Exams, Results & Special Consideration

Exam Information

• Exam timetable
• Locations and starting times
• Student identification in exams
• Exam seat numbers
• Open book exams
• Rules to be observed by students for exams
• Use of linguistic dictionaries
• Students with disabilities, medical conditions or injuries

Special consideration

• Special consideration
• Special consideration application procedures
• Extension requests
• Inability to sit an exam due to serious illness, injury or misadventure
• Alternative exam dates and forms of assessment

Results

• Publication of results
• Results to come
• Discontinued - not to count as failure (DNF)
• Absent fail grades (AF)
• Student Appeals Against Academic Decisions
• Completion of studies
• Results enquiries

Handbooks

• Graduate Studies Handbook
• Sydney Law School Handbook

University Policies

• Code of Conduct for Students
• Academic Dishonesty and Plagiarism policy (academic Dishonesty and Plagiarism in Coursework Procedures 2012) and procedure
• Assessment Policy
• Assessment Procedure
• Student Academic Progression Policy
• Student Appeals against Academic Decisions
• Student Grievances, Appeals and Applications for Review
• Policy Register

Exam Information

Exam timetable

Semester 1, 2013 Exam Timetable

The Semester 1, 2013 examination period officially commences on Monday 17 June and concludes on Friday 28 June.

Students are required to make themselves available for the duration of the scheduled exam period at the end of each semester (or on the dates specified by the lecturer in the case of an early or late intensive unit) to complete their exams.

Take-home exams and in-department exams held outside the official exam period do not appear on the exam timetable. The lecturer will notify students of exam arrangements either during class, by University email or via Sydney Learning Management System (LMS).

Students who are unable to attend an exam due to serious illness, injury or misadventure, please submit a Special Consideration Application within 5 working days of the affected exam date.

Misreading of the timetable will not be accepted as a reason for failing to attend an exam

Locations and starting times

Exams are generally held in the New Law Building on Camperdown Campus or as indicated on the exam timetable. Confirmed exam locations will be available on the Postgraduate Law Exam Timetable and MyUni from Monday 27 May.

Please ensure that you arrive at the exam location at least 15 minutes before the start of reading time. Misreading the exam timetable will not be accepted as a reason for failing to attend an exam.

Student identification in exams

Students must identify themselves in exams by placing their current year Student Campus Card on their exam table. Students not in possession of their Student Campus Card must provide another acceptable form of photo identification (driver's licence, passport, etc). Replacement Student Campus Cards may be obtained from the Campus Card Centre, upon payment of the scheduled fee.

Exam seat numbers

Students will require a seat number for most exams. Students will have to identify their own seat numbers in the exam room and the location of the exam itself. Seat numbers will be available on MyUni from Monday 27 May. To access exam location and seat numbers on MyUni, please click on the “MyAdmin” tab at the top of the screen, then click “Login to student administration” and then “Examination seating”. For further information or if you have problems, please visit the Exams Office website or telephone +61 2 8627 then extension 8217, 8218, 8216 or 8215 or email .

Open book exams

Students may only use materials (e.g. textbooks, references, dictionaries) as prescribed by the lecturer in an open book exam. If you are unsure, please refer to instructions in the unit outline or seek confirmation from the lecturer.

The use of electronic dictionaries and computers is not permitted. Mobile phones must be switched off at all times.

Use of linguistic dictionaries

Students from a non English-speaking background are eligible to apply for permission to use a standard linguistic dictionary in exams. Approval must be obtained from the lecturer well in advance of the exam

Students with disabilities, medical conditions or injuries

Students with a disability, including a serious medical condition or recent injury, which puts them at a disadvantage during exams should contact Disability Services at least four weeks before the scheduled exam or assessment due date (if circumstances permit).

If appropriate, special arrangements can be made to meet particular requirements.

Special consideration

The Assessment Policy has been updated, and the new section on Special Consideration Due to Illness or Misadventure came into effect on 1 March 2010.

• Guidelines from the Faculty Special Consideration Committee

These guidelines must be read in conjunction with:

• Assessment Policy 2011
• Assessment Procedures 2011

Under the new policy, it will no longer be possible to award additional marks for special consideration.

Following is a guide to circumstances which may warrant special consideration and the likely outcome:

In the above circumstances, an Application for Special Consideration form must be submitted to the within five working days of the affected exam or assessment due date. Please refer to the special consideration application procedures. Where possible, students should notify the lecturer directly of their intention to submit an Application for Special Consideration form, on or before the day of the affected exam or assessment due date.

