After applying

The Student Case Review Team will assess the information and evidence provided in your application. UNSW’s procedures ensure that the confidentiality of this information is maintained.

The majority of applications will be processed within 3-5 working days.

To determine the outcome of your application, the following may also be considered:

• Your performance in other assessments in the course
• The severity of your circumstances and their effect on your performance
• The type of assessment that was affected by your circumstances
• Your academic standing and academic progression

If you are applying for Special Consideration for an assessment with a set due date (i.e. essay, report, long take-home exam), you are not expected to wait for the application to be approved before submitting the assessment. You should continue to work on the assessment and submit it when you believe you have completed your assessment to a satisfactory standard.

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).
 
If you are applying for a timed assessment (ie. exam or quiz), under the Fit to Sit rule, if you access or sit the timed assessment, you will no longer be eligible for consideration.

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.

Your Course Authority may be contacted to help determine the most appropriate outcome for your circumstances.

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 a Term in a course, you may be failed regardless of illness or other reason affecting a final examination in that course.

You can request a review

Students may request a review of a decision to refuse a Special Consideration application. Requests for a review must be made in writing setting out clearly the grounds for the review and received by no later than 3 working days from the application outcome date.  

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. Students dissatisfied with a review outcome may lodge a student complaint in accordance with the UNSW Complaint Management and Investigations Policy and Procedure. 

Applying for Special Consideration is an official UNSW process and means that you have responsibilities under the UNSW Student Code and the Special Consideration Student Declaration that you must be aware of. 

Significant personal information

If you feel that your circumstances are too significant or personal to use in the Special Consideration process, you may prefer to use other UNSW Support Services.

It is always important and is your responsibility to let UNSW know if there is anything that may affect your ability to continue your studies.

Where a Short Extension is available for an assessment, students who have applied will be able to view their approved Short Extension requests, along with the revised due date via the Short Extension Student Portal.

Outcomes for Short Extension applications do not vary. The only outcome for students who apply is APPROVED and your extension duration will be equivalent, in days, to that stipulated in your course outline or LMS.

If you require a longer extension on your assessment or a different outcome due to your circumstances, look into applying for Special Consideration instead.