Overview
At UCEM it is important to meet deadlines because:
- The deadline for each assessment is carefully scheduled to allow you enough time to move on to your next assessment, or to ensure you receive your marks promptly. If you submit late, you will have less time to meet the next deadline and you may fall behind, affecting your next assessment.
- Part of the assessment is being able to demonstrate that you are able to produce a certain standard of work within a given time frame
- Time management and being able to meet deadlines are critical skills for all professionals
Your deadlines for each assessment are shown on your module page on the VLE and you can also find them on the assessment area of the Student Hub.
Need an extension?
You are allowed one seven-day extension per module that you are studying and you can use it on any assessment, including final assessments (but not on CMAs or resubmissions).
You must request your extension using the online form no later than the submission deadline. You will receive an automated confirmation message immediately and you must keep a copy of this for your records.
There is no penalty for using an extension if you submit your assessment by the extended deadline.
You should carefully consider for what assessments you may wish to use an extension. No more than one extension per module is allowed so if you use your extension on your first assessment, you won’t be able to have an extension on your final assessment, which is worth a higher percentage of your mark. If you are studying more than one module, have a look at when the submission deadlines are – if they are close together then saving your extension for these could help you manage your workload.
Additional support plans
If you have a disability (including neurodiversity) but have not yet spoken to us about an additional support plan, we strongly recommend you speak to our Disability and Welfare team as soon as possible by phoning 0118 921 4696 or raising an enquiry on Student Central. The team will ask students to provide relevant and sufficient supporting documentation of their learning difficulty, condition or diagnosis. Using this information, they will work with you on an individual basis to create an Additional Support Plan. This could include, for example, not being penalised for errors in spelling and grammar, extensions to assessment deadlines, and additional time in Computer Marked Assessments (CMAs).
Choose your scenario >
Does not apply to late submissions for CMAs or resubmissions. Late submissions for CMAs or resubmissions will not be accepted. If you are on a project module that started in Spring 2021 you can submit up to 21 days late for this module only.
| Time after original published submission deadline | Penalty |
| + 1 day | 5 marks will be taken off but this will not take your mark below the assessment pass mark |
| + 2 – 7 days | 10 marks will be taken off but this will not take your mark below the assessment pass mark |
| + 8 – 14 days | Your mark will be capped at the assessment pass mark |
| + 15 days | You cannot submit and you will receive a mark of zero for this assessment.
If you have missed submitting your first assessment, we always recommend that you continue studying on the module and work to submit your remaining assessment(s). For most modules the final assessment is worth more than the first assessment so it is very often the case that you can achieve a good mark in your final assessment and still pass the module. If you have missed submitting your final assessment, you are likely to fail the module. However, you will have the opportunity to resubmit any failed assessments for free during the resubmission period at the end of the module. Your mark at resubmission will be capped at the module pass mark. This is a great opportunity to have more time resubmit the same assessments and still be able to start the next semester as normal. You can find more information about resubmissions on the resubmission area of the VLE. |
Does not apply to late submissions for CMAs or resubmissions. Late submissions for CMAs or resubmissions will not be accepted. If you are on a project module that started in Spring 2021 you can submit up to 21 days late for this module only.
| Time after original published submission deadline | Penalty |
| + 7 days | No penalty |
| + 8 days | 5 marks will be taken off but this will not take your mark below the assessment pass mark |
| + 9 – 14 days | 10 marks will be taken off but this will not take your mark below the assessment pass mark |
| + 15 days | You cannot submit and you will receive a mark of zero for this assessment.
If you have missed submitting your first assessment, we always recommend that you continue studying on the module and work to submit your remaining assessment(s). For most modules the final assessment is worth more than the first assessment so it is very often the case that you can achieve a good mark in your final assessment and still pass the module. If you have missed submitting your final assessment, you are likely to fail the module. However, you will have the opportunity to resubmit any failed assessments for free during the resubmission period at the end of the module. Your mark at resubmission will be capped at the module pass mark. This is a great opportunity to have more time resubmit the same assessments and still be able to start the next semester as normal. You can find more information about resubmissions on the resubmission area of the VLE. |
Does not apply to late submissions for CMAs or resubmissions. Late submissions for CMAs or resubmissions will not be accepted. If you are on a project module that started in Spring 2021 you can submit up to 21 days late for this module only.
| Time after original published submission deadline | Penalty |
| + 14 days | Late penalty will be removed before assessment results are released. |
| + 15 days | You cannot submit and you will receive a mark of zero for this assessment
If you have missed submitting your first assessment, we always recommend that you continue studying on the module and work to submit your remaining assessment(s). For most modules the final assessment is worth more than the first assessment so it is very often the case that you can achieve a good mark in your final assessment and still pass the module. If you do fail the module, you will have the opportunity to resubmit any failed assessments for free during the resubmission period at the end of the module. Since you have approved mitigating circumstances, your resubmission mark will not be capped. This is a great opportunity to have more time resubmit the same assessments and still be able to start the next semester as normal. You can find more information about resubmissions on the resubmission area of the VLE.
* Where your module mark has previously been capped, due to having failed the module at an earlier attempt, the capping remains. |
Does not apply to late submissions for CMAs or resubmissions. Late submissions for CMAs or resubmissions will not be accepted. If you are on a project module that started in Spring 2021 you can submit up to 21 days late for this module only.
| Time after original published submission deadline | Penalty |
| + 14 days | No penalty |
| + 15 days | You cannot submit and you will receive a mark of zero for this assessment. You should contact the Disability and Welfare team on disabilitysupport@ucem.ac.uk as soon as possible if you have not submitted so they can advise you how we can support you.
