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Successful degree appeals

Hey guys i am in the process of appealing my final degree classification on the basis of extenuating circumstances.

quite a long story why i did not provide them before hand as it was a sensitive issue and i was suffering from depression at the same time because of my illnesses.

i just wanted to hear from anyone who has done an appeal before and has been successful what outcome did they give you ?

do they end up changing the degree classification?
let you resit without being capped?

Thanks guys
Original post by Cloud118
Hey guys i am in the process of appealing my final degree classification on the basis of extenuating circumstances.

quite a long story why i did not provide them before hand as it was a sensitive issue and i was suffering from depression at the same time because of my illnesses.

i just wanted to hear from anyone who has done an appeal before and has been successful what outcome did they give you ?

do they end up changing the degree classification?
let you resit without being capped?

Thanks guys

What degree classification did you get?
Reply 2
Original post by LPauling
What degree classification did you get?


Hey i got a third class honours but 3 of my modules were 49 which if rounded would make my classification a high 2:2 or even a low 2:1. The hospital and gp have given me professional notes i suffered from a very bad stomach infection and then a swollen vein in my testicles during exam time even the invigilators were asking me if i was ok. Due to this is was hard for me to prepare and concentrate in the exams as i was in so much pain.

I am so gutted i couldn't stop crying the day i got these results as it came as a complete shock to me
Reply 3
Extenuating circumstances at my uni, and I'm sure it's the same elsewhere, must be submitted before results are published (i.e. at the earliest), just after sitting your exams/assessments so it can be taken into account during marking.

If you were in so much pain during the lead up to your exams, why didn't you reach out to your university immediately?

Best of luck!
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by Cloud118
Hey i got a third class honours but 3 of my modules were 49 which if rounded would make my classification a high 2:2 or even a low 2:1. The hospital and gp have given me professional notes i suffered from a very bad stomach infection and then a swollen vein in my testicles during exam time even the invigilators were asking me if i was ok. Due to this is was hard for me to prepare and concentrate in the exams as i was in so much pain.

I am so gutted i couldn't stop crying the day i got these results as it came as a complete shock to me

Talk to them as soon as possible but why didnt you bring it up at the time of sitting your exam?
Reply 5
Original post by LPauling
Talk to them as soon as possible but why didnt you bring it up at the time of sitting your exam?


I was going through quite severe depression at the time my mum got really ill and got diagnosed with severe pneumonia she was struggling to breathe a lot and i was struggling to sleep and even get through the day

I have submitted appeal but i think i should speak to the dean or someone else as the assessment officers are being quite unhelpful and are advising me to appeal which i have done but its something that i did not want to have to do i just did it as a last resort
Unfortunately for an appeal to be considered on the grounds you have mentioned, you'll have to provide a really strong rationale for
why you didn't submit extenuating circumstances at the time of your exams. Given that you did sit the exams/submit work, you have declared yourself 'fit to sit'.
Many universities will reject an appeal on this ground...

P.s. I totally sympathise with your depression, it's a hard place to be in. I hope my response above didn't come across too harshly.


Posted from TSR Mobile
(edited 7 years ago)
Also in terms of the outcome of successful appeals. Appeal boards are unable to change grades, but will refer your results back to the examination boards for action.


Posted from TSR Mobile
Reply 8
Original post by lilslaura
Also in terms of the outcome of successful appeals. Appeal boards are unable to change grades, but will refer your results back to the examination boards for action.


Posted from TSR Mobile


Thanks, if they refer my results back to the boards for action then is my grade likely to change? I don't even mind them offering me to resist without being capped even if I have to pay ! I don't know if that would be an option though in my first and second year I finished with a 2:1 it's just so much happened during my third year that impacted me a lot. The reason I still sat the exams was because in my head I was trying to battle my illnesses and trying to beat it but I should of considered how much it would effect me after

I just feel even worse now I feel like I've wasted those three years disappointed myself and my mum but let's see what happenes I guess
Posted from TSR Mobile



Posted from TSR Mobile
They can't change your grades, unfortunately. But they may offer an alternative - possibly retake of your final year?

I have to stress though, the chances of an appeal being accepted after you've been awarded a degree is very much dependent on how strong the rationale is for not submitting ECs in the first place. Have you managed to speak to a member of your student support team about this? They may be able to advise you on possible outcomes, and likelihood of your appeal being upheld.


Posted from TSR Mobile
I got my degree changed from a 2:1 to a 1st on appeal. But I had to appeal based on a technicality (basically I'd had a module deferred to the summer and all the materials from the VLE had been taken offline, making it really hard to complete the work as it was a statistics-based course). The university agreed they'd made a mistake and so pushed my classification up to a 1st, although they didn't remark any of my work so it still says I got 69% on my transcript. It's very difficult to get a classification changed unless you have evidence the university has messed up somehow, even medical evidence isn't usually good enough - they'll just invite you to resubmit the next time the Board of Examiners meet.

