Extenuating Circumstance Requests

What is an Extenuating Circumstance Request (ECR)?

They are a request to extend or defer your assessment deadline if you consider yourself unable to attempt an assessment - or to meet an assessment deadline - due to extenuating personal circumstances. Find out more important guidance here. You can apply to extend your deadline or to defer your deadline.

What does it mean to extend my deadline?

Extending your deadline gives you up to 5 working days added to your original submission date to complete your assignment. This is only available for coursework, not for exams or other assessments.

What does it mean to defer my deadline?

To defer your deadline is when you take the assessment at the next assessment opportunity without further teaching. You cannot choose when the next assessment date is so a deferral might stop you moving onto the next stage of your course if the next resit period is in a new academic year or prevent you from graduating at your expected original date.

International Students: An Extenuating Circumstance Request to defer your deadline may impact your Tier 4/Student Visa and/or Post Study Visa and work choices e.g. Graduate visa. Contact the visa help team of your study location for advice: Coventry and CU Group students - visahelp.io@coventry.ac.uk; Coventry University London students - visahelp.culc@coventry.ac.uk.

Am I eligible?

You must have been affected by something which you could not control to apply for an Extenuating Circumstance Request. These are called extenuating circumstances and will have affected your ability to complete an assessment. Find a list of what is considered extenuating circumstances here. You must be able to provide evidence of these circumstances in your application form.

ECRs received after the original submission deadline has passed will not normally be granted.

The University has a 24-hour grace period for submitting coursework. It is not guaranteed, and does not apply to extensions, exams or presentations and only applies to your original submission (not to resit attempts). 

What type of evidence can I submit?

Every request must be accompanied by relevant evidence which:

  1. Relates to the relevant period of time and circumstance
  2. Is from an official third-party source
  3. Is written in English or accompanied by a certified translation. 

The type of evidence will depend on the circumstances that impacted your ability to complete your assessment. Examples of evidence include a letter or email from your GP or another medical professional, a letter or email from the University’s Health and Wellbeing service, hospital admission record, a death certificate or police crime number.

If your evidence is a standard ECR Form issued by Health and Wellbeing for the purpose, and the request falls within the date range covered by the letter, the request will be granted without question.  Please be aware Health and Wellbeing will only issue a letter for students who are already known to them.

If the evidence is about someone else you also need to complete the ‘Third Party Consent Form’ and submit this with your application. If the evidence is about someone else and no consent form is submitted the evidence will not be accepted and will be deleted.

How Do I Apply?

You apply by completing the online request form. You can find the correct form for your campus by the following the links below:

  1. Coventry University and Coventry University London
  2. CU Coventry, CU London (Dagenham and Greenwich) and CU Scarborough

We are happy to proofread your Extenuating Circumstance Request application if sent at least 3 working days in advance of the deadline. Please send the application form and any evidence to us by responding directly to this email.

Can I Appeal The Outcome?

You can appeal against a rejected Extenuating Circumstance Request if:

  1. You have significant new evidence relating to your request which was not considered at the time of the original application;
  2. You think that they have not considered your request properly.

Find out how to make an appeal here for Coventry University and Coventry University London students and here for CU Group students. 

Further Information:

For more information on Extenuating Circumstance Requests, you can visit  the Student Portal for your relevant campus:

  1. Coventry University and Coventry University London
  2. CU Coventry, CU London (Dagenham and Greenwich) and CU Scarborough.

How Can Your Advice Service Help You?

We can advise you if you have read the guidelines above and still have questions.

We are happy to proofread your Extenuating Circumstance Request form before you submit it if sent a few days in advance of your submission date. Please send the form and any evidence to us through using our online enquiry form.

We can also help you appeal the outcome of your request if you disagree with it and feel that you meet the grounds. Please send us a copy of your appeal form, evidence and the outcome letter to us using our online enquiry form.

Please note: We cannot track the progress of submitted Extenuating Circumstance Requests.

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