Equra College London
Version: 1.0
Approved by: Governing Body / Academic Board (as applicable)
Effective from: 20/01/2026
Review date: 15/01/2026 (annual review)
Owner: Head of Academic Services / Quality Lead
1. Purpose
Equra College London (“Equra”) recognises that unexpected circumstances may affect a student’s ability to complete assessments on time or perform to their normal standard. This procedure sets out how Equra considers requests for:
- Extensions (short additional time before a deadline); and
- Mitigating circumstances (more serious circumstances requiring deferral, a new attempt, or other remedies).
This procedure aims to ensure:
- Fairness and consistency;
- Timely decisions so students can plan;
- Accessible processes with reasonable adjustments; and
- Decisions based on evidence, without unnecessary intrusion.
2. Scope
This procedure applies to all students on:
- HE pathways (where applicable);
- Diplomas and short courses with assessed outcomes; and
- CPD programmes where assessment contributes to completion/certification,
and covers coursework, presentations, projects, exams/timed assessments, online tests, and portfolio submissions.
Note: This procedure does not cover:
- Academic misconduct (handled separately);
- Complaints about services (Student Complaints Procedure);
- Appeals (Consolidated Student Appeals Procedure).
3. Definitions
- Extension: Short additional time granted before an assessment deadline (normally up to a defined limit).
- Mitigating circumstances (MC): Unexpected, significant circumstances outside the student’s control that materially impact assessment performance or completion.
- Deferral: Moving an assessment to the next available assessment point.
- New first attempt: A replacement attempt treated as a first attempt (where permitted), normally without penalty.
- Working day: Monday–Friday excluding public holidays.
4. Principles
Equra will handle MC/extension requests based on:
- Support-first approach: helping students manage barriers early;
- Fairness and consistency: comparable circumstances lead to comparable outcomes;
- Proportionality: remedy matches the impact and the assessment context;
- Evidence-based decisions: reasonable evidence requested without excessive intrusion;
- Confidentiality: information handled on a need-to-know basis;
- Accessibility: reasonable adjustments to the process where required.
5. What may be accepted as mitigating circumstances (examples)
Mitigating circumstances may include (non-exhaustive):
- Acute illness or injury;
- Worsening of a chronic condition;
- Significant mental health crisis;
- Bereavement of a close family member;
- Serious family emergency/caring crisis;
- Victim of crime or serious incident;
- Major unexpected disruption (e.g., fire, flood) affecting ability to study/submit;
- Court/legal obligations (with documentation);
- Exceptional transport disruption on the day of an exam (with evidence where possible).
Not normally accepted (without exceptional evidence):
- Poor time management;
- Routine work commitments (unless unavoidable and exceptional);
- Minor illness without impact evidence;
- Printer/computer issues without reasonable planning, unless sudden and evidenced;
- General stress/anxiety without evidence of exceptional impact;
- Holidays or personal travel arrangements.
6. Extensions (short-term)
6.1 Extension limits (default)
Unless stated otherwise in the assessment brief/programme handbook:
- Extensions are normally granted for up to 5 working days.
- Extensions are typically available for coursework (not timed exams).
Where an extension request exceeds the usual limit, it will be considered as a Mitigating Circumstances request.
6.2 How to request an extension
Students must request an extension:
- Before the deadline, normally at least 48 hours in advance where possible,
via: - Email: extensions@equracollege.org.uk (or Academic Services contact); or
- The published online form (when available).
6.3 What to include
- Student name and ID (if applicable)
- Programme/course and module/unit (if applicable)
- Assessment title and deadline
- Reason for request (brief, factual)
- Requested extension date
- Evidence (where appropriate)
6.4 Evidence for extensions
Equra may request evidence depending on circumstances and pattern of requests. Equra will not require unnecessary sensitive details.
6.5 Extension outcomes
Equra will confirm:
- Approved revised deadline; or
- Rejection with reasons and next steps (e.g., MC route).
Decision timeframe: normally within 3 working days of receipt (where submitted in time).
