Section 8: Deferred Assessment

Published for 2025-26

Contents

8.1 Scope & Definitions

  1. A Deferral is the opportunity to sit an assessment as if for the first time and without penalty as a form of mitigation for students with Extenuating Circumstances.
  2. A Deferral should be undertaken without tuition.
  3. A Deferral may be taken with tuition where a student:
    1. Has missed a large amount of teaching, and/or
    2. Has failed or failed to complete a large number of credits due to ECs, and/or
    3. Has ECs on a second attempt.
  4. Where a student passes a Deferral of a first attempt the student must receive the full mark for all components and modules (marks must not be capped).
  5. Where a student passes a Deferral of a second attempt (i.e. a Deferral of a Resit or Repeat), the module mark(s) must be capped at the Pass Mark (Section 3.6). Students should refer to Section 9: Consequences of Failure for full details of the regulations around Resits and Repeats.
  6. Deferrals must be available to students at all levels of study, including finalists.
  7. A Deferral may be offered to a student who has already made an assessment attempt. The mark from the original attempt will be disregarded and the student will be offered the opportunity to sit the assessment as if for the first time. The Progression and Award Requirements, including any rules around Condonement, must not be applied until the student has undertaken the Deferral.
  8. Deferrals may not be possible for students who are unable to complete an Extra-Mural Study Abroad or Placement Year. Where such a Deferral is not possible, students must transfer to an equivalent programme without a Study Abroad or Placement requirement.
  9. Deferrals must be completed within the next two academic sessions (e.g. if the student first enrols on the module in 2024-25 they must complete the assessment by the end of 2026-27). Where a module is substituted, students have two academic sessions from when they first enrol on the substituted module.
  10. This period of two academic sessions may be extended at the discretion of UCL Education Services on behalf of the Vice-Provost (Education & Student Experience). Applications must be made via the Faculty Tutor.
  11. The Faculty/ Departmental EC Panel must communicate the decision to offer a Deferral, with or without tuition, to the Board of Examiners.
  12. The Board of Examiners must implement the decision, confirm the date of the next assessment, and ensure that the student’s Portico registration is amended.
  13. Decisions relating to Deferred Assessments must be honoured regardless of any volume of credit failed and dealt with under the Consequences of Failure provisions. The number of deferred credits must not be added to failed credits when considering whether students should Resit or Repeat.

8.2 Deferral without Tuition

Timing of the Deferral

  1. A Deferral without Tuition should be scheduled as per the regulations in Section 9.3: Resitting a Module.
  2. Up to a maximum of 30 credits, a student with ECs extending beyond the Late Summer Assessment Period, may be permitted to Provisionally Progress onto the next year of study and to undertake a Deferral without Tuition in tandem. Such students must successfully pass the Deferral and meet the Progression requirements before they will be permitted to progress to any subsequent years of study or be considered for an Award. See Section 6.3: Provisional Progression for further details.
  3. Where a Deferral without Tuition is needed as part of a student’s Interruption of Study, the Deferred Assessment may take place at a later date, after the student has returned to UCL.

Requirements and Entitlements

  1. Students should be assessed in the module component(s) affected by the EC.
  2. Students should not attend any additional lectures, seminars or other teaching activities. They may be offered, but are not automatically entitled to, additional tutorials or supervision.
  3. Students must not be charged an additional fee for deferring the assessment.
  4. Students should have access to UCL’s facilities such as the library and other learning resources, although there may be limited availability of some resources during UCL vacation periods.
  5. Students must be entitled to the Reasonable Academic Adjustments provisions for students with disabilities and other long-term medical or mental health conditions.
  6. Students should undertake the Deferral before they commence any Study Abroad Year or Placement Year.

