*Amendments to Regulation 12 were last approved by Senate on 17 April 2024. Sections 1-4 and 6-7 apply from the start of the 24/25 academic year. Section 5 applies to students first enrolling on a Masters degree from the start of the 24/25 academic year.*

Regulation Governing Absence for Medical Reasons from a University Examination

For Honours Degrees, Integrated Masters and Masters as specified in the credit and module framework and under Ordinance 8.

To be read in conjunction with relevant regulations and policies including the Mitigating Circumstances Policy.

Definitions:

In these regulations ‘examination’ means any test contributing to examination credit. In the case of assessed work, failure to submit shall be held to constitute absence from the examination; in addition ‘medical reasons’ may include emotional distress such as that occasioned by recent death or serious illness of a member of a candidate’s immediate family, or another individual who has a close personal relationship with the candidate.

(1) (a) Any candidate who is prevented for medical reasons from attending an examination or any part of an examination should submit a mitigating circumstances claim for consideration using the method specified by and by the deadlines specified by the home department (unless there are specific circumstances which warrant an extension of this period). The claim will include a medical certificate or other admissible evidence showing their inability to take or complete the examination at the prescribed time.

(b) The mitigating circumstances claim will be considered under the Mitigating Circumstances Policy and the appropriate Board of Examiners shall be notified of any ratings and recommendations arising from the consideration. 

(c) A Board of Examiners considering candidates taking examinations as a first attempt at meetings following Summer vacation examinations, may take any of the decisions available to them at meetings held in the Summer term to consider students sitting for the first time, except that all reference to ‘further tests in the Summer vacation’ shall be replaced by ‘further tests without residence the following Summer’ or for the MB ChB by 'further tests with residence the following summer'.

(d) Where a candidate is absent from only part of a particular examination, the Board of Examiners may, upon receipt of adequate medical certification, deem the whole of that particular examination to have been missed.

(2) First Year Examinations for an Honours or Integrated Masters Degree

(a) Any candidate who is absent for medical reasons from the whole or part of the examinations considered by the First Year Board of Examiners in the Summer term will be required to take the appropriate tests again in the Summer vacation.

(b) With the exception of candidates for the MB ChB where a candidate is absent for medical reasons from the whole of the examinations considered by the First Year Board of Examiners in the Summer term, and the whole of the examinations held in the Summer vacation, the Board of Examiners shall recommend either:

(i) an aegrotat pass (subject to the conditions laid down in (6)(a) and (6)(b) below); or decide:

(ii) that the candidate be required to take the examination the following summer without residence.

(c) Where a candidate for the MB ChB is absent for medical reasons from the whole of the examinations considered by the First Year Board of Examiners in the Summer term, and the whole of the examinations held in the Summer vacation, the Board of Examiners shall recommend that the candidate be required to take the examination the following summer with residence.

(d) Where a candidate who has attended the Summer term examinations and has been required to take resit examinations in the vacation is absent for medical reasons from the whole or part of the examinations considered by the First Year Board of Examiners in the Summer vacation the First Year Board of Examiners may take any of the decisions open to it under the Regulations governing first degrees and the Mitigating Circumstances Policy.

(3) Second and Third Year Examinations for an Honours or Integrated Masters Degree which are not Final Year Examinations

(a) With the exception of candidates for the MB ChB where a candidate is absent for medical reasons from the whole or part of the examination taken in the second year, or in the third year of a four year degree course, the Board of Examiners shall either:

(i) require that the candidate take appropriate tests during the Summer vacation; or

(ii) where the candidate will not be medically fit to take the examination during the Summer vacation, require that the candidate take appropriate tests the following Summer, without residence; or

(iii) take any of the decisions open to it under the Regulations governing first degrees and the Mitigating Circumstances Policy, provided that the examinations missed in the year in question and in previous years do not cumulatively contribute more than 30 per cent of the credit towards the final qualification.

(b) With the exception of candidates for the MB ChB, where a candidate who is absent from the whole or part of the examination taken in the second year, or in the third year of a four year degree course, is required under paragraph (3)(a) above to take further tests during the Summer vacation and where the candidate is absent for medical reasons from the whole or part of the examination held in the Summer vacation, the Board of Examiners shall either:

(i) recommend an aegrotat pass (subject to the conditions laid down in (6)(a) and (6)(b) below); or

(ii) require that the candidate take appropriate tests the following Summer, without residence; or

(iii) take any of the decisions open to it under the Regulations governing first degrees and the Mitigating Circumstances Policy, provided that the examinations missed in the year in question or in previous years do not cumulatively contribute more than 30 per cent of the credit towards the final qualification.

(c) Where a candidate for the MB ChB is absent for medical reasons from the whole or part of the examination taken in the second year, or in the third year, the Board of Examiners shall either:

(i) require that the candidate take appropriate tests in the winter vacation of the second year or June of the third year; or

(ii) where the candidate will not be medically fit to take the examination during the times specified in (c)(i) above which will require the candidate to repeat the appropriate year of study with residence.