In the case of illness or injury, a Professional Practitioner Certificate must be supplied with the Application for Special Consideration form and should be completed by a registered medical practitioner or counsellor.


The Professional Practitioner Certificate should include:

• date(s) of consultation;
• an evaluation by the practitioner, psychologist etc as to the severity, duration and effect on the student’s ability to attend classes, learn or complete assessment requirements;
• a description of the nature of seriousness of the student’s problems, within the limits of confidentiality, so that an academic assessment can be made of the possible effects of the illness or accident on the student’s performance;
• any other relevant information relating to the student’s illness, trauma etc;
• any other documentation that may be relevant; and
• the practitioner authorizes the University to contact them to confirm the authenticity of the certificate.

In the case of misadventure, the required documentation will depend on the nature of the misadventure, but it should include a Statutory Declaration and should support the student’s account of the circumstances and indicate the likely duration and the effect of the problem on the student’s performance.

In accordance with Clause 12 (8) of the University Assessment Procedures 2011:
A formal application for special consideration must either provide all relevant supporting information, or describe any further information which will be provided but is unavailable at the time of submission. Information not supplied with or noted in the original application must not be considered.

Late applications may only be considered if evidence of a reasonable case for the delay is provided.

Students should note that only well attested serious illness, injury or misadventure during a semester or occurring at the time of an exam or assessment will warrant special consideration for academic performance. Occasional brief or trivial illness of a one or two week duration that occur one week or more before an assessment is due or an exam undertaken will not be regarded as sufficient reason to warrant special consideration.

Special consideration application procedures

Download: Application for Special Consideration form

Before applying, it is essential that you read and familiarise with the special consideration guidelines and policies. Under the new policy, it will no longer be possible to award additional marks for special consideration.

Where possible, students should notify the lecturer directly of their intention to submit an Application for Special Consideration form , on or before the day of the affected exam or assessment due date.

The Application for Special Consideration form, Professional Practitioner Certificate, Statutory Declaration (if applicable) and other relevant supporting documents must be forwarded to the within five working days of the affected exam or assessment by:

Mail: Postgraduate Team, Sydney Law School F10, The University of Sydney NSW 2006
In person: Information Desk, Level 3, Law School Building (F10), Eastern Avenue, Camperdown Campus

Incomplete Special Consideration Applications cannot be considered. Late applications may only be considered if evidence of a reasonable case for the delay is provided.

Applications will be assessed by Sydney Law School’s Special Consideration Committee (SCC). The will formally notify the student of the outcome of their application via their University email address.

Please refer to information on Discontinued – not to count as failure (DNF) and Absent fail grades (AF)

Extension requests

Simple extensions (within 14 days of the due date)

If a student is unable to meet an assessment deadline due to serious illness, injury or misadventure (as defined in the special consideration guidelines above), and requires up to 14 days after the deadline, the student must forward an extension request letter with supporting documents to the relevant lecturer prior to the assessment due date. It should not be assumed that a ‘simple extension’ request will be granted. Lecturers will consider requests on a case-by-case basis.

The lecturer may not consider an extension request if a student has not satisfied the class attendance requirement and/or failed to complete all other assessment requirements in the unit of study. Please also refer to information on Discontinued – not to count as failure (DNF) and Absent fail grades (AF)

Formal extensions (more than 14 days after the due date)

If a student is unable to meet an assessment deadline due to serious illness, injury or misadventure (as defined in the special consideration guidelines above), and requires more than 14 days after the deadline or a “simple extension” request has been denied, the student should submit an Application for Special Consideration form within five working days of the affected assessment. Requests made on the grounds of illness or injury must include a Professional Practitioner Certificate. Requests based on misadventure should be accompanied by a Statutory Declaration and well-attested supporting documents. Late Special Consideration Applications will only be considered if it is accompanied by relevant supporting evidence of circumstances for the lateness. Under the new special consideration policy, it will no longer be possible to award additional marks for special consideration.

Inability to sit an exam due to serious illness, injury or misadventure

If a student is unable to sit an exam due to serious illness, injury or misadventure, the student should contact the lecturer by telephone or email on or before the day of the scheduled exam. An Application for Special Consideration form and Professional Practitioner Certificate in the case of serious illness or injury or a Statutory Declaration and well-attested supporting documents in the case of misadventure must be submitted to the within five working days of the affected exam. Please refer to the special consideration application procedures above. The Special Consideration Committee may authorize a student to sit a replacement exam provided that the student has satisfied the class attendance requirement and completed all other assessment requirements in that unit of study. If a replacement exam is approved, the student is required to sit the exam within two weeks of the date of written notification. If the student is unable to sit the replacement exam because of illness, injury or misadventure, they may lodge a further application for special consideration. Please also refer to information on Discontinued – not to count as failure (DNF).

