claim is rejected

If you have not received a decision at the time of the assessment or coursework deadline, and it is possible for you to do so, attend the assessment or submit your work. If your EC claim is approved, the mitigation is applied retrospectively. If your claim is rejected, your marks will be taken from the assessment you attended or submitted. If an extension is approved after you have submitted an assessment, you can hand in in line with the extension approved.

If your claim is rejected, the pages we read do not set out an appeal route or a deadline for challenging the decision. Check your outcome letter and UCL's official EC pages for the next step. Do not guess a deadline. Keep copies of the outcome and any correspondence.