If you have received your final results and you are disappointed or believe there has been an error, the appeals process could provide you with an opportunity to achieve the results you were initially expecting.
You can also use the Academic Appeals procedure if you missed the 7 day deadline to submit an extenuating circumstances request.
However, not all students will meet the grounds to submit an appeal and there are a few things to first consider before engaging in the appeals process.
Before deciding to appeal
- Consider asking for feedback on your assessments from your School to understand your results.
- Consider asking for a clerical check of your marks from your School to check there were no administrative errors and marks were added up correctly. This is not a remarking of your work.
- You cannot appeal academic judgement – i.e. appeal on the basis you disagree with the mark or feel your work deserved a higher mark. If this is the sole reason for you wanting to submit an appeal please speak to your tutors first to gain an understanding of the academic judgement made. Appeals of this nature will not be accepted
- Recognise you cannot be awarded marks that you have not academically achieved. Therefore even if you successfully appeal, extra marks cannot be added to your grade.
There are 3 stages of the appeals process:
Click the links to be taken to each stage on this page.
- Stage 1 Appeal
- Stage 2 Appeal Review
- Office of Independent Adjudicator (OIA)
Stage 1 Appeal
When can I start the appeal process?
You can only submit a Stage 1 Appeal when the Assessment Board has published your final results, if your results are currently provisional then you will need to wait.
Once the Assessment Board has published your final results you will have 28 calendar days to submit the appeal from that date.
What if I am unable to meet the 28-day deadline?
We advise that you try your best to meet the deadline because the University is strict on this. If your appeal is late you will need to provide an explanation of the lateness supported by evidence.
The evidence would need to corroborate the reason why you could not submit the appeal on time.
Grounds of Appeal
There are only 2 grounds for the submitting a Stage 1 Appeal and an appeal may only be made on one or both of the following grounds:
Material Error
- There was a material error, either in the conduct of the assessment itself, or in the proceedings of the Assessment Board, which affected the Assessment Board’s decision
Material error refers to a ‘mistake’ that you believe the University has made which has directly impacted your academic performance and results. Here are some examples of what a ‘material error’ could be:
- You were provided with the wrong exam timetable
- The equipment provided in the assessment was faulty
- Moodle crashed and you could not submit your work
- You were assessed on criteria not mentioned in your programme specification
For the error to be ‘material’, this means the issue has to have had a clear impact on your assessment in some way.
If appealing on the grounds of material error you will need to clearly outline its impact and provide supporting evidence. Evidence could be in the form of:
- Email correspondence from your School
- Confirmation from IT on technical issues
- Screenshots of the errors
Please note that academic judgement does not fall into the category of material error and you will not be able to argue that the error is that you simply deserve higher marks.
It’s important you outline what you would like to achieve as an outcome of your appeal. This is usually an uncapped additional attempt at the assessment.
Undisclosed extenuating circumstances
- The student was subject to previously undisclosed extenuating circumstances at the time of the assessment which:
- meet the definition of extenuating circumstances as set out in the Assessment Regulations, and
- were unknown to the Assessment Board, and
- were not made known to the Assessment Board via the Extenuating Circumstances provisions in the Assessment Regulations for a demonstrated, valid and over-riding reason outside the student’s control.
Please read our guidance on extenuating circumstances where you can find examples and advice on evidence.
Submitting an appeal on the grounds of undisclosed extenuating circumstances is essentially a late EC claim, so you must satisfy the EC requirements. When completing the appeal form you will notice that an EC form will be included too.
You will also need to explain why you did not submit an EC at the time of the assessment and provide supporting evidence to demonstrate why these reasons were outside of your control.
Please note that stating you were not aware of the EC process will not be considered as a valid reason for non-submission, because this information can be accessed via resources such as your programme handbook, web pages and speaking to your Course Officer.
An appeal will not be accepted without a valid reason for why you were unable to submit an EC at the time. If the appeal reviewers are satisfied with your reasons and evidence, they will forward your case onto the EC Panel who will assess your claim as if it was submitted at the time of the assessment.
It’s important you outline what you would like to achieve as an outcome of your appeal. This is usually an uncapped additional attempt at the assessment.
What if I am unable to obtain my evidence in time for the deadline?
