If you are unhappy with your exam / assessment results. you have the right to appeal against that decision if you meet a grounds for appeal.
In the first instance, we would advise you to consult your personal tutor, course leader or Head of Department to see if your concerns can be resolved informally. If this does not work, you have the option of formally appealing.
When can you appeal?
- Intermediate year undergraduates (i.e. non-finalist UGs): The only circumstance in which you can appeal is if you have been required to leave your course.
- Final year undergraduates: Can appeal against their degree classification as well as against the decision not to award a degree at all.
- Postgraduates: Can appeal if a lower qualification than the one you registered for or no degree has been awarded (although you cannot appeal against a lower Masters classification).
On what basis can you appeal?
You can appeal on the following grounds:
Intermediate Undergraduate
You are in possession of evidence relevant to your examination performance which was not available to the Board of Examiners when its decision was reached, and can provide good reasons for not having made the Board of examiners aware of this evidence.
Final year Undergraduate
You can appeal on any of the following grounds:
a. You are in possession of evidence relevant to your examination performance which was not available to the Board of Examiners when its decision was reached, and can provide good reasons for not having made the Board of examiners aware of this evidence;
b. There appears to have been procedural irregularities in the conduct of the examination process;
c. There appears to be evidence of prejudice or bias on the part of one or more of the examiners.
Postgraduate
If you are a Postgraduate (Taught or Research), you can appeal on any of the following grounds:
a. You are in possession of evidence relevant to your examination performance which was not available to the Board of Examiners when its decision was reached, and can provide good reasons for not having made the Board of examiners aware of this evidence;
b. There appears to have been procedural irregularities in the conduct of the examination process;
c. There appears to be evidence of prejudice or bias on the part of one or more of the examiners.
d. There is evidence of inadequacy of supervisory or other arrangements during the student’s enrolment at the University. In this instance, you are required to explain why a complaint was not made at an earlier stage.
When must I submit my appeal?
You must make your appeal within 10 University working days of the date of notification of the decision of the Board of Examiners that is the subject of the appeal.
How do I appeal?
The University has a standard form which must be used for all appeals. The form can be found on the University page about Academic Appeals.
What can I do if I do not get the outcome I want?
If you have completed all of the University Procedures, you should receive a Completion of Procedures letter (in some circumstances, you may need to ask for this letter). Once you have the Completion of Procedures Letter, you can take your case to the OIA (Office of the Independent Arbitrator), who will review the decision.
Before you take a case to the OIA, look at their website and talk to the SU Advice Centre for advice on how to proceed.