This page contains information regarding appealing grades received in examinations and assignments. Information on this page was collated by our expert Advice Centre team.
UPDATE 19 May 2022: The Academic Appeal procedures are changing. Please read this page thoroughly.
Changes to the Academic Appeals procedure
After recent changes to the Exceptional Mitigating Circumstances (EMC) procedure, students wishing to submit an academic appeal based on mitigating circumstances should now submit an EMC instead of an academic appeal.
These changes will be beneficial to Edge Hill students as:
- The process is quicker
- Evidence requirements are less stringent
- This means the chances of a successful academic challenge are higher for you
- You would still have the option to appeal if the EMC is rejected.
You can find out more about the EMC scheme here.
If your grounds to appeal are based on procedural error or perceived bias you should still follow the advice below.
Students can only appeal against the decision of a Board or Panel following receipt of the formal decision letter/academic transcript or release of assessment results online. The deadline for submission of an academic appeal will normally be 10 working days after confirmation of the decision has been issued, the definitive deadline date may also be included as part of the decision letter/results release but the general deadline is 10 working days from release of results.
The only accepted grounds for an appeal are:
- Procedural Irregularity in the Assessment Process
- Bias or Perception of Bias
Students cannot appeal about the following:
- Disagreement with a mark or grade;
- Disagreement with a degree classification awarded;
- Challenges to academic judgements of examiners on an assessment outcome or the level of award recommended or granted;
- Claims that academic performance was adversely affected by factors such as ill-health, where there is no independent, medical or other evidence to substantiate this;
- Complaints against the delivery of teaching and methods of assessment;
- Appeals where no new circumstances are presented or where there is no justification for failing to present the circumstances at the original Board/Panel.
Please be aware that it is not within the remit of the SU advice staff to complete the appeal form or write statements on a student’s behalf (unless there is a medical reason preventing a student from doing so). The advisors will advise about the procedure / criteria and discuss what has affected the student.
We will happily review a completed form and statement and give further advice and suggestions prior to the submission date if we are given enough time to do so.
Late and missed assignment submissions
Edge Hill University will now accept late submissions for written work, which would be capped at 40%. Please visit the Edge Hill University website for more information.
“It is your responsibility to submit work by the correct deadline, in the correct place and format. For written assessments, at the scheduled first sitting, the University will accept Late Submissions where the submission is received within five working days of the original deadline (aside from where PSRB requirements preclude this). Late Submissions will be subject to the normal capped mark for reassessment. Work handed in late without approval through a Deferral, Extension or authorised Late Submission will be marked at zero. Any referred or deferred assessments must also meet set deadlines – these are normally in August. Your end of year results letter includes the resubmission dates for your specific assessments.”
Please contact your tutor as soon as possible if you have missed a coursework deadline.
If you would like to speak to an SU advisor about an academic appeal query, please book an appointment here.
Want to appeal your grades?
If you want to appeal your grades, you need to wait until you get your final results from the assessment board and make sure you fit within one of the grounds of appeal.
You can submit an Academic Appeal if you have failed an assessment, if you have been failed and withdrawn, or even if you have passed.
Appeals can be applied to exams, coursework and placements.
The Grounds of Appeal
• Procedural Irregularity in the Assessment Process (e.g. you were given wrong information about the assignment)
• Bias or Perception of Bias (e.g. you have been treated differently than others on your course)
• Exceptional Mitigating Circumstances, details which were, for good reason, not previously available to the appropriate Assessment Boards via the EMC process. (e.g. you were experiencing a serious illness at the time of the assessment)
Please keep in mind you can’t appeal just because you don’t agree with your grade or question academic judgement! There must be grounds!
How to apply?
To apply for an academic appeal you must fill out the Stage One Appeal Form, either online or on paper (both versions can be found here).
- Submit the paper version to student-cases-team@edgehill.ac.uk.
- Make sure to attach any relevant evidence with your appeal form, such as a doctor’s note. Detail how you fit within the ground of appeal and how you were affected during the assessment period.
You can also submit a group appeal. In order to do this, one person will need to be appointed as the lead with the other students signing in agreement.
When to submit?
You usually need to submit your appeal form, statement and evidence within ten working days of the decision from the assessment board. Or you’ll be given a specific deadline to appeal by.
You should get a written outcome within 20 days of appealing, any longer and you’ll be informed.
Next steps
A successful appeal would result in you being able to submit the affected assessment again as if it was the original attempt. You will subsequently be given a new submission date by your faculty. Your work will not be remarked.
If your appeal is unsuccessful you can submit a Stage 2 appeal on the basis you are unhappy with the original appeal outcome. Within this you can submit new evidence.
You must submit your Stage 2 appeal within 10 working days of the Stage 1 appeal decision.
A Stage 2 appeal will result in a panel where you can present your case to the University and be asked questions by the three panel members. Don’t worry you can ask a member of our Advice Team to attend this panel with you and we’ll help you with your statement.
Normally a panel will be arranged within 20 working days of the request and you should get your appeal outcome within 10 working days of the panel date.
The panel can dismiss or uphold your appeal at this stage.
Final Steps and Additional Information
This is the final appeal stage and if you are still unhappy with the decision you will need to take your complaint externally to the Office of the Independent Adjudicator, once you have your completion of procedure letter.
They will look at whether the university have followed its procedures and can make recommendations to the University if they feel your complaint is justified.
- Further information on Academic Appeals
- The Academic Appeal Regulations 2020/21
- Office of the Independent Adjudicator website (OIA)
