If you feel you are unable to meet your submission deadlines or attend an exam/presentation due to personal circumstances, you may be able to postpone your hand in and/or attendance to a later date by completing a Personal Mitigating Circumstances (PMC) request as a last resort.

If you are struggling with an assessment, contact your tutor, your module leader, your programme leader or the Library. We’ve outlined lots of academic support on the Student Hub.

Were you a student here during the 2020-21 academic year? You could be used to the old rules as part of our Covid-19 adjustments. The guidance on PMCs has reverted back to its original rules, so be sure to become familiar with these rules, which include only being able to self-certify once per academic year, by becoming familiar with what a PMC is and when to submit one on the askUS website.

What is a PMC request?

If you are experiencing circumstances such as medical or personal issues that have seriously affected your ability to complete an assessment, you can submit a PMC request. Circumstances could include a serious short-term illness, eviction, jury service, an emergency or a crisis. For a full list, please visit the askUS website.

Your circumstances must have affected:

  • Your attendance at a timed assessment e.g., exam (absence)
  • Your ability to submit an assessment (non-submission)
  • Your ability to submit an assessment on time, but you can submit within 7 days after the deadline (late submission)

Submitting a PMC

You can submit a PMC request through the self-service portal, but we recommend reading the full rules on the askUS website first.

You need to clearly explain what your circumstances are, as well as the length of time you’ve been affected. Your PMC request could be rejected without this information. You can only submit one PMC per year. This means your circumstances must be one-off and not ongoing situations. If you are experiencing ongoing problems, speak to askUS or someone in your School such as a tutor for advice.

You must submit your PMC request within 10 working days of the submission date mentioned in your PMC request. You can submit your PMC earlier than 10 days before your assessment is due, but it should not be done too far in advance. You need to show that you are still committed to completing your assignment.

The University aims to review PMC requests within three working days of receipt. You will be informed of the decision through your University email address.

If your PMC request is rejected, you can submit further evidence to support your case within five working days.  Details of how to do this will be included in the outcome email.

If your PMC request is accepted:

  • Absence: If you can’t attend an exam, you will be offered a replacement attempt at the next available opportunity
  • Non-Submission: If you can’t submit an assessment, you will be offered a replacement attempt at the next available opportunity
  • Late Submission: If you can submit an assessment within the Late Submission period, i.e. 7 days after the original deadline, your grade will not be capped at 40%

More support

If you have specific questions around PMCs and you can’t find the answers on the askUS website, try reaching out to your school through your tutor, your module leader or through a Student Progression Administrator or by contacting the School Office:

Finding support early is the most important thing. Find suggestions on the Student Hub.