New Self-Certification Policy 2021-22

New Self-Certification Policy 2021-22

Key changes include: 

• The policy will revert to two self-certification periods per year, and three for programmes with teaching after Term 3 (e.g. PGT Masters Dissertations). Self-cert periods should be two weeks apart, but the EC Panel can waive this requirement, e.g. if a student has to self-isolate. 
• All self-certified claims must be made in advance of the assessment. It cannot be used once an exam has started, to suspend the late submission penalties, to defer an assessment that the student has already taken, or to support any claim submitted under the Late EC policy. 
• New guidance indicates the mitigation ‘normally’ available via self-certification for each type of assessment in order to manage student expectations and promote consistency across UCL. Other forms of mitigation are still available at the discretion of the EC Panel, but it is recommended that these would need accompanying evidence in the majority of circumstances. EC Panels can accept alternative forms of evidence or suspend the evidence requirement if there is a compelling reason for making an exception. 
• Claims are expected to meet the Grounds for ECs, but faculties and departments have the ability to automatically approve claims to help with workloads.  
• Parenting, home-schooling, caring and critical workers will continue to be valid grounds for ECs. 
• Self-certified claims cannot be submitted more than two weeks before the first affected assessment, in order to limit speculative claims.  
• Self-certification can only be applied once to each assessment. 
• A maximum of 60 credits can be deferred to the LSA period via self-certification. 
• The four-week UCL Assessment Feedback Turnaround policy will only apply from the day that the student submits. 
• The policy for Technical Failures in online assessments is now separate and will no longer be considered under the Extenuating Circumstances procedure. Please refer to the new Assessment Operating Model for further details. 
• ‘Spreading of assessments’ has been removed from self-certification (it is still available by exception if the student provides evidence).  

Further information: 

The Extenuating Circumstances pages in the Academic Manual have been refreshed to help students navigate the policy. 

Detailed information about how Extenuating Circumstances work for exams, take-home papers, practical exams, coursework etc. can be found in the new Student Regulations for Exams and Assessments. 

Further information about the changes recently approved by Education Committee can be found in the new Assessment Operating Model. 

Questions? 

academicregulations@ucl.ac.uk