Guidance: Which process should I use?

Published for 2025-26.

Guidance to help you understand the different types of support available to you

Reminder: Delayed Assessment Passes can be submitted to gain flexibility for your assessments for any reason, there are no minimum grounds, your DAPs are limited. However, if you are experiencing circumstances that are sudden, unexpected, significantly disruptive and beyond your control then you should submit an EC. For further information on circumstances normally grounds for Extenuating Circumstances please see the EC Grounds Table.

Other support such as a Reasonable Academic Adjustments are available to support longer-term conditions and difficulties.

This list is not definitive - there may be times when you are eligible for another type of support that is not listed here, or you might be struggling with something which doesn’t quite fit into a category, or you may need help with more than one thing.

If you want to talk to someone about which process to use, please refer to our Help and Advice pages.

A shorter-term physical condition 

What do you need help with? 

  • Temporary medical conditions
  • Accidents and injuries 

Which process to use

  • Delayed Assessment Permit for minor illness or injury to access flexibility such as a short extension or deferral
  • Extenuating Circumstances for circumstances that are sudden, unexpected, significantly disruptive and beyond your control. Evidence required
  • Exam Adjustments if you need physical support to sit an exam or take-home paper

A longer-term physical condition 

What do you need help with? 

  • Mobility differences, such as wheelchair users or individuals with musculoskeletal conditions
  • Sensory differences, such as individuals certified as blind or partially sighted and those who are D/deaf
  • Long-term medical conditions, such as diabetes, arthritis, cancer, HIV or autoimmune conditions
  • Progressive physical conditions, such as motor neurone disease or muscular dystrophy
  • Fluctuating or recurring physical conditions, such as epilepsy, rheumatoid arthritis, myalgic encephalitis (ME), or chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS)

Which process to use

A shorter-term mental health difficulty 

What do you need help with? 

  • Shorter-term mental health conditions, such as mild anxiety 

Which process to use

  • Delayed Assessment Permit for minor mental health/wellbeing difficulties to access flexibility such as a short extension or deferral
  • Extenuating Circumstances for major, significantly disruptive, mental health/wellbeing difficulties to access an extension or deferral
  • Exam Adjustments if you need support to sit an exam or take-home paper 

A longer-term mental health condition 

What do you need help with? 

  • Longer-term mental health conditions, such as depressive disorders, generalised anxiety disorder, eating disorders
  • Progressive mental health conditions such as forms of dementia
  • Fluctuating or recurring mental health conditions such as bipolar disorder, psychotic episodes or seasonal affective disorder 

Which process to use

A learning, social or communication difference  

What do you need help with? 

  • Specific learning differences (SpLD) such as dyslexia or dyspraxia
  • Social and communication differences such as an Autistic Spectrum Condition (ASC) 

Which process to use

Pregnancy and adoption 

What do you need help with? 

  • Pregnant students and their partners
  • Maternity, paternity, parental and adoption leave
  • Feeding a young baby 

Which process to use

Parenting and Caring 

What do you need help with? 

  • Parenting
  • Childcare
  • Caring for a vulnerable adult 

Which process to use

Religion and belief 

What do you need help with? 

  • Observing holy days and festivals such the Sabbath, Ramadan or Eid
  • Daily religious or cultural practices including prayer, fasting, diet and dress 

Which process to use

Trauma

What do you need help with? 

  • Bereavement
  • If you are affected by physical or sexual assault
  • If you are affected by traumatic world events such as war, natural disasters or terrorist incidents
  • If you are affected by any form of harassment or discrimination  

Which process to use

A personal difficulty

What do you need help with?  

  • Family difficulties such as family break up or divorce
  • Financial difficulties such as problems with tuition fees or rent
  • Housing difficulties such as homelessness or problems with your landlord
  • Work and other commitments, such as professional emergencies 

Which process to use