Format of the Deferral

  1. Students must be assessed under the syllabus in place for the original assessment.
  2. Students should be assessed by the same Method used for the original assessment (e.g. essay, exam, practical etc.). Where assessment by the same Method is difficult or impossible, a Board of Examiners may set a different Method of assessment. The alternative Method must
    1. Allow students to demonstrate achievement of the learning outcomes to the same extent as the original assessment, and
    2. Be approved by the External Examiner, preferably at the point of Programme and/ or Module Approval.
  3. The Board of Examiners must determine whether Deferral students will be assessed in the same Task (e.g. the same essay topic) or whether a new Task will be set (e.g. a new essay question or new exam paper). Any new assessment Task must:
    1. Allow students to demonstrate achievement of the learning outcomes to the same extent as the original task, and
    2. Be approved by the External Examiner, preferably at the same time as the original task/ paper.
  4. Students cannot substitute a module with an alternative module because the Deferral includes no tuition.

8.3 Deferral with Tuition

Timing of the Deferral

  1. A Deferral with Tuition should take place in the following academic session.
  2. Up to a maximum of 30 credits, a student may be permitted to Provisionally Progress and to undertake a Deferral with Tuition in tandem with the next year of study. Such students must successfully complete the Deferral and meet the Progression requirements before enrolling on any subsequent years of study or being considered for an Award. See Section 6.3: Provisional Progression for further details. A student who is offered a Deferral with Tuition in more than 30 credits must not commence the next year of study until the Deferrals are complete.
  3. Where a Deferral with Tuition is needed as part of a student’s Interruption of Study, the Deferral may take place in a subsequent academic session, after the student has returned to UCL.

Requirements and Entitlements

  1. Students should be assessed in all the components of the affected module(s).
  2. Students must re-enrol on the affected module(s) in the following academic session, attend all teaching activities and are entitled to the standard tuition and supervision provisions on the module(s).
  3. Students must not be charged an additional fee.
  4. Students must have full access to UCL’s facilities such as the library and other learning resources.
  5. Students must be entitled to the Reasonable Academic Adjustments provisions for students with disabilities and other long-term medical or mental health conditions.
  6. Students should undertake the Deferral before they commence any Study Abroad Year or Placement Year.

Format of the Deferral

  1. The components and/ or syllabus of the affected module(s) may be different if the programme or module has changed between years of study. Students must be assessed in the components and syllabus of the new year.

Substitution of Modules

  1. Subject to approval by the Departmental Tutor, a student may apply to substitute up to 30 credits of modules with one or more alternative modules in any one academic session, up to a maximum of 60 credits across the whole programme.
  2. If a programme has changed between years of study, or a module will not be running, the Departmental Tutor may permit a student to substitute more than 30 credits per year, or more than 60 credits across the programme, with one or more alternative modules.
  3. The substitute module(s) must satisfy the programme requirements in terms of credit-weighting and academic level. Students must not take modules from a subsequent year of study in advance.
  4. The substitute module(s) must be treated as a Deferral attempt:
    1. Where a student passes a Deferral of a first attempt the student must receive the full mark for all components and modules (marks must not be capped).
    2. Where a student passes a Deferral of a second attempt (i.e. a Deferral of a Resit or Repeat), the module mark(s) must be capped at the Pass Mark (Section 3.6). Students should refer to Section 9: Consequences of Failure for full details of the regulations around Resits and Repeats.
  5. All approved substitutions must be notified to Student Records by the Department.

8.4 Extenuating Circumstances on a Deferral Attempt

  1. If a student experiences further Extenuating Circumstances on their Deferral attempt, they must submit a new EC Form.
  2. Students should, however, be aware that multiple requests for the same Extenuating Circumstances may not be accepted if they do not meet the criteria of being sudden, unexpected, and beyond the student’s control. Where a student has a longer-term difficulty, they must contact the Disability, Mental Health and Wellbeing team or Student Psychological and Counselling Services as early as possible so that UCL can support them effectively throughout their studies via the provisions in Chapter 2, Section 3: Reasonable Academic Adjustments for Disabilities and Long-Term Conditions.