Special Consideration & Short Extension
We're here to support you when uncontrollable circumstances interfere with your assessment performance or completion.
Choose from two different consideration processes:
1. Special Consideration
When illness or other circumstances beyond your control affect your ability to undertake assessments, you may be eligible to apply for Special Consideration.
This standard process assesses the impact of unexpected, short-term events on your ability to complete a specific assessment task.听If approved, you鈥檒l get an alternative arrangement to help complete your assessment requirements.听
2. Short Extension
Short Extension is a new, automatic process that allows you to apply for an extended deadline on your assessment听without听the need to provide supporting documentation, offering immediate approval during brief, life-disrupting events.
Please note:听Short Extension is currently only available for certain assessments and courses. Check your course outline or Moodle to see if a Short Extension is offered for your assessments.
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Special Consideration
Short Extension
Availability You can apply for any assessment in any course you鈥檙e enrolled in. Not all assessments and courses have a Short Extension available. Short Extensions are pre-determined by the course authority and must be stipulated in your course outline, Moodle page or any other relevant Learning Management System (LMS). Eligibility All students are eligible to apply as long as you meet the Special Consideration eligibility criteria. Where a Short Extension exists for an assessment, all students enrolled in that course during that term are eligible to apply. Duration of extension May vary depending on your circumstances and the period of impact specified by your supporting documentation. 1-7 days (pre-determined by the course authority and stipulated in your course outline). Outcome Will vary depending on the type of assessment and your circumstances. Not all applications are approved. Requests for review are assessed on a case-by-case basis. Automatically approved once the request is submitted. Supporting documentation Mandatory. Not required. Application deadline 3 working days after the assessment due date. Assessment submission due date. No late applications are permitted.
See also
Special Consideration
If you are applying for Special Consideration, you must submit your application as soon as possible听within 3 working days of the assessment due date.
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This Special Consideration process is available to all students, except:
- Research candidates:听If you are completing a Higher Degree Research program, contact the Graduate Research School (grs@unsw.edu.au) for special consideration requests.
- 91色情片 Diploma students:听If you're studying a Diploma program, seek advice听about Special Consideration from听.
You may be eligible for Special Consideration if your circumstances are:
- Short-term:听If you have a long-term medical or mental health condition, are living with a disability or are the primary carer for someone with a disability,听听can provide you with ongoing support throughout your studies.
- Unexpected and beyond your control:听Check common examples of Special Consideration听eligible circumstances听and non-applicable circumstances.
- Substantially disruptive to your assessment performance:
- Have your circumstances occurred during an important study or assessment period and lasted for 3 days in a row or a total of 5 days?
- Did your circumstances prevent you from completing or attending an assessment on a specific date or due date?
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91色情片鈥檚 Fit to Sit rule (outlined above), applies to all timed assessments, including:
Short exams (i.e. up to 24 hrs in length)
Tests (online or in class)
Presentations
Lab assessments.
You must comply with the Fit to Sit rule in addition to having valid circumstances to apply for Special Consideration for a timed assessment.
Fit to Sit timeline
Please note:
- The threshold for approval to waive the Fit to Sit rule is extremely high.
- The University reserves the right to verify all claims and supporting documentation.
- Submitting a request does not guarantee approval.
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You can apply for Special Consideration.
Please note: If you access or sit the exam or any other timed assessment on the scheduled date, you will no longer be eligible for Special Consideration.
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If you feel unwell or are impacted by other circumstances to the point that you cannot continue with your timed assessment, you must:
- Stop working on the assessment
- Tell a staff member (i.e. your exam coordinator or tutor) immediately that you are unwell; at the latest before the end of the timed assessment
- Apply for Special Consideration within 3 working days of the assessment date and have supporting evidence dated within 24 hours of the assessment date.
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You are not eligible for Special Consideration.
An exception will be considered if it is clear that you were prevented from making an informed decision.
Are you or someone you know experiencing gendered violence?