If you have missed submitting your first assessment, we always recommend that you continue studying on the module and work to submit your remaining assessment(s). For most modules the final second assessment is worth more than the first assessment so it is very often the case that you can achieve a good mark in your final assessment and still pass the module. If you do fail the module, you will have the opportunity to resubmit any failed assessments for free during the resubmission period at the end of the module. Your mark at resubmission will be capped at the module pass mark. This is a great opportunity to have more time resubmit the same assessments and still be able to start the next semester as normal. You can find more information about resubmissions on the resubmission area of the VLE. |
Late submissions
Before deciding to submit late you must remember that:
- Late submissions for CMAs and resubmissions will not be accepted
- No assessments will be accepted more than 14 days after the original submission deadline
To submit late, use the +7 day or +14 day submission points in your modules. If you are less than 24 hours late you should submit to the +7 day submission link in your module.
Late penalties
- Assessments submitted up to 24 hours late will receive a 5 mark penalty but this will not take your mark below the assessment pass mark
- Assessments submitted between 1 – 7 days late will receive a 10 mark penalty but this will not take your mark below the assessment pass mark
- Assessments submitted between 8 – 14 days late will receive a mark, but it will be capped at the assessment pass mark
- No assessments can be submitted more than 14 days late and you will receive a mark of zero if you do not submit in this time
Need more additional time due to mitigating circumstances?
If your assessment preparation is being substantially affected by serious, unforeseen circumstances and a 7 day extension is not enough, we encourage you to review the mitigating circumstances procedure. If your circumstances meet the criteria set out in the procedure, use the online mitigating circumstances form (which can be accessed via your Assessment Tracking page) to submit a mitigating circumstance request.
You must submit a request for each assessment affected. The online form opens 7 days before the original due date of the affected assessment and closes 14 calendar days after.
You will receive a stage 1 outcome within ten working days. You will be notified of the outcome to your contact email address (use the online contact details form to check which email you have nominated as your contact email). If your request for mitigating circumstances is approved, you can submit your assessment 14 days after the assessment’s original due date by 10am and your late penalty will be removed before your assessment results are released. Alternatively, you may be able to submit during the resubmission period and your module mark will not be capped at the module pass mark.*
* Where your module mark has previously been capped, due to having failed the module at an earlier attempt, the capping remains.
Interruption of studies
There may be times where the support we can give you through extensions, mitigating circumstances and resubmissions is not enough and you need to consider stopping your studies on one or more of your modules. This is called “Interruption of Studies”.
If you want to interrupt your studies on a module(s) you need to raise an enquiry on Student Central. The Student Engagement team will provide you with information about all your options and a link to the online form to request to interrupt your studies.
- You can interrupt your studies up until the end of week 11 of the semester (or for 40 credit project modules you can interrupt until the original published submission deadline for the first assessment for that module)
Some things to consider before interrupting:
- No refund is due if you interrupt your studies on a module. The full module fees for the semester remain payable. In addition, when you return to study the interrupted module at the next offered opportunity, a 50% module fee will be due. (If you do not return at the first offered opportunity, the full module fee will be due when you return).
- Any marks achieved prior to interrupting your studies on a module are not carried forward to any future attempts (except for on 40 credit project modules where your first assessment mark can be carried forward if it is of a pass standard)
- You are not allowed to participate in the resubmission period for the interrupted module(s)
- Any interruption of studies will still count towards your maximum registration period
What if you miss the deadline at the end of week 11 to interrupt?
You should raise an enquiry on Student Central and the student engagement team will provide you with information about all your options.
- You cannot interrupt your studies on a module(s) after the end of week 11 of the semester (or for a 40 credit project module after the first assessment original due date), unless in extreme, unavoidable, personal circumstances which were not known to you, or for good reason could not be disclosed by you, prior to the deadline
- You cannot interrupt your studies on a module in any circumstances after week 18 of the semester
What do we mean when we say extreme, unavoidable, personal circumstances?
We will always consider the individual circumstances you are experiencing and how they are impacting you because we recognise that the same circumstances can impact individuals differently.
Some examples of circumstances that may be accepted as extreme, unavoidable, personal circumstances include the following. This is not a complete list and are intended as examples only.
- Pregnancy and maternity (up to 26 weeks following birth)
- You are experiencing a health condition that means you are no longer fit to study
- Bereavement, or serious illness of, a close friend or family member
- Tour of duty for armed forces that could not have been predicted prior to the deadline
- Natural disaster; epidemic; terrorist attack, war or armed conflict; political security crisis
- Failure of electricity or internet service outside of your control which would leave you without electricity or internet service for an extended period
Some examples of circumstances that would not be accepted as extreme, unavoidable, personal circumstances include. This is not a complete list and are intended as examples only.
- Competing in national or international sporting events or other high-profile activities
- Special educational needs for which appropriate adjustment could not be made, or, where adjustment was made it was not sufficient
- Significant personal financial hardship
- Court attendance
- Exceptional workload in the workplace
What do we mean when we say that the circumstances need to not have been known to you, or for good reason could not be disclosed by you, prior to the deadline?
If the circumstances you experience occur prior to the end of week 11 deadline, we would normally expect that you should have contacted us by this published deadline. However, we will consider that while the circumstances themselves may have occurred in advance of the deadline, you may not have known the impacts of the circumstances prior to the deadline. We also understand that mental health issues can contribute to not being able or willing to disclose information by the deadline.
The academic and programme regulations contains all the detailed rules that apply to your studies and you should read the regulations for more detailed information on any of the above topics.