Exam Deferrals

Deferral of Examinations/Assessments and Extenuating Circumstances

This is now CLOSED.

The Institute of Technology Carlow recognises that serious unforeseen life events may impact upon your academic work, and leave you unable to complete scheduled continuous assessment(s) or examination(s), including terminal examination(s), or adversely affect your performance in such assessments/examinations. Such events may include serious illness, bereavement, trauma, court attendance, etc.

The Institute’s Policy on Absence from Assessments/Deferrals covers such situations, and allows students to apply to the Examination Board for:

  • A deferral of some/all programme modules until the next available examination sitting.
  • Consideration of extenuating circumstances when considering final grades and GPA’s.

In light of the current evolving situation concerning Covid-19, and the decision of Academic Council held on 12th March 2020, the Institute has expanded its guidelines in relation to its Absence from Assessments/Deferrals Policy to recognise the serious impact of Covid-19 on study and examinations.

Firstly, the Institute wishes to reassure all students that it recognises the serious and disruptive impact Covid-19 may have had on students’ ability to study and complete scheduled assessments/examinations. This will be taken into account when considering examination results of each individual student.

Secondly, in addition to the grounds outlined above (serious illness, bereavement, trauma, court attendance, etc.) and in the policy, the Institute will consider applications for deferrals/consideration of extenuating circumstances from students on the basis of the following:

  • Covid-19 Illness or bereavement.
  • Caring Responsibilities – additional caring responsibilities for children and/or other dependants.
  • Key/Front Line Workers – students who are key/front line workers and are required to work additional/different hours outside of their control.
  • IT Failure/Unreliability – as teaching and assessment has moved to online platforms, the reliability of IT has become critical. Students should always attempt to ensure IT issues are resolved in advance of schedules assessments/examinations. However, students who experience IT failure or unreliability that might impact their ability to submit assessments/sit examinations can submit a deferral request on this basis.
Students are advised that for this academic year (2019/20) they will not be asked to provide evidence for a request for deferral/consideration of extenuating circumstances. Instead they will be required to include a statement within their application confirming the circumstances surrounding their request and stating how this has impacted their assessment(s).
 
If students have any additional documentary evidence, this can be listed in the application and they are advised and to keep this in their possession should the Institute request it at a later date.
 
The Institute maintains the right to investigate the validity of applications, and students should note that any suspicion of fraudulent applications may be investigated by the Institute under its Student Code of Conduct.
 

Deferral of Examinations/Assessments and Extenuating Circumstances Form

Who should complete this form?
 
A student who wishes to apply to
 
(a) have their examination result(s) in some or all module(s) deferred until they are given the opportunity to complete/retake the relevant re-assessment in that module(s)/stage.
 
and/or
 
(b) have extenuating circumstances taken into consideration in coming to a decision on the learner’s overall result in a module(s), award classification and/or GPA.
 
should complete this form.
 
Guidelines for Completion:
 
  • All parts of the online application must be completed and submitted by the learner submitted by 25th May 2020 at 5 p.m (This is now CLOSED).

Outcomes
The Examination Boards meet in early June and will consider your application at that stage. The Examination Board may agree to

  • defer your missed assessment(s)/examination(s) to the next available examination sitting, and/or
  • take the documented reasons for absence/extenuating circumstances into consideration in coming to a decision on the learner’s overall result in a module(s), award classification and/or GPA
Students who have one or more modules deferred under this policy in 2019/2020 will be automatically re-entered by the Institute to take the deferred exam/assessment at the next available sitting, and will have their fees for the next examination sitting for the deferred module(s) waived by the Institute.
 
Students must take the examination/assessment at the next available sitting, and this will then be treated as a first sitting by the Examination Board when deliberating upon and issuing results to students.

If circumstances have not changed, and a student is not in a position to take the module assessment at the next available sitting, the student must re-apply for another deferral for that sitting.
Please note: Re-assessment options vary from programme to programme and the nature and form of assessment detailed on the Approved Programme Schedule may limit the availability of re-assessment opportunities. Some modules may require the student to repeat and attend classes/labs/studio/placement hours etc., as applicable.