Don’t worry if you are unable to obtain your evidence in time for the 28-day deadline. The University is understanding that there can sometimes be unavoidable delays with evidence such as doctors notes for example. However, you still must not delay submitting the appeal form!
You can note on the form that your evidence is ‘to follow’ and provide an estimated date for when you believe it will be ready by. Once you have the evidence you will not be able to attach it to your submitted form, you will instead need to submit the evidence to your School via your course officer or course office.
Waiting for evidence will not be viewed as a valid reason for submitting a late appeal!
Accessing the Appeal Form
Choose the form that applies to you below and follow the guidance given in the form.
- Appeal form for all taught students (except Study Abroad/Validated Institution students) accessible through e:Vision.
- Appeal form for Study Abroad/Validated Institution students
- Appeal form for Research students.
Standard student guidance for completing an appeal form on e:Vision can be found here.
What happens next?
You should receive a decision within 28 days of submitting your appeal. This will be sent to you in writing usually by email, together with an explanation.
Outcomes
If your appeal is upheld, the most common outcome is a replacement opportunity to complete the assessment(s) affected in the next assessment period (your School would additional first attempt. If you appealed a resit attempt, you will be given an additional resit opportunity.
If your appeal is rejected, the Assessment Board’s original decision will stand. You would then have the option of requesting a Stage 2 Level Review.
Stage 2 Level Review
So, you unfortunately did not receive the outcome you were hoping for from the Stage 1 Appeal, and are wondering what to do next.
You now may want to consider submitting a Stage 2 Level Appeal Review, however please be aware that this not an opportunity to have an ongoing dialogue with your School solely to express dissatisfaction with the Stage 1 outcome.
The School have made their decision and the only way an appeal can be considered is if you can demonstrate you meet the Stage 2 grounds.
Grounds for submitting a Stage 2 Level Review:
There are only 2 grounds for the submitting a Stage 2 Level Review and a student may request a review of the School decision on one or both of the following grounds:
- Material error: There was a material error in the proceedings associated with the School decision, which affected that decision.
You can evidence this by drawing to attention information in your appeal form that you believe was overlooked and/or any information in the decision letter that you believe makes clear a mistake was made or information was not considered.
- New information: New information has become available, which is material to the original appeal, and which could not have been made known to the School for a demonstrated, valid and over-riding reason.
You can evidence this with a copy of the new information you are referring to and if possible evidence to support your argument that you have new information that could not have been disclosed earlier.
Unless you can prove with evidence that one of the grounds apply, an appeal will not be considered.
Is there a deadline?
You must submit your Stage 2 Level Review within 21 calendar days of receiving your Stage 1 outcome.
Like Stage 1, you must not let waiting for evidence delay you from submitting the form on time. You can note on the form that your evidence is pending and provide an estimated date for when you believe your evidence will be ready by. Any outstanding evidence will then need to be sent to ace@city.ac.uk
Accessing the Stage 2 Level Appeal Review Form:
Guidance for completing a Stage 2 Level Review form on e:Vision can also be found here.
What happens next?
Once you have submitted your Stage 2 Level Review form, the University should inform you of their decision within 28 calendar days from the receipt of your appeal.
Outcomes
If your Stage 2 Level Review is successful, the most common outcome is that the matter is referred back to your school for re-consideration. This especially applies when you submit new evidence.
Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA)
If your Stage 2 Review is unsuccessful, you will be given a Completion of Procedures Letter indicating this is the University’s final decision. You will need this letter if you decide to appeal to the Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA).
The OIA is the final stage within the appeals process and can only happen once the University’s internal processes have been exhausted. This stage can be more complex so we advise you to read through the OIA website and contact us for further guidance.
Every case is judged on an individual basis and sometimes you may require further assistance.
How can the Union Advice service help me?
Our Union Advice service is independent from the University and we can:
- Explain the appeals process.
- Advise if your appeal is likely to meet one of the grounds.
- Advise on how to complete the appeal form.
- Provide feedback on your appeal form.
- Advise on what evidence is likely to be required.
- Provide ongoing advice throughout the appeal process.
- Provide advice on more complex appeal cases such as appealing a rejected EC or an academic misconduct sanction
- Help you to establish whether your issue also falls into the Complaints category
Please complete our online Case Form to request email advice, or an appointment.
More information about appeals can be found on the University's website where they have also created a guidance page with case studies and FAQs that you may find helpful.