(4) Final Year Examinations for an Honours or Integrated Masters Degree

(a) With the exception of candidates for the MB ChB where a candidate is absent for medical reasons from any part of the final year examinations where the examinations missed in the final year and in previous years cumulatively contribute more than 30 per cent of the credit towards the final qualification, the candidate will be eligible for consideration for the award of an Aegrotat qualification.

(b) Where a candidate is absent for medical reasons from any part of the final year examinations where the examinations missed in the final year and in previous years do not cumulatively contribute more than 30 per cent of the credit towards the final degree, and the Board of Examiners is satisfied that it is beyond reasonable doubt that the candidate would have passed the examinations, the candidate will be eligible for consideration for the award of a classified Honours degree.

(c) Where a candidate is absent for medical reasons from any part of the final year examinations and the Board of Examiners does not wish to make a recommendation under paragraphs (a) or (b) above, it may decide that the candidate should be permitted a further attempt.

(d) Candidates for the MB ChB degree who are absent for medical reasons from any part of the final year examinations normally will be permitted to make a further attempt during the following academic year with residence.

(5) Examinations for a Masters Degree

(a) Where a candidate is absent for medical reasons from any part of their examinations and the examinations missed cumulatively contribute more than 30 per cent of the credit towards the final degree, the candidate will be eligible for consideration for the award of an Aegrotat qualification.

(b) Where a candidate is absent for medical reasons from any part of their examinations where the examinations missed do not cumulatively contribute more than 30 per cent of the credit towards the final degree, and the Board of Examiners is satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that the candidate would have passed the examinations, the candidate will be eligible for consideration for the award of a classified Masters degree.

(c) Where a candidate is absent for medical reasons from any part of the final year examinations and the Board of Examiners does not make a recommendation under paragraph (a) or (b) above, it may decide that the candidate should be permitted a further attempt.

(6) Conditions Relating to the Granting of an Aegrotat Pass or the Award of an Aegrotat Degree

(a) An Aegrotat qualification is an unclassified degree that may be granted where a candidate will not be medically fit to take further assessments. 

(i) A candidate studying for an Honours degree may be awarded an Aegrotat qualification as an unclassified Honours or a Pass degree.

(ii) A candidate studying for an Integrated Masters may be awarded an Aegrotat qualification as an unclassified Honours degree.

(iii) A candidate studying for Masters may be awarded an Aegrotat qualification as an unclassified Aegrotat Masters.

In the case of a candidate who has followed a Pass degree course in their final year the Aegrotat degree may be awarded only as an Aegrotat (Pass) degree.

(b) Where the award of an Aegrotat pass or Aegrotat qualification is under consideration the Aegrotat and Posthumous Awards Committee will consider; 

(i) The medical certificate or other admissible evidence supporting mitigating circumstances claims.

(ii) The student’s mark transcript, records of the student’s work and / or evaluations provided by their tutors.

(iii) The recommendation of the Board of Examiners and the external examiner(s).

The Aegrotat Committee must be satisfied that these reports show beyond reasonable doubt that the candidate would have passed the examinations, and may then recommend to the Senate the award of an Aegrotat pass or an Aegrotat degree.

(c) Subject to not exceeding maximum periods of study, any Honours candidate who qualifies for the award of an Aegrotat pass or qualification may instead elect to take the final examination in the following year, with or without residence, without prejudice to the candidate’s standing for an Honours classification. The candidate who elects to take the examination with residence will take the whole of the examinations, including the submission of new assessed work appropriate to the year in question. The candidate who elects to take the examination without residence will take only those examinations from which they were absent, including the submission of such pieces of assessed work as they failed to submit for medical reasons.

(7) Posthumous Awards

(a) In the event of a student death, an Award may be made posthumously to the deceased student.

(b) Where the examinations that were unable to be taken do not cumulatively contribute more than 30 per cent of the credit towards the final degree, the candidate should be considered for a classified Award by the relevant Board of Examiners.

(c) Where the examinations that were unable to be taken cumulatively contribute more than 30 percent of the degree weighted credit, a Posthumous Award may be made by the Aegrotat and Posthumous Awards Committee.

(d) A Posthumous Award recognises the potential of a student and may be awarded at the level of the degree that the individual was registered on at the time of their death. Any Posthumous Award will be made as an Institutional Award, without classification.

(i) A student who was registered on an Honours degree will be considered for a posthumous Institutional Bachelors Award.

(ii) A student who was registered on an Integrated Masters degree will be considered for a posthumous Institutional Integrated Masters Award.

(iii) A student who was registered on a Masters degree will be considered for a posthumous Institutional Masters Award.

(e) The student’s next of kin will decide whether to claim a posthumous Award. Where a posthumous Award has been claimed, it will be conferred at an appropriate Congregation. The next of kin will be invited to attend an upcoming Congregation to receive the award in person or may choose to defer their attendance or receive it in absentia.

(f) Certificates for an Institutional posthumous Award will recognise the Faculty that the student studied in.