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Extenuating Circumstances

This policy outlines how to apply for support when circumstances are affecting your work or ability to complete assessments. This policy applies to assessments from Academic Year 2026-27 and replaces all previous Extenuating Circumstances guidance.

Important: For assessments taken at the end of academic year 2025-26, e.g. for summer dissertations or for August exams, see the previous policy. For these circumstances, contact your subject area to request short term extensions and ask for a review of any extenuating circumstances decisions. Use the blue box to direct you to the correct portal for your EC claim. 

For the attention of: All undergraduate and postgraduate taught students, including exchange, visiting and online students, and applies to any assessment that contributes to a taught course.

Submit a Claim

If you need help right now

If you are in crisis or feel unsafe, do not start with this page.

The Essentials

If your circumstances are affecting your work or your ability to complete assessments, the University can help. Seeking support will not count against you and a range of options are available:

  • If something significant is affecting your work and so you need extra time for your assessments, or cannot attend an exam, submit an Extenuating Circumstances (EC) claim within five working days of the assessment date, through the Extenuating Circumstances Portal.
    • A successful EC claim for coursework means that then if extra time is possible for your assessment we will grant you a short period to finish your work. Alternatively, we may give you an attempt later in the year.
    • A successful EC claim for exams means you will either be given an attempt later in the year or if you sat an exam you now realise you were too unwell to sit, you can ask for the attempt to be cancelled.
  • You can alternatively use a Delayed Assessment Permit (DAP) if you just need up to five more working days on a piece of coursework through the Extenuating Circumstances Portal. You have three each academic year and no evidence is needed.
  • Not sure who to contact or what to do? Email extenuatingcircumstances@glasgow.ac.uk and we will put you in touch with the right person.

Who this policy covers

This policy applies to all undergraduate and postgraduate taught students, including exchange, visiting and online students, and applies to any assessment that contributes to a taught course.

If you are a postgraduate research student, extensions and suspensions for your thesis work differently: see the PGR Code of Practice. However, this policy still covers any credit-bearing courses you take as part of your research degree.

If you are on a programme accredited by a professional body (for example Medicine, Dentistry, Veterinary Medicine or Nursing), all of this policy applies to you, but some assessments, such as placements and clinical examinations, may have extra requirements can be given. Your School will tell you where that is the case.

This page applies to assessments from September 2026 and replaces all previous Extenuating Circumstances guidance. We keep it under review, and it always shows the current position.

Which route do you need?

There are two routes for most situations.

Delayed Assessment Permits (DAPs) are for when you need a bit more time. You get three per academic year. Each gives you a five working day extension on one piece of eligible coursework, automatically approved and with no evidence needed.

Extenuating Circumstances (EC) claims are for serious, unexpected situations that need more substantial support. EC claims can be made for any assessment, including exams and class tests. You will be asked to provide evidence with your EC claim, and a specialist team will review it to ensure you are connected with appropriate support. A claim can lead to a longer extension, a deferred assessment (a fresh chance to take the assessment, treated as a first attempt), or other outcomes.

If your circumstances have had a significant impact and you have supporting evidence, you should submit an EC claim, even if you have DAPs remaining.

On these policy pages, an exam means any assessment sat at a set time, on campus or online, including class tests and practical or clinical assessments. Coursework means anything you submit by a deadline (including presentations).

Depending on your circumstances, here is what we recommend:

  • you need a few more days on coursework, before the deadline: use a Delayed Assessment Permit.
  • something significant is affecting an assessment, coming up or due in the last five working days: submit an EC claim
  • you sat an exam you were too unwell to sit, and grades are not out: submit an EC claim for cancel-and-retake
  • your grades are already out and there is a good reason you were unable to engage with this process earlier: submit an EC claim for EAGR.
  • you want to ask for an EC decision to be reviewed: see If you disagree with a decision.

If you are not sure which route is right for you, contact the Wellbeing Team. They are here to support you, so do not hesitate to ask. You can contact us at extenuatingcircumstances@glasgow.ac.uk. You can also ask your Adviser of Studies (undergraduate) or Programme Lead (postgraduate taught), or email wellbeing@glasgow.ac.uk.

When do I need to take action?

The best time to act is before you submit coursework or sit an exam, not after. We understand that sometimes this won’t be possible, but you should let us know as soon as you can so that we can make sure you receive the right support.

Coursework. If your circumstances are affecting your coursework, consider a DAP or EC claim before submitting. Once you submit, a grade can never be raised because of your circumstances. If the deadline has passed and you did not submit, you can still claim EC before your grades are released, if you have good reason why you told us late. 

Exams. If you have an exam coming up and you are unwell or in difficulty, and have evidence of this, ask yourself whether you can do as well as you normally would:

  • if you cannot attend, submit an EC claim straight away. Missing an exam with an accepted EC claim does not mean you will fail: the normal outcome is a deferred assessment, usually during the resit period, which will be recorded as your first attempt. (If a claim is not accepted, a missed exam is recorded as a non-submission, so check What counts as Extenuating Circumstances before deciding.)
  • if you attended an exam while distressed or unwell and your performance was affected, you can submit a cancel-and-retake claim, as long as you do so within five working days of the exam and before grades are released. The same outcome will normally apply for an accepted claim: you will undertake a new exam during the resit period as your first attempt. Read If you sat an exam you were too unwell to sit (cancel-and-retake) first: it is important to remember that a cancelled exam cannot be reinstated if you change your mind, and you will not see a grade for the original exam.

If you become unwell during an exam, tell an invigilator before you leave the room and ask for your circumstances to be recorded. You can then submit a cancel-and-retake claim in the normal way, whether or not you finished the paper.

Click the below links for further details on:

Delayed Assessment Permits (DAPs)

Extenuating Circumstances

Extenuating Circumstances After Grade Release (EAGR)

If you Disagree with a Decision

Approval, Amendments and Reviews

This policy applies to assessments from 18 August 2026 and replaces all previous Extenuating Circumstances guidance. Version 1.0, published 16/08/2026; next review July 2027.