Extenuating circumstances

In schools, colleges and universities, students are entitled to declare mitigating circumstances if their coursework or exam performance is affected by circumstances beyond their control. This may come about because of a clash in time table or even personal matters. If such circumstances are declared, the examiner can take this into consideration and factor this into their result. Mitigating circumstances are not limited to, but can include:

• ill health
• a serious family emergency
• work commitments (covering for someone who fell ill, for instance)
• transport difficulties (they arrive late due to a serious accident or cannot attend due to industrial action)
• bereavement
• Jury service (in common law jurisdictions)
• having to care for someone
• hospital, or other appointment, that clashes with a deadline or examination (such as a job interview)
• legal problems
• industrial action
• force majeure (only in extreme cases)