Extenuating circumstances regulation

This section explains the University's extenuating circumstances regulation and provides links to the relevant procedures and associated guidance.

2.1.1 Definition of EC

During a degree programme, students may face exceptional personal, medical, or family issues — or other distressing events — that are outside their control and significantly affect their ability to prepare for or complete assessments. These are known as an extenuating circumstance (EC).To qualify under this regulation, a circumstance must meet the following criteria:

• Exceptional – beyond normal daily life challenges.
• Outside the student’s control – unavoidable and unpreventable.
• Significant negative impact – has a clear, significant effect on the student’s ability to study or take assessments. Minor impact would not be eligible.
• Timely and relevant – typically short-term, occurring close to the affected assessment or study period.

2.1.2 How assessment type affects EC

For the purposes of EC, assessments are categorised as either coursework or exams. This categorisation determines the claim deadlines and the support measures available. Schools must decide which category applies to each assessment and inform students (e.g. via the module handbook or Moodle).

• Exams include timetabled in-person exams, e-exams (online or in person), language oral exams, individual presentations or vivas, and practical exams such as an Objective Structured Clinical Exam (OSCE) or an Objective Structured Practical Exam (OSPE). Group presentations and in-class assessments are also classified as exams. PGR progression reviews are treated as exams for EC purposes.
• Coursework includes any assessment where students are given days, weeks, or months to complete the work, such as essays or reports. These are typically submitted via Moodle or Turnitin. PGR progression reports are also considered coursework.

EC claims may only be made for summative assessments and must be used sparingly and only where there is a significant impact, whether or not evidence is provided.

2.1.3 Self-certified EC Claims – UK Campus only

Students at the UK campus may submit a limited number of EC claims without evidence, known as self-certification. These are typically used for short-term issues affecting study or assessment. 

Full details are provided in Section 2.4 below. In summary, it is worth highlighting here that the number of permitted self-certified claims is limited  each academic year and the possible support measures available are also limited.

2.1.4 Standard and use of evidence

Where evidence is required, it must: 

• be relevant to the affected period; 
• come from an appropriate, verifiable source; 
• support the severity and impact of the claimed circumstances; 
• be submitted within the required timeframe. 

Failure to meet these standards may result in the claim being rejected.

Further information can be found in the Standard of Evidence regulation (link provided in Section 3 below).

2.1.5 Support plans and EC

Support plans are intended to address long-term or ongoing conditions. Students should not normally submit EC  claims for issues already covered by a support plan. However, where the student experiences a distinct or a significantly worsened impact beyond what the support plan covers, a separate EC claim may be considered.

An EC extension and a support plan extension are separate; a student can receive both for the same piece of work where the circumstances are distinct and warrant it.

2.1.6 Claims across multiple assessments or timeframes

EC claims are limited to the semester in which the circumstances occur. A single claim can include multiple assessments and students are recommended to include all assessments affected by the circumstance.

Ongoing or repeat issues must be addressed through a different route. Where the same circumstance continues into another semester, further EC claims for that reason are not permitted. See ‘Circumstances affecting students ability to study and/or complete assessments’ regulation (link provided in Section 3). 

Students must not routinely submit repeat claims for the same assessment. If they do, any previous decision and support measure will be taken into account and may result in the claim being rejected.

2.1.7 EC claim deadlines

The deadlines for EC claim submissions are:

• Coursework EC claims must be submitted before the original coursework deadline.
• Exam EC claims would ideally be submitted before the scheduled exam begins. They must be submitted no later than five working days after the exam, provided the mark has not yet been released to the student.

Students must submit EC claims within the required timeframes. 

Claims submitted outside these deadlines will not be accepted except in the following limited circumstances:

1. Compelling evidence of inability to submit on time:

Where the student was so severely incapacitated (e.g. extended or severe hospitalisation) that submission of the claim was not reasonably possible, with evidence of these circumstances.

Please note, an ordinary illness or minor disruption does not qualify, nor do any events without robust evidence.

See Section 3 of the EC procedure for more information on how to submit this late EC claim with evidence.

2. New Evidence after an EC decision:

Where an EC claim was main within the required timeframes, but evidence has subsequently become available that did not exist and could not reasonably have been known about at the time of the original claim. 

See Section 3 of the EC procedure for more information on how to submit this evidence. 

3. Late diagnosis of a disability or long-term medical condition:

If a student receives a diagnosis after an assessment that qualifies under the Equality Act 2010, they may submit an EC claim for assessments that took place in the current academic year without the reasonable adjustments in place.  

