Special Consideration & Short Extension FAQs
Read our full Special Consideration Guide
- Hardships
- Commitments
Click on a circumstance to see suggested supporting evidence you can supply.
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Medical Certificate (provided by health practitioner, see Appendix 8.1 of )
Hospital Discharge Certificate
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Unexpected serious financial difficulties or sudden change in domestic arrangements (e.g. eviction, homelessness etc.):
- Official letter from relevant source/authority
Victims of crime:
- Police report
Unexpected events/accidents:
- Medical Certificate (provided by health practitioner, see Appendix 8.1 ´Ç´ÚÌý)
Hospitalisation of a family member:
- Hospital Discharge Certificate
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- Death Notice/Certificate
- Obituary
- Order of service
- Statutory Declaration
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- Screenshot(s) of the issue experienced, including the date and time the issue occurredÂ
- Screenshot(s) of communication with course authority, tutor or exam supervisorÂ
Click on a circumstance to see suggested supporting evidence you can supply.
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University competitions:
- Letter from Â鶹Éçmadou competition owner confirming support of attendance at competition
Religious commitments (i.e. compulsory religious observances; does not include voluntary commitments):
- Letter from religious leader/elder confirming the date(s) of the religious commitment and requirement to observe
Unavoidable medical procedures:
- Medical Certificate (provided by health practitioner, see Appendix 8.1 ´Ç´ÚÌý)
Court dates or jury duty:
- Letter confirming required attendance in court including dates
Unexpected carers requirements:
- Carers requirements list
Exams held at another university:
- Letter from other University confirming exam schedule
Interviews (for internship or graduate positions):
- Confirmation of interview
Â鶹Éçmadou approved internships:
- Letter from internship host confirming internships dates and their inability to be flexible in start dates, or allowing time off to attend university examinations
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- Birth certificate
- Hospital admission/discharge papers
- Medical Certificate (provided by health practitioner, see Appendix 8.1 of )
- Invitation to wedding
- Graduation ceremony registration confirmation
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Training commitments or competitions as part of Â鶹Éçmadou Elite Athletes, Performers and Leaders Support Program:
- Letter from club or team manager outlining competition dates and/or increased training commitments
Competition where you represent Â鶹Éçmadou, the State or Country:
- Letter from club or competition owner confirming competition dates
Are attending faculty supported competitions:
- Letter from Faculty ADE confirming support of attendance at Faculty competition
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- An official training notice or similar document from organiser explaining why attendance is required
Non-applicable circumstances
Examples of circumstances not usually considered exceptional include:
- Misreading the course outline or examination timetable
- Heavy academic workload, even when overloading with additional courses in the given term
- Two or more assessments due on the same date
- Submitting the incorrect assessment/exam file
- Attending events such as concerts, talk shows, sporting events (excluding university games and elite competitions) or protests
- Travel/holidays (including holidays associated with weddings)
- Professional experience or work commitments organised independently by student (unless unexpected and unavoidable)
- Computer updating during an online assessment
- Volunteering or club/society events and commitments
- Late enrolment in a course.
See also
- Circumstances
- Portal
- Tech issues
Find out more about circumstances above.
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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 (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.
Your Course Authority may be contacted to help determine the most appropriate outcome for your circumstances.
Applying for Special Consideration does not automatically mean you will be granted an alternative assessment, or awarded an amended result. For example, if you have a poor record of attendance or performance in a course throughout the term, you may be failed regardless of illness or other reason affecting a final examination in that course.
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You only need to apply for Special Consideration if you're missing a class that:
- Counts towards your final mark (check your course outline)
- Puts you under the minimum attendance requirements for your course
- Contains an in-class assessment on that day.
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If you feel unwell before an exam and believe you cannot sit the exam, you should:
- See a medical practitioner within 24 hours and get a medical certificate covering the date of the exam
- Submit a Special Consideration application within 3 working days of the exam.
Please keep in mind: If you sit or access your exam or any other timed assessment on the scheduled date, you will no longer be eligible for Special Consideration. For more information, see Â鶹Éçmadou’s Fit to Sit rule.
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If you’re studying remotely and your exam is scheduled between 10pm and 7am in your local time, you can apply for Special Consideration and a supplementary exam will be held at a time outside of these hours.
You must apply no later than 5 days before the scheduled date of the timed assessment.
Please note: All exams and assessment items are set to Sydney, Australian Eastern Standard or Daylight Time (AEST/AEDT).
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Special Consideration is for a short-term circumstance that impacts your performance during a particular study or assessment period. You will have to apply for each affected assessment individually.
