EXCEPTIONAL FACTORS
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DO YOU HAVE EXCEPTIONAL FACTORS AFFECTING YOUR PERFORMANCE? If you have been affected by problems that prevented you from attending an exam, submitting an assessment on time or that significantly affected your performance in an assessment, you can submit a claim for Exceptional Factors.
EXCEPTIONAL FACTORS (EF) MUST BE: Severe The event or circumstance must have had a serious impact on your performance. Unexpected & unpreventable There must have been no reasonable steps you could have taken to prevent the event or circumstances from occurring. If you knew there was going to be a problem it is your responsibility to prepare for it. E.g. lengthy court proceedings may not be considered as EF. Relevant The event or circumstance must have happened at the time of the assessment or during the period immediately leading up to the assessment. E.g. you were very ill on the day of the exam or a few days beforehand. Corroborated You need to provide as much original documentary evidence as possible to support your case e.g. a GP letter, death certificate or police report. The evidence must specifically relate to the submission date of your work. MMU will not ask a third party for evidence on your behalf.
Exceptional factors could relate to issues of ill health, bereavement, or personal/ emotional trauma.
LONG-TERM CIRCUMSTANCES Long-term issues are generally not considered as Exceptional Factors unless you are able to show there was an increase in severity leading up to and during the time of your assessment. You will need to provide evidence of this. Usually long-term issues will be dealt with through the University’s Learner Development Service. If relevant they will devise a Personal Learning Plan for you which should offer you extra support to complete your studies. (www.mmu.ac.uk/ learner-development)
WILL IT BE CONFIDENTIAL? Yes, all the information you provide will be respected by the University in accordance with data protection requirements. If you feel that the exceptional factors are highly personal, then claims should be submitted in a sealed envelope marked confidential. Please come to see us in Your Advice Centre to discuss this further.
WHERE DO I SUBMIT MY FORM? You must hand in an Exceptional Factors Form (EF1) detailing all the units affected, along with your evidence to your Local HUB. Ask for the EF envelope and review the checklist before you submit your form and on submitting ask for a receipt. You should submit your Exceptional Factors form as close to the submission or exam date as possible. However also check with your Local HUB when the final deadline will be for the Exceptional Factors Panel in your department to ensure you haven’t missed it. The Exceptional Factors Panel should inform you of your outcome within five working days of their meeting. Contact your Local HUB if you do not receive a response.
WHAT OUTCOME CAN I EXPECT? If your application is successful, you will normally get: • extra time to complete your assignment • or the chance to sit your examination one more time • or the chance to sit your examination without a cap
However, an Exceptional Factors Form will not increase your marks or degree classification. If your application is refused, you can appeal the decision please come to Your Advice Centre to discuss further. A full copy of the Exceptional Factors regulations are available at: www.mmu.ac.uk/sas/studentservices/guidance
I’M STUCK, HOW DO I COMPLETE THE FORM? Form EF1 must be used in all cases. The third page is for you to write a statement about your situation and it must be as detailed as possible. You should include the following information: What happened/what were the circumstances that affected you – give as much detail as possible, including specific dates and any medical diagnosis you have been given. When did the circumstances occur and how long did the effects last? The timing needs to be relevant to your assessment period. You must submit an EF form at the time your EF occurred or MMU may refuse to consider them later. How exactly did your EF significantly affect your attendance or your performance in the assessment? E.g. you were vomiting every hour on the hour the night before the exam and felt so drained that you could not attend the exam. Your doctor visited your home as you were so ill and you have medical evidence to prove this. Can you show that it is likely you would have done better if it were not for the circumstances? E.g. you achieved better marks in your work before the EF occurred.
Please see overleaf for a draft statement of EF, this will not fit all situations but should help you think about what to include in your application.
DRAFT STATEMENT I am submitting this Exceptional Factors form (dated 14th January) to explain why I was unable to submit my Public Law assignment by the deadline of 12th January. I would have submitted this form on 12th January but I was too ill to do so. I am only just well enough now to complete this form as I am taking medication prescribed by Manchester Royal Infirmary. I will detail my exceptional factors below. I became extremely ill on 11th January with terrible stomach pains, vomiting and diarrhoea. I could not keep food down and was struggling to manage small sips of water nevermind concentrate on my studies. I was lying in bed in agony with shooting pains, they were coming and going until they eventually remained and became unbearable. I called the NHS helpline and was advised to see my GP immediately. I called my GP and he came to my home and immediately sent me to hospital (MRI). He gave me a note to ask the doctor to see me straight away in A&E. I was seen straight away and given morphine for the pain. I was provisionally diagnosed with suspected appendicitis and stayed over night. I was finally informed after several tests that I was suffering from a urine infection which had spread to my kidneys and the symptoms are similar to appendicitis. I was given antibiotics for 7 days and pain killers and I am still taking these. I still feel incredibly sore and weak and am suffering with lapsed concentration. I have been informed that it should take about a week to fully recover and I have a sick note to cover this period and this runs out on... I was completely shocked by this whole experience and feel shaken up that I became so ill so quickly but I am grateful to say that I am feeling much better compared to how I was feeling. I have largely completed my assignment as I became ill so close to the deadline, so just to review it and make small changes. I think that I will need 5 further days to complete it and hope you will not apply any penalty for late submission due to the unpreventable illness I suffered from. So I will submit the assignment on... I have enclosed a copy of my medical evidence to confirm my illness.
If you have any further questions or would like help with completing the form please contact Your Advice Centre. TeL: 0161 247 6533 or email: s.u.advice@mmu.ac.uk
The Union, Manchester Metropolitan University Publication 2014 Disclaimer: Your Advice Centre has made every effort to ensure that the information in this leaflet is accurate. The Union cannot be held responsible for the consequences of any action taken as a result of reading this leaflet. Before taking any action you are advised to visit Your Advice Centre.
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