7. Mitigating Circumstances (more serious/impactful)
7.1 When MC applies
MC should be used where:
- The student cannot meet the deadline even with an extension; and/or
- Performance was significantly affected; and/or
- The assessment is a timed exam or fixed event; and/or
- Circumstances are serious, sustained, or exceptional.
7.2 Submission time limits (default)
Students should submit an MC request:
- As soon as possible, and normally within 10 working days of:
- the assessment deadline; or
- the exam date; or
- the date the mitigating event occurred.
Late applications may be rejected unless there is a compelling reason and evidence.
7.3 How to submit an MC request
Via:
- Email: academics@equracollege.org.uk (or Academic Services); or
- Online MC form (when available)
7.4 What to include
- Student name and ID
- Programme/course and module/unit
- Assessment(s) affected (titles and deadlines/dates)
- Clear explanation of the circumstances and impact on study/assessment
- Dates covered by the circumstances
- Remedy sought (extension, deferral, new attempt, etc.)
- Evidence attached (where available)
- Any reasonable adjustments requested (if applicable)
8. Evidence requirements (proportionate)
Equra will consider reasonable evidence such as:
- Medical note / fit note / clinician letter (where appropriate)
- Hospital appointment evidence
- Bereavement evidence (where appropriate)
- Police incident reference (where applicable)
- Employer letter (where relevant and exceptional)
- Official correspondence (court, housing, emergency services)
Equra will take a proportionate approach:
- Evidence may not be required for minor, short-term circumstances where credibility is clear and no pattern exists.
- Equra will not require diagnosis details beyond what is needed to confirm impact/timeframe.
9. Decision-making process
9.1 Acknowledgement
Equra will acknowledge MC requests within 3 working days and may request additional information with a reasonable deadline.
9.2 Decision authority
Requests are decided by an authorised Academic Services/Quality decision-maker not directly involved in the student’s assessment marking.
9.3 Decision timeframe
Equra aims to issue a decision within 10 working days of receiving a complete request (including evidence).
If more time is needed, Equra will notify the student with reasons and a revised date.
10. Possible outcomes (remedies)
Depending on impact and programme rules, Equra may:
- Grant an extension (where appropriate);
- Defer the assessment to the next assessment point;
- Offer a new first attempt (where permitted), normally without penalty;
- Offer reassessment arrangements aligned to regulations;
- Remove late penalties where a late penalty would otherwise apply (where consistent with regulations);
- Provide alternative assessment arrangements only where academically appropriate and permitted;
- Put in place additional learning support or adjustments.
Important: MC does not normally result in automatic mark uplift.
11. Exams and fixed-time assessments
For exams or fixed-time assessments:
- MC requests must normally be submitted within 5 working days of the exam date.
- Where a student begins an exam and then becomes unwell, they must follow the invigilator/assessment instructions and report immediately where possible.
- Equra will consider evidence and determine whether deferral/new attempt is appropriate.
12. Multiple assessments and ongoing circumstances
Where circumstances affect multiple assessments, Equra may:
- Agree an ongoing support plan;
- Recommend a deferral/suspension of studies where appropriate;
- Coordinate adjustments to reduce repeated crisis submissions.
13. Confidentiality and data protection
Equra will:
- Handle sensitive information on a need-to-know basis;
- Store MC records securely;
- Retain records in line with a retention schedule; and
- Process data in line with the Privacy Notice and UK data protection principles.
14. Student responsibilities
Students must:
- Submit requests promptly;
- Provide honest, accurate information;
- Provide evidence where reasonably required;
- Maintain contact and respond to requests for clarification.
Submitting false evidence may be treated as misconduct.
15. Appeals and complaints
If a student believes an MC decision was procedurally unfair or unreasonable, they may:
- Appeal under the Consolidated Student Appeals Procedure — Part E (mitigating circumstances),
within 10 working days of the decision letter, on valid grounds (procedural irregularity, new evidence, etc.).
Service dissatisfaction (e.g., delays) may be raised via the Student Complaints Procedure.
Standard time targets
- Extension decision: within 3 working days (if submitted on time)
- MC acknowledgement: within 3 working days
- MC decision: within 10 working days of complete application
- Appeal deadline (Part E): 10 working days from decision letter