If your circumstance is long-term or recurring, and will impact your performance across multiple assessment periods, book an appointment with a  to find the right support for you.
If you have a long-term physical or mental health condition, or are a carer for someone with these conditions, contact  for ongoing educational adjustments.
You can still apply for Special Consideration for multiple assessments if your circumstances are eligible.
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If you're registered with Equitable Learning Services (ELS), you should only apply for Special Consideration if:Â
- Your Equitable Learning Plan (ELP) hasn't been approved/developed with ELS at the time of the assessment deadline
- Your conditions exacerbate and the adjustments in your ELP can no longer adequately support you
- Your request for Special Consideration is unrelated to your conditions registered with ELS.
Find out more about  at Â鶹Éçmadou.
What should I do if:
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If you're having issues accessing the Special Consideration portal, please try the following:
- Use a desktop computer or laptop instead of a phone
- Switch to a different browser
- Log in through an incognito/private window
- Clear your cache (browsing history).
If you're receiving an invalid user ID/password error message, you must reset your password via .
Finally, if you are still experiencing issues accessing the portal, please email the Student Case Review team via specialconsideration@unsw.edu.au. You must include your student ID, the course you are applying for and any screenshots of the issues you are experiencing.
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If your assessment type is not in the Special Consideration portal, please choose the closest type of assessment and provide more details in the application summary box.
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To add further supporting documentation after applying, please follow these steps:
- Select your application on the My Applications page
- Scroll down to Attachment
- Choose the file(s) you want to add
- Click on the yellow ‘Upload’ button at the bottom right to submit your documents.
Please note: You can only add further documents to applications with the following status:
- Submitted
- Decision Made - On Hold
- Decision Made - Document(s) added.
Once your application has been processed, you will not be able to add further documentation. Please review your outcome for further information.
What should I do if:
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Technical issues may include an inability to log into your device. You must contact your Course Authority, Tutor or Exam Supervisor via email, Moodle or other chat to advise that you are experiencing a technical issue, as soon as possible.
Take screenshots of as many of the following as possible (each must include the date and time):
- Error messages
- Screen not loading 
- Speed tests
- Power outage maps
- Messages or information from your internet provider regarding service issues.
Submit a application using the screenshots you took immediately after your timed assessment concludes.
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First, try to find an alternate location to sit your exam. Consider booking a  in the Main or Law Libraries. Please note that you'll be required to bring your own device to complete the task.
If you're unable to find an alternate location, submit a application before the date of your exam and provide supporting documentation that includes the dates of the planned outage.
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You are expected to be prepared for your assessments, including charging your devices and having them ready ahead of time.
Special Consideration will not be awarded on the grounds of running out of battery before or during an assessment.
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You must ensure that auto-updates are disabled on your computer prior to the online assessment.
Special Consideration will not be awarded on the grounds of your computer updating during your online assessment.
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You are expected to save your work on an online file storage service.
Unless your ability to save your work was affected by exceptional circumstances, Special Consideration will not be awarded on the grounds of losing your files.
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You are responsible for checking your work and ensuring you select the correct file before uploading.
Special Consideration will not be awarded on the grounds of uploading incorrect files.
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You can view your revised due date on the View Submissions page in the .
On your revised due date, you are expected to submit the assessment at the same time as the original due date.
For example, if the assessment was due at 11:59pm on the original due date, then it will be due at 11:59pm on the revised due date.
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If the teaching period for the course hasn’t commenced yet, you won’t be able to see the course in the .
If you can’t find your course in the portal during the term, it usually means a Short Extension isn’t available for any assessment in the course. Please check your course outline or Learning Management System (LMS), such as , for more information.
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Short Extension availability is predetermined by your course authority. You cannot apply for a Short Extension after the due date of your assessment under any circumstance.
If you have circumstances that meet the eligibility criteria and appropriate supporting documentation, you can apply for Special ConsiderationÌý¾±²Ô²õ³Ù±ð²¹»å up to 3 working days after the assessment due date.
Late applications for Special Consideration will only be considered if your documentation justifies an inability to submit on time.
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If you have an applicable Equitable Learning Plan (ELP), you may decide whether your ELP or a Short Extension will best serve your needs for an assessment task with a Short Extension available.
The assessment deadline can be extended by either your ELP or a Short Extension, but not both.
If you require further extension, apply for Special Consideration.
Need further assistance?
Send your Special Consideration and Short Extension queries to specialconsideration@unsw.edu.au, or explore other support services we offer.