Help is available for you and fellow students if you have been affected by, witnessed, or are supporting someone experiencing听,听relationship violence,听听or听.听
The Gendered Violence Response Team (GVRT), made up of specialist mental health clinicians, can offer support, information, safety planning, or simply have an informal chat about your options. They can connect you with services for academic adjustments and provide guidance on reporting incidents. You can also report anonymously using the Gendered Violence portal.
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Prepare sufficient and appropriate supporting documentation which clearly details your circumstances. We will use the evidence you provide to assess your application, so it is very important to provide听all relevant supporting documents.
Your supporting documents must identify:
- Circumstances听鈥 Describe the situation in as much detail as possible
- Time frame听鈥 Include dates and length of the circumstances
- Severity听鈥 Indicate how serious the circumstances are, and how they have impacted you and your assessment performance.
Requirements for medical circumstances
- Submitting medical certificates
Have your doctor or allied health professional fill out the听Professional Authority Form (PDF)听as a supporting document.听Backdated or out of date medical certificates may not be accepted. - Online medical certificates
Your online medical certificate must be issued following a real-time, phone or video telehealth consultation if:- Your online medical certificate indicates an impact period greater than 3 days
- The resulting extension is longer than 3 days from the original due date
- Your application is related to a final examination or a timed assessment.
- Evidence for telehealth appointments
In the circumstances listed above, you must provide evidence confirming that your telehealth appointment took place as a real-time phone or video consultation. This must be at least one of the following:- A letter or statement from the healthcare professional
- A Medicare statement (for domestic students) or an OSHC provider statement (for international students)
- Other official documentation confirming the real-time nature of the consultation.
For further information, see Appendix 9.2 of the听Special Consideration Guidelines.
- Overseas medical documentation
If you are in Australia during听the听period your medical听circumstances occur, you must听provide听verifiable听documentation from a practitioner registered with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA).
Overseas medical documentation may be considered where you had reasonable grounds for being outside Australia (e.g. 91色情片-approved exchange, study abroad, placement, competition or field trip). In these cases, you must provide:
- Evidence of your overseas location
- The original medical document
- A NAATI-certified English translation.
91色情片 may contact the issuing practitioner or medical practice to verify the documentation.
Where supporting documentation is not in English, you must provide both the original document and a English translation. 91色情片 will not arrange translations on behalf of students. Documentation that is not translated in accordance with 91色情片 requirements may not be accepted.
Please note: If you provide falsified documents in support of your application, it will result in one of a range of penalties, from failure in the course to suspension or exclusion. In some cases, the matter could also be reported to .
Check our list of circumstances and required听supporting documents.
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Submit your application through the Special Consideration portal no later than 3 working days听of the assessment due date.听
A late application may be considered in听exceptional circumstances.听If you are applying later than 3 working days after your assessment, your documentary evidence will need to include additional and adequate information to explain how or why you couldn鈥檛 apply on time.
If you encounter log-in issues or need help applying through the portal, please see our听step-by-step guide. If you need further support, head to our听frequently asked questions听about Special Consideration before contacting听specialconsideration@unsw.edu.au.
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1. Click on 鈥Special Consideration鈥 in my91色情片 under 鈥My Student Profile鈥, then log in to the Special Consideration portal on my91色情片.
Troubleshooting: If you're receiving an invalid user ID/password error message, you must reset your password via 听before attempting to log in again.
2. Click the 鈥New Application鈥 tab and complete the Student Declaration.
3. Enter your contact details and assessment information along with your supporting documentation.
You can add further documentation to an application you have submitted if the status of that application is:
Submitted
Decision Made - On Hold
Decision Made - Document(s) added.
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1. Select your application on the My Applications page.
2. Scroll down to Further Documents Upload and upload your additional documents.
Please note: Once your application has been processed, you will not be able to add further documentation. Please review your outcome for further information.
