Deferred exam

If illness or other circumstances prevent you sitting an official examination or adversely affect your performance in an official examination, you may apply for Special Consideration. In this case you will be seeking a Deferred Exam.

If the Head of School approves your application you will be awarded a DX grade and will sit a Deferred Examination when they are conducted in the next scheduled DX/AE exam period.

Breastfeeding, disabilities and health conditions

The university can provide alternative exam arrangements for exams and in-session tests if you’re breastfeeding, have a disability or health condition.

Please refer to alternative examination arrangements for this process.

How to apply

Before you apply, follow these steps to make sure you're eligible and if so, that your application is complete.

Step 1

Check the deadlines

If you cannot attend your exam due to illness or misadventure, you have up to three business days after the exam date to apply.

Step 2

Prepare your documentation

All deferred exam requests must include supporting evidence that:

  • clearly explains what happened
  • is date-specific (when the situation occurred and how long it lasted)
  • is confirmed by a third party

Statements written only by you, without third-party confirmation, are usually not enough.

Medical certificates/reports must include specific information. For more details, visit the Medical certificate page.

If your medical condition is an acute/brief illness:

You must provide a medical certificate from a:

  • registered medical practitioner, or
  • registered dentist.

If something unexpected happened during your exam (for example, you became unwell or were affected by an incident), you can also request a copy of an incident report to support your application.

If you have an extended illness

Medical certificate or Medical report from a registered medical practitioner.

What you need to provide depends on the reason for your request. Your supporting documentation may include:

  • Third-party evidence (for example, a letter or email from an employer, police, court, school, or other relevant organisation), and/or
  • A statutory declaration, plus any other relevant documents.
ReasonExamples
Family/personal reasonEvidence of death or severe medical or personal problems.
Employment-relatedA major shift in your employment arrangements or responsibilities.
Administrative issuesEnrolment errors, late delivery of learning materials, or administrative delays.
Representative commitmentsAttending a state, national or international sporting or cultural event.
Military commitmentsCompulsory military training or deployment.
Legal commitmentsBeing subpoenaed, required to attend a tribunal or jury duty.
OtherA major personal or practical obstacle affecting your academic progress.

Step 3

Apply

Submit a Request for Special Consideration form and select a Deferred exam.

Apply now

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