Exams, Special Consideration and Results

• Exam Timetable, Seat number and Location
• Students with Disabilities, Medical Conditions or Injuries
• Special Consideration
• Publication of Results
• Discontinued - not to count as failure (DNF)
• Student Appeals Against Academic Decisions

Exam Timetable, Seat Number and Location

The timetable for final exams, policies and procedures for exams, and key exam dates are available from the Exams Office website.

Students require a seat number for all exams (with the exception of departmental exams) and must acquire their seat number prior to the exam date. The exam seat number and exam location can be obtained by logging-in to MyUni.

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 register with Disability Services, Level 5, Jane Foss Russell Building, if they wish to have special exam adjustments made.

If eligible, students must apply for exam adjustments in relation to final exams before the advertised cut–off date (usually two weeks after the draft exam timetable is released). Please contact Disability Services for further details:

Phone: +61 2 8627 8422
Email:

Special Consideration

The policy of Special Consideration due to serious illness, injury or misadventure is part of the University's Assessment Policy.

The provisions of Special Consideration are intended to apply in instances of well-attested, short-term serious illness, injury or misadventure that may prevent a well-prepared student from sitting for an examination or completing assessment. Occasional brief or trivial illness that occurs one week or more before an assessment is due or examination undertaken does not warrant special consideration.

For a student with a longstanding illness or injury or a condition of a longer-term nature, it is anticipated that they will register with Disability Services to obtain reasonable assessment/exam adjustments as a result of their circumstances. Notwithstanding registration with Disability Services and prior provision of adjustments, a student with a disability may make a claim for Special Consideration due to serious illness, injury or misadventure, in accordance with this policy, or if there has been an exacerbation of their existing condition.

Special Consideration: How to Apply

1. Obtain an Application for Special Consideration form. This form is also available from the Information Desk, level 3, Sydney Law School.

Note: Combined Law students applying for special consideration in relation to their law units must apply directly to Sydney Law School (and not via the partner faculty).

2. Complete this special consideration application form

• For consideration due to serious illness, injury or misadventure, have a registered health practitioner or counsellor complete the Professional Practitioners Certificate. Note that there are two important constraints on the ability of the health practitioner or counsellor to issue the PPC:
  a. The PPC can be issued only for illnesses, injury or misadventure that lie within the scope of practice of the practitioner;
  b. The PPC should only be issued in respect of an illness, injury or misadventure observed by the health practitioner or counsellor or reported by the patient and deemed to be true by the health practitioner or counsellor.
• For all other situations, including when timely medical advice cannot be sought, please complete a Statutory Declaration form and attach any appropriate documentation.

3. Submit the special consideration form to the Information Desk, level 3, Sydney Law School or by mail to:

Professional Law Programs
Sydney Law School
New Law Building F10
The University of Sydney NSW 2006

4. Applications must be received within five working days from the end of the period (assignment due date or date of examination) for which consideration is sought.

5. Students must retain their receipt (at the bottom of the form) which will be stamped and issued by Sydney Law School upon lodgement of the form.

6. Students will be notified of the academic judgment concerning their application via their University email address.

All applications for Special Consideration are assessed by the Sydney Law School Special Consideration Committee.

View the Guidelines on Special Consideration and Special Arrangements: from the Special Consideration Committtee.

Types of Consideration to be Granted

A student must satisfy all relevant unit requirements, such as class attendance requirements, before special consideration can be considered for final assessments.

The following table is a guide only of the types of consideration which may be granted:

Replacement exams are normally held three weeks after the original exam date.

Assessment Extensions
The Special Consideration policy identifies two types of extension applicable to non-exam assessment (assignments, essays etc) for a student with serious illness, injury or misadventure:

Simple Extension: an extension of up to 7 calendar days which is granted directly by a lecturer. A student should not submit a special consideration form for such a request.

To apply for a simple extension, a student should contact their lecturer directly:

• in writing (eg. email)
• before the due date for the assessment where possible
• provide reasons for the request
• if applicable, provide supporting documentation.

If a simple extension request is denied by the lecturer, the student is entitled to make a formal application for special consideration.

Formal Extension: an extension of more than 7 calendar days (maximum 20 days). A student must submit an Application for Special Consideration form to apply for such a request.

Publication of Results - Semester 2 2012

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:

Students querying late or missing results should contact their lecturer directly. Any units of study with late results are listed with their expected date of availability on the Undergraduate and JD noticeboards.

Discontinued - not to count as failure (DNF)

The following criteria will apply to all students seeking a DNF (discontinue not to count as fail) 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.

Student Appeals Against Academic Decisions

View the Law School procedure on Student Appeals Against Academic Decisions.