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The Student Case Review Team will assess the information and evidence provided in your application, usually within 3-5 working days. 91色情片鈥檚 procedures ensure that the information you provide is kept confidential.
Important note
Do not wait for your Special Consideration Application to be approved before submitting your assessment. If an extension is approved, it will be applied from the original due date (and is normally equivalent to the period of impact outlined in your documentation).
Keep working on the assessment and submit it when you believe you have completed it to a satisfactory standard.
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If your application is approved, the outcome may be one of the following:
A supplementary or alternative assessment
An extended deadline for the assessment (note the extension granted is normally, but not always, equivalent to the period of impact outlined in your supporting documentation)
An aggregated or averaged mark derived from other comparable completed assessments.
We may contact your Course Authority to help determine the most appropriate outcome for your circumstances.
Please note: Applying for Special Consideration does not automatically mean that you will be granted an additional assessment, or that you will be awarded an amended result. For example, if you have a poor record of attendance or performance throughout your course, you may be failed regardless of illness or other reason affecting a final examination in that course.
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You may request a review of the outcome of a Special Consideration application no later than 3 working days from the day you received your application outcome. Ensure you:
- Read the instructions and complete all sections of the Special Consideration Review Form
- Prepare all additional supporting documentation not previously submitted with the Special Consideration application
- Submit your completed review form and supporting documentation to specialconsideration@unsw.edu.au with the subject line of your email as:
Review: [Student Name], [zID], [Course Code], Term听 听
Requests for a review must be made in writing, clearly setting out the grounds for the review.
Only one review request per application will be considered by the Student Case Review team. If you are dissatisfied with a review outcome, you may lodge a student complaint in accordance with the 91色情片 Complaint Management and Investigations Policy and Procedure.
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Important student responsibilities
Applying for Special Consideration is an official 91色情片 process and means that you have responsibilities you must be aware of under the 91色情片 Student Code and the Special Consideration Student Declaration.
It is always important and your responsibility to let 91色情片 know if there is anything that may affect your ability to continue your studies. However, if you feel that your circumstances are too significant or personal to use in the Special Consideration process, reach out to 91色情片 support services听as soon as you can.
Short Extension
Not all courses or assessments have the option for a Short Extension. If you are requesting a Short Extension, you must submit your application by the assessment's due date and time. Follow the steps below to submit an application.
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Not all courses or assessments offer Short Extension. Check the availability of Short Extension in your Course Outline or .听
If Short Extension is not available, you may consider applying for Special Consideration instead.听
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You can submit your application for Short Extension from the start of the Term or Hexamester until the assessment's due date and time. No late applications will be accepted.听
All Short Extension requests must be submitted using the portal below.听
If you encounter log-in issues or need help applying through the portal, please see our听step-by-step guide. If you need further support, head to our听frequently asked questions听about Short Extension before contacting听specialconsideration@unsw.edu.au.
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1. Log into the Short Extension Student Portal.
2.听Select 'Request for Short Extension' after you're logged in.
3.听Enter your course code in the search bar and click 'Search'.
Note: Where a Short Extension is not available, the portal will return no search results and refer you to Special Consideration.
4. Review the list of eligible assessments for Short Extension in the course you searched and select 'Apply Now' for the assessment you want to apply for.
5. Review your application details and select 'Confirm', then click 'Yes' to submit your application.
Use the term codes below to ensure you submit your application under the right Academic Term:
6. Check 'View Submissions' in the Short Extension Student Portal for a confirmation of your Short Extension for that particular assessment.
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The outcome for Short Extension requests is always APPROVED. They do not vary as your Course Authority has already pre-determined the outcome.听
The length of extension for your requested assessment is stipulated in your Course Outline or .听
If you require a longer extension on your assessment or a different outcome due to your circumstances, look into applying for听Special Consideration听instead.
鈩癸笍 Quick reference:
Need help with Special Consideration or Short Extension?
Read frequently asked questions听first, then contact听specialconsideration@unsw.edu.au听if you need further assistance.