Also with things such as depression it's really important you make it known you have issues with your university's disability or support team *before* work is due or you have a bad episode. The more of a paper trail they have about you the more likely they are to take you seriously. I know this is hindsight, but it's my top tip to anyone starting university this September. They have so many people who claim depression after deadlines that if you've got a long history of going to see them, or have even better been assessed for DSA, the process will be far easier.
(edited 7 years ago)
Reply 11
Original post by lilslaura
They can't change your grades, unfortunately. But they may offer an alternative - possibly retake of your final year?

I have to stress though, the chances of an appeal being accepted after you've been awarded a degree is very much dependent on how strong the rationale is for not submitting ECs in the first place. Have you managed to speak to a member of your student support team about this? They may be able to advise you on possible outcomes, and likelihood of your appeal being upheld.


Posted from TSR Mobile


Thanks for helping with the advice really appreciate it.

I'm still awaiting the reply from them I don't mind retaking the year but the letter from the hospital basically stated that I was ill all year long and had to have multiple tests and biopsies performed on me and that it server you affected my studies so fingers crossed hopefully they have a big heart and give me some options :frown:



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Reply 12
Original post by imitationleather
I got my degree changed from a 2:1 to a 1st on appeal. But I had to appeal based on a technicality (basically I'd had a module deferred to the summer and all the materials from the VLE had been taken offline, making it really hard to complete the work as it was a statistics-based course). The university agreed they'd made a mistake and so pushed my classification up to a 1st, although they didn't remark any of my work so it still says I got 69% on my transcript. It's very difficult to get a classification changed unless you have evidence the university has messed up somehow, even medical evidence isn't usually good enough - they'll just invite you to resubmit the next time the Board of Examiners meet.

Also with things such as depression it's really important you make it known you have issues with your university's disability or support team *before* work is due or you have a bad episode. The more of a paper trail they have about you the more likely they are to take you seriously. I know this is hindsight, but it's my top tip to anyone starting university this September. They have so many people who claim depression after deadlines that if you've got a long history of going to see them, or have even better been assessed for DSA, the process will be far easier.


Cheers, I was talking to my doctor about it, I didn't really feel like talking to anyone else about the depression part even my mum didn't know ! Being ill all year long throwing up acid every morning is very hard and feeling down at the same time all I want is a second chance even if I have to pay the letter says this from the hospital so hopefully :frown:



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Reply 13
I have just recently received my provisional result for a module assessment component at Undergrad. The assessment was a presentation followed by a couple of questions at the end.

ISSUE 1: the feedback mentions that my presentation was of a FIRST, however, mark returned is a 2.2. Is it just to drop one by two whole classifications from a FIRST to a 2.2?

ISSUE 2: It was never communicated by the module lecturer/ convenor (the module lecturer & the examiner I had is the module convenor) that the questions would decrease the mark. Explicit reference was made by the convenor & the (lecturer) that the questions were there to push up the mark for the presentation and in no way to decrease the mark.

So the cohorts' interpretation was that if one choose to withhold from answering a question or answered a question incorrectly the mark of the presentation would not actually decrease (what the lecturer actually said in a lecture).

Therefore, the issue and main concern is the feedback explicitly indicates that the presentation is of a FIRST and that could be my mark - BUT decided to award mark on the questions and gave a 2.2! Is it just for someone in their right mind to decrease a students' mark from a FIRST to a 2.2 actually state that in the feedback? And base the mark on a 3/4 questions when the actual significant chunk of the assessment was the presentation not the questions.

Someone please advice on what their thoughts are of this and what could be done.

P.s I have already spoken to the marker/ convenor and they cannot be bothered by looking into it (the module convenor was my actual examiner/ marker).
Reply 14
I have just recently received my provisional result for a module assessment component at Undergrad. The assessment was a presentation followed by a couple of questions at the end.

ISSUE 1: the feedback mentions that my presentation was of a FIRST, however, mark returned is a 2.2. Is it just to drop one by two whole classifications from a FIRST to a 2.2?

ISSUE 2: It was never communicated by the module lecturer/ convenor (the module lecturer & the examiner I had is the module convenor) that the questions would decrease the mark. Explicit reference was made by the convenor & the (lecturer) that the questions were there to push up the mark for the presentation and in no way to decrease the mark.

So the cohorts' interpretation was that if one choose to withhold from answering a question or answered a question incorrectly the mark of the presentation would not actually decrease (what the lecturer actually said in a lecture).

Therefore, the issue and main concern is the feedback explicitly indicates that the presentation is of a FIRST and that could be my mark - BUT decided to award mark on the questions and gave a 2.2! Is it just for someone in their right mind to decrease a students' mark from a FIRST to a 2.2 actually state that in the feedback? And base the mark on a 3/4 questions when the actual significant chunk of the assessment was the presentation not the questions.

Someone please advice on what their thoughts are of this and what could be done.

P.s I have already spoken to the marker/ convenor and they cannot be bothered by looking into it (the module convenor was my actual examiner/ marker).

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