You can submit a mitigating circumstances request before or shortly after an assessment deadline/date. Of course, we strongly encourage you to think about how ready you are for an assessment well in advance. This way, you can take proactive steps if you think your circumstances might have a negative impact on your academic performance.
Once you know your application deadline(s), to learn how to submit a mitigating circumstances request, read our article How can I apply for mitigating circumstances?
This article covers the different submission deadlines for mitigating circumstances:
- Before a deadline or exam date
- After a deadline or exam date
- After results
- Evidence deadline
- If you miss the request submission and/or evidence deadline
- Retrospective cases
- Exceptional cases
- Urgent applications
Before a deadline or exam date
You can submit a request at any time before a deadline or exam date.
After a deadline or exam date
You can submit a request no later than 7 calendar days after a deadline or exam date.
After results
Mitigating circumstances requests will not be accepted after the publication of results.
Evidence deadline
All evidence that supports your mitigating circumstance application must be received within 21 calendar days (14 calendar days for King's Online programmes) of your deadline or exam date. This means that you can submit your request (according to the timescales outlined above) but have slightly longer to provide evidence.
If you miss the request submission and/or evidence deadline
Normally, your request will be rejected. However, if you can meet the normal evidence requirements and evidence why you were unable to adhere to the deadline, your request will be considered.
Retrospective cases
If you attempted an assessment but in retrospect realise your academic performance might have been impacted by a mitigating circumstance, you can submit a request no later than 7 calendar days after a deadline or exam date.
In addition to normal evidence requirements, you’ll need to evidence why your judgement to attempt the assessment was impaired.
Exceptional cases
The default position for mitigating circumstances is that evidence must be submitted to support your claim. However, the university acknowledges that in exceptional cases, it might be impossible to obtain evidence and in such cases the requirement to submit evidence will be waived.
Examples of exceptional cases include, but are not limited to:
- Gender violence and abuse
- Coercive relationships
- Students impacted by political unrest/conflict
- Students estranged from parents/partner (financial/emotional impact)
Urgent applications
Sometimes a situation might arise where you need to submit mitigating circumstances request urgently. For example, the circumstances occur on the day of a deadline or exam.
In these cases, the application process is no different to that if your circumstances occurred well in advance of an assessment. You should:
- Submit a mitigating circumstances request as soon as possible. Remember, you don’t need to wait until you have evidence.
- Gather the evidence required for your circumstance as soon as you’re able. You have 21 calendar days (14 calendar days for King's Online programmes) from the date of your assessment to submit your evidence.
When assessing your application, it will be obvious to the assessor from the dates of your evidence why you could not submit your request more in advance.