See the ‘Long-term conditions of disabilities affecting students’ ability to study and complete assessment’ regulation (link provided in Section 3 below) for details on how to submit in these circumstances.

This section provides guidance and illustrative examples of circumstances that may or may not be considered ‘extenuating circumstances’ depending on the context and evidence. It is intended for general guidance only. The list is not exhaustive, definitive, or prescriptive. 

All claims are assessed on their individual merit in accordance with the relevant regulations and procedures.

Examples of acceptable and unacceptable circumstances

These are intended for general guidance only. The list is not exhaustive, definitive, or prescriptive:

Examples of acceptable and unacceptable circumstances

Illness	Usually acceptable if lasting more than 5 working days, or if acute (e.g. sudden illness during an exam). Late diagnosis of a disability or long-term condition. Not acceptable if minor, short-term (e.g., cold), or not requiring treatment.
Hospitalisation	Extended or acute hospital stays may be acceptable. Short visits to Accident and Emergency (A&E) or minor injury units are typically not acceptable.
Acute injury	May warrant short-term adjustments (e.g., extra time or a scribe for exams).
Exam stress	Acceptable only if medically diagnosed and evidenced. General feelings of stress or anxiety are not sufficient.
Pregnancy and parental leave	Some pregnancy-related issues may qualify (e.g., illness, hospitalisation). Maternity/paternity leave must follow guidance; paternity leave may qualify.
Long-term conditions	Must be addressed under the separate long-term conditions/disability regulation. Claims based on circumstances existing more than 12 months before the assessment are usually not valid under this regulation.
Family illness	May be accepted for close relatives if impact on study is demonstrated. Ongoing conditions may be accepted for more than one semester only where interruption is not feasible and regular updates are submitted. Illness of pets is not usually acceptable.
Bereavement	Acceptable when a close relationship is demonstrated. Bereavement of a pet is not normally acceptable.
Acute personal/emotional circumstances	May be accepted if the student seeks appropriate support and discloses the issue in a timely manner.
Victim of crime	Must show impact on ability to study and refer to relevant categories (e.g. hospitalisation, emotional distress).
IT/Computer or equipment failures	Not acceptable for coursework, preparation for exams, or general computer issues —students are expected to back up all work and drafts.
Domestic disruption	Acceptable only if severe and prolonged, typically in relation to exams. Minor disturbances by housemates are not acceptable.
Accommodation issues	Not normally acceptable. Students must ensure year-round access to suitable accommodation.
Transport issues	Acceptable only if exceptional and unforeseeable (e.g., sudden train cancellation). Students are expected to allow for normal travel delays and submit any required travel authorisations in advance.
Representing the university	May be accepted for significant or prestigious events (e.g., sports, national representation). Refer to High Performing Athlete regulation.
Jury service	Must request deferral; only accepted if deferral is refused.
Court attendance	Acceptable if attending court personally or supporting someone else.
Criminal convictions	If a student is convicted of a criminal offence, any disruption caused by the investigation or sentence is not an acceptable extenuating circumstance.
Religious observance	Acceptable if the Religious Observance Form is submitted by the required deadline and no alternative assessment arrangements were possible. Does not normally apply to coursework with long deadlines.
Paid employment/volunteering	May be accepted for part-time students or apprentices in exceptional situations. Not normally acceptable for full-time students, who are expected to manage work around academic responsibilities.
Holidays	Not acceptable. Students must be available during all assessment and study periods.
Misreading timetable or scheduling conflicts	Not acceptable. Students are responsible for knowing all exam and coursework deadlines.
Foreseeable/preventable circumstances	Not acceptable. If within the student’s control, the claim will be rejected.
When circumstances are not disclosed	Students must disclose circumstances through the correct procedure and within published deadlines. Late or non-disclosure means the university cannot consider a claim.
Repeat submission of the same circumstances	Only accepted if there’s a new acute episode despite the student accessing support. Repeating the same claim without change or support is not normally acceptable.

2.3.1 Requirement for evidence

Not all EC claims require evidence - it is possible to submit a request for an EC without evidence for both exam and coursework assessments that take place on the UK campus. EC claims without evidence have a reduced range of support measures available to them than those with evidence.  

Students studying on the UNM or UNNC campuses (whether full time or as an exchange student) are not permitted to claim an EC without evidence, whether exam or coursework, due to local regulations.

2.3.2 Standard of evidence

Evidence presented by students for EC claims requiring evidence must meet the standards set out in our ‘Standard of Evidence’ regulation (link provided in Section 3 below).   Failure to meet these standards may result in the claim being rejected.

The burden of proof to support a claim lies with the student at all times.

