Exam Allowances

If you have been hindered by illness or other grave cause in preparing for or taking your exams, you may be eligible for an Examination Allowance.

NOTE: Examination Appeals (which the University calls 'representations') relate solely to the conduct of the exam(s). If you want to appeal because of the way the exam was conducted, you need to follow a separate procedure for Examination Appeals.

Examination Allowances – illness or grave cause

If you have been hindered by illness or other grave cause in preparing for or taking your exams, you may be eligible for an Examination Allowance. Any application for an Exam Allowance will need to be made through a Tutor (or the Senior Tutor) from your College, together with evidence of the medical circumstances or other grave cause, as well as your supervision reports. The College will also be asked explicitly whether or not it supports the application. It will also need to apply, on your behalf, for ONE specific outcome.

If you did not pass your exams, i.e. didn't obtain Honours, there are five possible outcomes:

DDH stands for "deemed to have deserved Honours" and means that the evidence indicates that you would normally have achieved Honours in the exam, or that the class mark you have initially received does not represent your abilities.
You can proceed to the next year of study as though you had passed the exam; "allowed the examination" appears on the transcript. (It's comparable to being awarded a 'pass'.)
If you are "put in standing", you are eligible to proceed to the next exam or Part of the Tripos. The exam is listed on your transcript but no result is recorded.
If you are a Part II student and have passed your Part I but failed Part II, IIA or IIB, you may be awarded an "Ordinary Degree", i.e. graduate with BA (Ord) rather than BA (Hons).
You can 'degrade', meaning that you can intermit your studies at Cambridge, usually to return the next year. You may be able to re-sit the exam(s) the following year. Note that it is very rare that you would be allowed to degrade 'retrospectively' at such a late stage in the year.

If you passed but got a lower grade than expected:

you can be awarded DDH (see the above paragraph)
the examiners can be invited to reconsider their original decision and award you a higher class mark. Note that this happens only in very rare circumstances where you have achieved a higher grade in all but a relatively small proportion of the exam and where you can provide evidence of illness or grave cause.

What next? Get help as soon as possible. Usually, this will be your Tutor, through whom any application for an Examination Allowance would need to be made. Your Tutor will normally be able to advise you on University procedures and can explore your options with you. If you don't feel comfortable raising your concerns with your own Tutor, you can also speak to any other Tutor or Senior Tutor in your college. If you encounter any problems or are in any doubt, get in touch with the Student Advice Service.

Important point: If you want to apply for an Examination Allowance on the grounds of illness, you should obtain medical evidence as early as possible, preferably while you are not well and before sitting the exams.

Regulations: Ordinances Chapter III, Examinations – Allowances for Candidates for Examinations, Regulations 3-8 (p.230-232)

Key facts:

What: you have been hindered by illness or other grave cause in preparing for or taking your exams

When: as soon as possible after you get your exam results

Who: your Tutor to the Applications Committee

Appeal against the outcome of a request for an Examination Allowance

If you are not satisfied with the outcome, you or your Tutor (with your consent) can appeal the decision. A request for review must be made in writing, stating the grounds of review, normally within three weeks of written notification of the Applications Committee's decision.

The University then appoints a reviewer who has not been previously involved and who will consider both the request and the original decision.

The Applications Committee will usually accept the recommendation of the reviewer, but if not (exceptionally), it will issue a written explanation.

If you are unsatisfied with the outcome of the review, you can appeal to the Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA). This is an external body set up to review student complaints in England and Wales.

Regulations: Ordinances , Chapter I, The Council – Review of Decisions of the Applications Committee (p.113)

Key facts:

What: dissatisfied with the outcome of the request for an Examination Allowance

When: within three weeks of written notification of the Applications Committee's decision

Who: you or your Tutor to the Applications Committee

FAQ – Examination Allowances

When will I find out whether my application for an Examination Allowance has been successful?

The Applications Committee meets once every month, and your College would usually hear back from them within a couple of days of that. Your College will be asked to pass on the notification to you. The June meeting is reserved for cases relating to finalists who without an allowance would not be eligible to graduate. All other applications for examination allowances will be referred to the July meeting. You can view the dates of the meetings on their website: www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/exams/applications.

What is the Applications Committee?

The Applications Committee primarily exists to make decisions on Exam Allowances, applications to degrade and requests to withhold names from class lists. It consists of ten academics, often including current or past Senior Tutors, three of which are medical advisers. You can find out the current membership on the website: www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/exams/applications. The Applications Committee does not have the power to award extra marks, but under certain circumstances (as explained above) it can invite the examiners to reconsider your exam.

Who will see my personal medical evidence?

Once your application has gone through your College, medical evidence is treated strictly confidential and is disclosed only to the medical members of the Applications Committee; other members of the Committee do not see this part of the application. If you submit medical evidence, you will be asked to submit a form giving permission for your medical evidence to be disclosed to the medical members of the Committee.

How likely is it that my application for an Examination Allowance is going to be upheld?

Each application is considered on its individual merits. It can be helpful to gain the support of the College, but strictly speaking this is not essential. Thorough evidence and a well-presented case are key to a successful application.

What if my application for an Examination Allowance is unsuccessful?

If you are not satisfied with the outcome of the application, you or your Tutor (with your consent) can appeal the decision. Please refer to the section → Appeal against the outcome of a request for an Examination Allowance.

Am I automatically kicked out when I fail my exams?

No. The prevalent practice is that you can gain Honours as long as your average grade is a pass – however, restrictions may apply in your course, so refer to the course handbook and seek advice if in any doubt! If you were ill or had other grave cause, your Tutor can apply for an → Exam Allowance on your behalf. If you suspect something might have been wrong with the way the exam was conducted, you or your Tutor can request an → Exam Review.

How do I submit my appeal?

Any applications to the Applications Committee must be submitted via your College. Requests for an Examination Review or a 'Review of the Review', however, you can make yourself. These need to be submitted to the Registrary.

The Registrary is the University of Cambridge's senior administrative officer. The current Registrary is Dr Jonathan Nicholls, The Old Schools, Trinity Lane, Cambridge CB2 1TN. Note that he will not be able to advise you on the likelihood of the success of your appeal or help you in preparing your submission. In that case please contact the Student Advice Service or a Tutor of your College.

When submitting an Appeal or request for an Exam Review to the Registrary, please copy all correspondence to Ms Lyn Davis, Appeals and Mitigating Circumstances, Student Registry, 4 Mill Lane; ld204@admin.cam.ac.uk.

Further Information

You can download a pdf version of the information about Exam Appeals and Exam Allowances here.

For further information and advice, please contact the CUSU/ GU Student Advice Service or a Tutor of your College. The Student Advice Service offers free, confidential and independent support and advice to all students at the University of Cambridge.