UCL failed module resit: attempts, mark cap and timing

Your first task is to establish which assessment you are being asked to resit and whether the standard consequences-of-failure rules apply. Read your letter and the official consequences-of-failure rules, then check the module, the failed component and whether this is a first or second attempt.

Check what your letter says

The consequences-of-failure rules in Section 6 apply only where there are no Extenuating Circumstances material to the failure. If you are ill or have other valid Extenuating Circumstances, the rules direct you to Section 5: Deferred Assessment. Read that section and your letter before treating this as an ordinary resit.

1. Read your letter and confirm the module, component and attempt. The rules distinguish failure at the first attempt from failure at the second attempt.
2. Check whether Extenuating Circumstances are material to the failure. If they are, the consequences-of-failure rules do not apply; look at Section 5.
3. Find the session when you first enrolled on this module and whether it was first assessed in Term 1, Term 2 or Term 3. Those details set the two-session limit and the expected resit period.

If you provide evidence for Extenuating Circumstances, it must be true. Do not create or change documents.

What a resit is and what your mark can be

A resit is a second attempt at an assessment without additional tuition. Resitting students must only be reassessed in the failed module component or components. The rules say resitting students should not attend additional lectures, seminars or other teaching activities. Additional tutorials or supervision may be offered, but they are not automatic.

If you pass a resit, the module mark must be capped at the Pass Mark. The exception in the facts is a resit that is only required for a Pass/Fail component: in that case the module mark is not capped. If you fail a resit, the higher mark from the two attempts is recorded for the affected components. The official pages we read do not give the Pass Mark number, so check your module information or ask UCL to confirm it.

There must be no fee for resitting an assessment. Resitting students should have access to UCL facilities such as the library and other learning resources, although some resources may have limited availability during UCL vacation periods. Resitting students must be entitled to the Reasonable Adjustments provisions for students with disabilities and other long-term medical or mental health conditions.

When the resit happens and the two-session limit

For a taught module first assessed in Term 1 or Term 2, the rules say the resit should be scheduled in the Late Summer Assessment Period. For a taught module first assessed in Term 3, the resit should be scheduled in the Late Summer Assessment Period or within three months of the first attempt. The official pages we read do not state the exact dates. Check your own letter and ask UCL to confirm the date for your module.

Reassessment must be completed within the next two academic sessions. For example, a module first taken in 2024-25 must be completed by the end of 2026-27. Where a module is substituted, the two academic sessions run from when you first enrol on the substituted module. That period may be extended at the discretion of UCL Education Services on behalf of the Vice-Provost (Education & Student Experience). Applications must be made via the Faculty Tutor. The pages we read do not state a deadline for that application; confirm it with UCL.

If you fail the resit

If you do not meet the Progression and Award Requirements at the second attempt, the rules say you must leave the programme. You must not be permitted to re-enrol on the failed programme or module. Depending on your programme, you may still be eligible for an award of a qualification with a different field of study, transfer to an alternative programme, or an Interim Qualification.

The rules do not say which outcome will apply to you. Read the decision letter and ask UCL which listed outcome applies to your programme. The pages we read do not set out an appeal route, so confirm that with UCL.

Keep copies of what you submit and letters you receive. Check the dates and conditions in your letter against the official consequences-of-failure rules; the exact resit date and Pass Mark are not in the pages we read.