Applying for Special Consideration

If you have been adversely affected by acute illness or other exceptional cause beyond your control, you may apply for special consideration. The outcome of your application will depend on your case and the type of assessment but mark adjustments shall not be made under any circumstances. Details of possible outcomes are provided below.

If you wish to apply for special consideration, you must do so following the application procedures outlined below, and apply within the stipulated timeframe.

Who can apply?

The eligibility for special consideration is stated in the university policy. The policy covers all coursework students whose work during a teaching period or whose performance in an examination or other assessment has been affected by acute illness or other exceptional cause beyond their control.

The accepted causes are:

acute illness – e.g. hospital admission, serious injury, severe asthma, severe anxiety or depression. Does not include minor illness such as a mild cold.
loss or bereavement – e.g. death of a close family member, family relationship breakdown.
hardship/trauma – e.g. victim of crime, sudden loss of income or employment, severe disruption to domestic arrangements.

In addition,

those students demonstrating relevant obligations to military or jury service or service to emergency services such as the Country Fire Authority, and
elite athletes registered with Monash Sport's athlete support program participating in a key event

will be eligible to apply for special consideration.

How and where to apply?

This will depend on the course you are enrolled in and on whether the special consideration is for the final examination or for an in-semester piece of assessment.

For in-semester assessment such as assignments, pracs, etc

You need to consult the procedures of the faculty that teaches the unit.

For a unit taught by the Faculty of Science

You may apply for special consideration by lodging the special consideration form (in-semester) with supporting documentation to the Unit Coordinator within two University working days of the assessment submission deadline. This deadline can be extended only in exceptional circumstances.

You will be notified of the outcome of your application by your Unit Coordinator (or designated person) by a signed copy of the special consideration form or via email. The outcome will depend on your particular case and the type of assessment, and it may involve

extension to the assessment submission deadline
alternative assessment
in units with activities that require compulsory attendance: exemption from attending the activity, granting an average mark for it
for weekly quizzes or other regular assessment: exemption from completing a quiz/assessment, granting an average mark for it
rejection of the application.

Once special consideration has been granted for a given set of circumstances, further special consideration will not normally be granted for the same in-semester assessment task.

End-of-semester special consideration

For final examinations

You may apply for a deferred exam by lodging the special consideration form (end-of-semester) with the supporting documentation to the Faculty that manages your course. In the case of the courses managed by the Faculty of Science, the application must be lodged at the Faculty Office.

The application must be lodged within two University working days of your last exam scheduled in the examination period. You will be notified of the outcome via the Web Enrolment System (WES), when results are released for that semester.

You may lodge an application for early approval of a deferred exam no later than five University working days before the examination for which special consideration is sought. You will be notified via your student email account of the outcome of your application at least 24 hours before the exam by the Faculty that manages your course.

Important note:
You will not be able to apply for a deferred examination if you have already sat the examination.

Deferred examinations will be scheduled during the official deferred examination period unless the school decides otherwise, in which case a minimum of five University working days notice will be given, using your Monash University email.

It is your responsibility to ensure that you are available to sit a deferred examination at the scheduled time.

If you sit the final examination after being awarded a deferred examination your application will be revoked and the mark for the final examination will count towards your final result. No further special consideration can be lodged for that examination.

If you attend the final exam but are unfit to complete due to illness or other eligible cause you must, if you wish to apply for special consideration:

Advise the examination invigilator no later than 30 minutes before the scheduled end of the examination that you are unable to complete the examination and that you intend to apply for special consideration;
Complete an Examination Cancellation Request Form declaring youself unfit to complete the examination and acknowledging that your attempt at the final examination will not be marked;
Provide the faculty that manages your course with an end-of-semester special consideration application form, together with supporting documentation, no later than two University working days after the date of your last scheduled examination.

If your special consideration application is refused then the final examination that was sat will be marked and counted towards the final result for the unit.

Delayed-deferred examinations may only be granted in exceptional circumstances beyond your control. You must submit a written request together with a copy of the original deferred examination application and supporting evidence to the to the Faculty that manages your course no later than two University working days after the relevant deferred examination.

You must provide substantiated evidence of exceptional circumstances beyond your control which prevented you from sitting your scheduled deferred examination. Your application will then be forwarded to the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education) for a final recommendation.

For more details please refer to 6.2.7 of the University Special Consideration Procedures.

For end-of-semester assessment other than examination (eg research report etc)

You may apply for special consideration for end-of-semester assessment by lodging the special consideration form (end-of-semester) with the supporting documentation to the Faculty that manages your course within two working days of the due date of the affected assessment.

In the case of the courses managed by the Faculty of Science, this application must be lodged at the Faculty Office.

You will be notified of the outcome of your application via WES by the Faculty that manages your course.

Supporting documentation

In all cases above, you must provide appropriate evidence and documentation.

Supporting documentation can include:

evidence provided by medical practitioners. Medical certificates must state that you were unfit to sit the examination on the relevant date or unable to complete work for assessment on or before the relevant date;
evidence provided by other professionals who are registered with a professional body, such as social workers, lawyers and psychologists. Such certificates must state that you were unfit or unable to sit the examination on the relevant date or complete work for assessment on or before the relevant date;
death notice or certificate;
a police report;
written statements and statutory declarations from students or relevant people;
notification including the start and finish dates of Defence Reserve Service from the Defence Reservist’s Military Unit;
notification of jury service commitments from the Juries Commissioner’s Office;
notification of obligations to emergency services from organisations such as the Country Fire Authority; or
notification of participation in a key sporting event from Monash Sport’s elite athlete support program.

Please note: If you have applied for special consideration in more than one semester, the faculty is entitled to seek from you the details of specific conditions suffered.
Certificates signed by family members are not acceptable.

Further information

Detailed information about the university special consideration policy and procedures and the Faculty of Science procedures are outlined in the following documents: