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.If approved, you’ll get an alternative arrangement to help complete your assessment requirements.
2. Short Extension
Short Extension is a new, automatic process that allows you to apply for an extended deadline on your assessmentwithoutthe need to provide supporting documentation, offering immediate approval during brief, life-disrupting events.
Please note: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’re 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 possiblewithin 3 working days of the assessment due date.
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This Special Consideration process is available to all students, except:
- Research candidates:If you are completing a Higher Degree Research program, contact the Graduate Research School (grs@unsw.edu.au) for special consideration requests.
- 鶹madou Diploma students:If you're studying a Diploma program, seek adviceabout Special Consideration from.
You may be eligible for Special Consideration if your circumstances are:
- Short-term: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,can provide you with ongoing support throughout your studies.
- Unexpected and beyond your control:Check common examples of Special Considerationeligible circumstancesand 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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鶹madou’s 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,relationship violence,or.
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 provideall relevant supporting documents.
Your supporting documents must identify:
- Circumstances– Describe the situation in as much detail as possible
- Time frame– Include dates and length of the circumstances
- Severity– Indicate how serious the circumstances are, and how they have impacted you and your assessment performance.
For medical circumstances, have your doctor or allied health professional fill out theas a supporting document.Backdated or out of date medical certificates may not be accepted.
If your supporting documentation is not in English, please submit it as it is; we will attempt to have it translated. Where documentation cannot be translated, we may ask you to have it translated by a.If this occurs, you should supply copies ofboththe original document and a complete English translation.
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 requiredsupporting documents.
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Submit your application through the Special Consideration portal no later than 3 working daysof the assessment due date.
A late application may be considered inexceptional circumstances.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’t apply on time.
If you encounter log-in issues or need help applying through the portal, please see ourstep-by-step guide. If you need further support, head to ourfrequently asked questionsabout Special Consideration before contactingspecialconsideration@unsw.edu.au.
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1. Click on ‘Special Consideration’ in my鶹madou under ‘My Student Profile’, then log in to the Special Consideration portal on my鶹madou.
Troubleshooting: If you're receiving an invalid user ID/password error message, you must reset your password via before attempting to log in again.
2. Click the ‘New Application’ 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. 鶹madou’s 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. Requests for a review must be made in writing, clearly setting out the grounds for the review, and received by no later than 3 working days from the day you are sent the application outcome.
Any supporting documentation not previously submitted with the Special Consideration application must be submitted with the review request.
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 鶹madou Complaint Management and Investigations Policy and Procedure.
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Important student responsibilities
Applying for Special Consideration is an official 鶹madou process and means that you have responsibilities you must be aware of under the 鶹madou Student Code and the Special Consideration Student Declaration.
It is always important and your responsibility to let 鶹madou 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 鶹madou support servicesas 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 .
If Short Extension is not available, you may consider applying for Special Consideration instead.
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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.
All Short Extension requests must be submitted using the portal below.
If you encounter log-in issues or need help applying through the portal, please see ourstep-by-step guide. If you need further support, head to ourfrequently asked questionsabout Short Extension before contactingspecialconsideration@unsw.edu.au.
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1. Log into the Short Extension Student Portal.
2.Select 'Request for Short Extension' after you're logged in.
3.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.
The length of extension for your requested assessment is stipulated in your Course Outline or .
If you require a longer extension on your assessment or a different outcome due to your circumstances, look into applying forSpecial Considerationinstead.
ℹ️ Quick reference:
Need help with Special Consideration or Short Extension?
Read frequently asked questionsfirst, then contactspecialconsideration@unsw.edu.auif you need further assistance.