Alternative exam dates and forms of assessment

Students are required to make themselves available for the duration of the scheduled exam period at the end of each semester (or on the dates specified by the lecturer in the case of an early or late intensive unit) to complete their exams. The exam timetable is normally finalized six weeks before the exam period. See important dates for exam periods in future semesters.

It is not possible for students to request alternative forms of assessment or alternative exam dates. Only in exceptional circumstances may a lecturer approve special arrangements for a student to sit an exam earlier than the scheduled exam date. A formal request letter with supporting documents must be forwarded directly to the lecturer for consideration within two weeks of the publication of the exam timetable.

Formal special consideration may be given in the case of illness, injury or misadventure, e.g. the need for a surgical operation on the date of the exam. Special consideration will not be given to planned commitments, such as elective surgery, holiday, work or to balance workload from other units of study, disciplines or faculties, where the student could reasonably be expected to have scheduled the commitment to not adversely affect their exam. A formal request should be submitted to the accompanied by an Application for Special Consideration form and Professional Practitioner Certificate in the case of serious illness or injury or a Statutory Declaration and well-attested supporting documents in the case of misadventure.

Results

Publication of Results - Semester 1 2013

Please note that official printed result notices will not be mailed out to students. If you require an official printed results notice, please visit the Student Centre located on Level 3, Jane Foss Russell Building, Monday to Friday, 9am and 5pm or Tel: 8627 8200 Email:

Results to come

Results will be posted on MyUni as soon as they become available.

Please enquire directly with your Unit Coordinator regarding any late results. Other enquiries.

Discontinued – not to count as failure (DNF)

In one or all of the following circumstances, it may be in the student’s best interests to request to “discontinue – not to count as failure” (DNF) from the unit until the student is able to resume his/her study effectively:

• if a student is prevented from attending classes for prolonged periods because of serious illness, injury or misadventure, hence, has been unable to fulfil the minimum 70% class attendance requirement. The student may not be permitted to take assessments for that unit. Please refer to the relevant unit outline for specific completion requirements; and/or
• if a student is unable to meet the assessment requirements within the specified timeframe due to continuing illness or misadventure.

To formally request a DNF after the relevant withdrawal census date, a student must complete an Enrolment Variation Request form and lodge it to the Postgraduate Team prior to Week 7 of teaching (or the relevant DNF date for that enrolment session).

The following criteria will apply to all students seeking a DNF (Discontinue not to count as failure) after Week 7 of teaching (or the relevant DNF date for that enrolment session). A DNF will only be approved where students are precluded from completing a unit due to unexpected, serious and long-term circumstances that cannot be adequately dealt with through special consideration.

1. A DNF will be granted if a student demonstrates, with appropriate and cogent evidence, that it is impossible or unreasonable for the student to continue their studies.
2. An application for a DNF must be made within time, which is prior to the commencement of the final assessment task for the unit where that is an exam or the due date of the final assessment where it is an essay. If an application is late it can only be considered if it was beyond the control of the student to apply by the relevant date.
3. A DNF will not be granted once a student has attempted the final assessment task in a unit of study. Once a DNF application has been approved by the Associate Dean or delegate, it cannot be withdrawn.
4. Where a DNF is approved the Faculty is not liable to refund or pay compensation for any fees paid or payable for any unit of study, or to release from liability for fees payable but unpaid.

International students must seek advice from the Compliance Officer, International Student Office, regarding their visa requirements.

Please also refer to information on Absent fail grades (AF).

Absent fail grades (AF)

Students will be graded an Absent Fail (AF) on their academic record if they fail to:

• submit a formal request to withdraw or discontinue – not to count as failure (DNF) by the relevant census date. See Important dates
• complete an exam or submit an assessment task by the prescribed due date. See Special consideration guidelines.
• satisfactorily attempt all assessment tasks set out in their units of study
• meet the minimum 70% class attendance requirement or as set out in their units of study

Completion of studies

If you will complete all course requirements by July/December, the Faculty will issue you with an award (course completion) letter by September/March respectively. Please refer to graduation details. Please do not contact the Graduations Office until you have received your award letter.