8 August 2018 | Volume 77 | Edition 6 Image Taken by Aaliyah Ahmed
UCT Deferred Exams VARSITY sits down with the Deputy Registrar for information on July 2018 deferred exams.
By Sibongile Ralana
F
igures for 2018’s deferred exams show an increase from 2017. The main sitting of deferred exams for the University of Cape Town is set to be written in January 2019, unless departments have set specific dates - as a number of smaller courses wrote their deferred exams in the first week of second semester. VARSITY reached out to the Deputy Registrar of Academic Administration, Dr Karen Van Heerden, for clarity on the deferral process.
“A total of 580 students were approved at first application.” According to Van Heerden, deferral figures are still being finalised. The deferral committee
received 900 applications from 742 students, with 158 students applying more than once. There were roughly 320 students who had an application denied initially – who may have been approved in a second submission. A total of 580 students were approved at first application, while a further 20 applied for deferrals on the grounds that their exams clashed with Eid celebrations.
The deferral committee received 900 applications According to Van Heerden, most exams were deferred on medical grounds, including, both, physical and mental health concerns. “No concessions were made for students who did not see a doctor at the time or on the day they fell sick, physically or mentally, because this would mean that there is no evidence of a medical
DE ON SYSTEM
TOTAL STUDENTS
2017
2018
% Change
2017
2018
% Change
COM
318
224
-30%
247
173
-30%
EBE
82
95
16%
53
65
23%
FHS
9
53
489%
6
39
550%
HUM
159
250
57%
133
183
38%
LAW
40
39
-3%
38
33
-13%
SCI
131
193
47%
117
170
45%
TOTAL
739
854
16%
594
663
12%
Table 1 The number of deferred exams (DE) granted per faculty and the total number of students who wrote deferred exams per faculty for the years 2017 and 2018.