Extenuating Circumstances evidence for students with COVID-19

If students have a positive COVID test and this affects their ability to complete an assessment, they can submit Extenuating Circumstances to access an extension, deferral or other form of support. Students can self-certify within certain conditions. However, if students are not eligible for self-certification, or for some other reason need to provide evidence of a positive COVID test, the following guidance is provided: 

New guidance from the UK Health Security Agency says that on a temporary basis in England asymptomatic people who receive a positive result on a lateral flow test do not now need to take a confirmatory PCR (please note that if you have symptoms and record a positive lateral flow test you must still undertake a confirmatory PCR). 

For the time being, students who wish to submit evidence to support a diagnosis of COVID, may use the official notification generated (by text or email) when they report a positive lateral flow test to the NHS. Students should also report a positive test result to UCL Connect to Protect so we can monitor cases on campus, and should inform their department. 

While this qualifies as self-reported evidence rather than evidence verified by an independent authority, it will be accepted until government policy changes. Students should be aware of the consequences for their study at UCL of falsifying evidence related to extenuating circumstances, as well as the harm reporting a false positive case could do to public health authorities’ understanding of the spread of the virus. 

For students testing positive for COVID-19 but who are not currently in the UK, a positive result verified by an independent authority or official notification of a self-reported test is acceptable as evidence. 

Photographic evidence of a positive result appearing on a lateral flow device will not be accepted as confirmatory evidence.