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Cambridge students

 

When something happens during a student’s course that impacts on a student’s studies or exams, students must speak with their College Tutor to understand and discuss the best action to take. The Guidance Notes on this page explain the different processes available to students and the Application forms enable the College and student to apply for the relevant action.

When something goes wrong before exams/submission deadlines

All of these processes require the student and the College to complete different parts of the form, with submission of the form and evidence to be undertaken by the College.

Applications for intermission, resuming study, extensions to coursework or dissertation deadlines or conditional allowance of a term can be made on behalf of the following students:

  • Foundation year students 
  • Undergraduate Students; and
  • The Postgraduate students on the following courses:
    • MBA and Executive MBA
    • Master of Law (LLM)
    • Master of Accounting (MAcc)
    • Master of Advanced Study (MASt)
    • Master of Architecture (MArch)
    • Masters Degree in Corporate Law (MCL)
    • Master of Engineering (MEng)
    • Master of Finance (M.Fin)
    • Master of Mathematics (MMath)
    • Master of Music (MMus)
    • Master of Science (MSci)
    • PGCE

Intermission (and disregarding terms for other purposes)

Permits students to take a break from their studies as a result of illness or grave cause

Guidance notes for disregarding terms
(for Intermission and other purposes)

Application form: disregard terms
(for Intermission and other purposes)

 

Resuming study following intermission or illness

Permits students to return to studies after intermission or, where required as a condition of an exam allowance being granted

Guidance notes for resuming study

Application form for resuming study

 

Dissertation or coursework extensions to the submission deadline

Grants students an extension to coursework or dissertation deadlines, after self-certification extensions have run out, as a result of illness or grave cause

Guidance notes for coursework and dissertation extensions

Application form for coursework and dissertation extensions

 

Conditional allowance of a term

Permits students to sit exams where they have lived outside of Cambridge for more than 20 days in a term (or 17 days in Easter Term) as a result of illness or grave cause

Guidance notes for conditional allowance of a term

Application form: conditional allowances of a term

 

Illegal Combinations of papers

For tripos students only (primarily undergraduate students)

Permits students to take exams for a set of papers that do not comply with the regulations due to ‘incuria’ or disadvantage

Guidance notes for illegal combinations of papers

Application form: illegal combinations of papers

 

 

When illness or grave cause has impacted an examination

These processes expect the student and College to complete the form, with submission of the form and evidence to be undertaken by the College. 

Where a student does not wish to share the evidence with the College directly, it is permissible for the student to make an application directly to the University without College involvement.  The University shall inform the College that an application has been made and the nature of the application.

Exam allowances can only be granted where the examination was impacted by illness or grave cause, which is:

  1. serious;
  2. unanticipated;
  3. entirely beyond the student’s control;
  4. close in time to the assessment; and
  5. evidenced by contemporaneous evidence from an independent, appropriately qualified source

Each exam allowance may have additional criteria that must be met before it can be awarded.  Further information is available in the relevant guidance notes. 

 

Exam allowance: exam re-sit for foundation year students

Where a foundation year student has been impacted in the exam by illness or grave cause

Guidance notes for Foundation Year re-sit exam allowance

Application form: Foundation Year re-sit exam allowance

 

Exam allowances for undergraduates and some postgraduates

Where students on the following courses have been impacted in the assessments by illness or grave cause

  • Undergraduate Students; and
  • The Postgraduate students on the following courses:
    • MBA and Executive MBA
    • Master of Law (LLM)
    • Master of Accounting (MAcc)
    • Master of Advanced Study (MASt)
    • Master of Architecture (MArch)
    • Masters Degree in Corporate Law (MCL)
    • Master of Engineering (MEng)
    • Master of Finance (M.Fin)
    • Master of Mathematics (MMath)
    • Master of Music (MMus)
    • Master of Science (MSci)
    • PGCE

Exam allowances include:

  • permitted to progress to the next Part of the course - ‘Allowed to progress’
  • receiving the degree or award
  • recalculating the Class of the Part/degree disregarding a ‘small part’ (normally up to 25%) of the examination affected by illness to grave cause ‘reconsideration of original results’
  • re-sitting exams in the following year, where other allowances are not possible

 

Guidance notes for exam allowances UG and some PG

Application form: allowed to progress or receive award

Application form: reconsideration of original results

Application form: re-sits for UG and some PG

 

Progression to Part III Opinion

For students who failed to progress onto one of courses below due to illness or grave cause.  The student can request an opinion from the EAMC on whether their examination results were impacted by illness or grave cause. The student can then choose to provide the opinion to the University academic authority considering progression onto the relevant course.  

Applicable courses:

  • Chemical Engineering Tripos Part IIB
  • Manufacturing Engineering Part IIB
  • Computer Sciences Tripos, Part III
  • Mathematical Tripos Part III
  • Engineering Tripos Part IIB
  • Natural Sciences Tripos, Part III
  • Management Studies Tripos

Guidance notes for exam allowances UG and some PG

Application form: opinion on progression to Part III

 

Exam allowances for certain postgraduate courses

For students on the following courses, where the assessments were impacted by illness or grave cause:

  • MPhil by Advanced Study
  • Master of Research (MRes)
  • Diploma in Economics
  • PG Diploma in Legal Studies
  • PG Diploma International Law
  • Certification of Postgraduate Study (CPGS)
  • Master of Studies (MSt)
  • Master of Education (MEd)

Guidance notes for exam allowances for certain postgraduate courses

Application form: exam allowances for certain postgraduate courses