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Graduate Exam Appeals and Allowances

The content of this page is currently being updated. Please contact the CUSU/ GU Student Advice Service or a Tutor of your College for more information and advice.

The website of the Board of Graduate Studies also provides an excellent overview over Graduate Exam Appeals and Allowances.

Graduate appeals
There is a different appeals process for graduates. Appeals are made through the Board of Graduate Studies and have to be made within six months of results being published. You should write a letter outlining your reasons for your complaint about your result and send it to:
The Board of Graduate Studies
4 Mill Lane
Cambridge
CB2 1RZ
If you would like some assistance or advice when writing your appeal letter contact your Tutor, the Graduate President or CUSU.

The Board of Graduate Studies will consult the Degree Committee concerned and will consider the case that you put forward. If they are satisfied that your examination was properly conducted and your result was justified they will inform you of their decision. If they agree with the complaint that you have made, they refer the representation to a Review Committee. You may also refer your case to a Review Committee even if the Board of Graduate Studies does not believe your appeal is justified provided that you do so within six months of receiving the Board of Graduate Studies' decision.

The Review Committee consists of the Vice Chancellor and two people appointed by the General Board. The Review Committee will consider complaints if they fall under the following grounds:

  • If there existed material circumstances relating directly to the examination (excluding circumstances relating to your course of research or course of study) of which Examiners were not aware.
  • That procedural irregularities occurred in the conduct of the exam, which were of such a nature as to cause reasonable doubt as to whether the Examiners would have reached the same conclusion had the irregularities not occurred.
  • That there is demonstrable evidence of prejudice, bias or inadequate assessment in the examinations process.

You will have to submit a full statement of your complaint and the grounds on which it is based to the Review Committee no later than a date that they determine. The Committee appoints a day and time for a hearing at which you can be present and be accompanied by no more than 2 advisers, who can be an officer of the Graduate Union or a member of the Regent House. These advisers can speak on your behalf if you wish.

Each of the following bodies has an opportunity to submit a written statement, which could include e.g. examiners' reports, in response to your complaint:

  • Board of Graduate Studies
  • Your Degree Committee
  • The examiners concerned

Any person or body specified by the Review Committee.

The Review Committee can dismiss your complaint or consider it justified. They might then decide on one of the following.

  • To require the Board of Graduate Studies or the Degree Committee concerned to reconsider their earlier decisions.
  • To require the Examiners to re-examine you.
  • If you have not been examined orally, to require the Examiners to hold an oral exam.
  • If you have been examined orally, to require the Examiners to hold a further oral exam.
  • To permit you to submit a revised dissertation, thesis or other exercise to be examined by the same Examiners.
  • To require the Degree Committee to appoint one or more additional Examiners to make an independent report or reports on your work.
  • To require the Degree Committee to appoint new Examiners and to permit you to be re-examined by the new Examiners OR to submit a revised dissertation, thesis or exercise to be examined by the new Examiners.
  • To require the Examiners to set fresh examination papers or exercises that you will take under arrangements specified by the Review Committee.

You will be notified of the decision the Committee reaches and any decision reached by the Committee is final.

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.