2.3.3 Guidance on associated evidence for acceptable circumstances

The university regulation on ‘Standard of Evidence’ (link provided in Section 3 below). provides guidance and illustrative examples of the types of evidence that are required to support evidenced claims of EC. 

2.3.4 Deadline for provision of evidence

Evidence would normally be submitted at the time of the student’s EC claim, but may be submitted up to 10 working days after the original deadline (i.e. the coursework submission or exam date). 

In severe cases, exceptions or extensions to this evidence provision deadline may be possible and must be approved in advance by the School EC panel. Retrospective approval is not possible. 

Delays in providing evidence will delay the decision as a decision cannot be made on the claim without the accompanying evidence. 

2.4.1 Definitions

The term ‘self-certification’ refers to an EC claim which does not have evidence.  Self-certification is possible for students at the UK campus.  It is not applicable to circumstances relating to modules being undertaken at the UNM or UNNC campuses or for PGR students.

Students must only self-certify for assessments when prevented from attending/submitting by circumstances that align with acceptable exceptional circumstances as defined in this regulation.  Claims which are believed to give fraudulent reasons for absence from the assessment will be investigated under the Academic Misconduct regulation. 

The support measures possible for an EC claim without evidence are reduced compared to those with evidence. If it is possible to get evidence, students may prefer to submit an evidenced claim. If a student is seeking a different support measure, for example a longer extension, then evidence will be required for this as part of their EC claim. 

2.4.2 When can self-certification be used?

Self-certification is only available for individual, summative, assessments, but does not apply to all assessments. 

Not all exams are permissible for self-certification – it will not be accepted for:

• absence from a group assessment.
• absence from a practice placement’
• an examination that the student attended, even briefly, or an e-exam that the student has viewed. 
• exams where the school notifies students that self-certification is not permitted (for example, through Moodle or the Course/Module handbook).

A School must robustly monitor attendance to examinations such that self-certification for examinations is only allowed when students do not attend the examination.  

Whilst self-certification is permissible for all individual pieces of coursework, it is not permissible for group assessments. 

It is possible to request a further evidenced EC after a self-certified EC for coursework, if the reason turned out to be taking longer to resolve than originally expected or if a second circumstance had occurred. If the request was upheld, the self-certified coursework EC already granted, would still count towards the maximum number permitted per academic year. 

Where self-certification is not possible, but a student has an EC, then an evidenced EC claim can be made.

For clarity, self-certification is intended for use by students who, unexpectedly, are unable to attend an examination/finish coursework due to short-term, acute circumstances e.g. a migraine or sickness and diarrhoea, and who are unable to obtain medical evidence for this. If a student wishes to give advance notice of their inability to sit an examination or submit coursework, evidence will be required for this.

2.4.3 How do students make a self-certified claim?

Self-certification claims are made using the same EC claim form as for evidenced claims. See Section 3 below for a link to that form.

When self-certifying absence, all students must read and understand the implications of the university’s Maximum period from initial registration which sets out that stages of study must be completed within a prescribed timeframe.  

2.4.4   The maximum number of EC claims without evidence

Students may self-certificate absence from an examination(s) for a maximum of two consecutive calendar days in an examination period. For absence of more than two consecutive calendar days, or for a further EC claim in the same examination period, evidence is required.

Students can submit a self-certified EC claim for coursework a maximum of two times in an academic year.

There must be an associated circumstance for the self-certified EC claim and if not then it  would be declined.

The university reserves the right to review the use of self-certification by students and to require evidence for multiple and frequent use of self-certification.

2.4.5 Potential impact of a self-certified EC

Students must be aware that if they self-certify their absence from an examination assessment (whether first sit or resit), they may be prevented from progressing to the next stage of study, if the progression requirements of the course have not been met. Subject to the progression requirements of the course, some students may be able to proceed to the next stage of study, carrying the outstanding assessment but, if not, they will have to interrupt their studies until the next scheduled assessment opportunity. 

Student Services will notify students of the impact of their non-attendance on progression after the meeting of the relevant progression or classification Examination Board (not at the time of the self-certified EC claim).

2.4.6 School options for self-certified coursework support measure

For each coursework assessment, Schools can nominate one of three options for how self-certified EC claims will be handled.

The three options are:

• A five working-day extension (this is the default, option 1 in Section 2.5).
• An alternative form of assessment (option 6 in Section 2.5).
  • If QSC approval is needed, this must be secured before the nomination deadline, otherwise the five working-day extension will apply.
• Disregard that element (option 7 in Section 2.5). This can only be selected by a School if in disregarding that element all module learning outcomes will still be met. 

Schools don’t have to make a nomination. If they don’t, the default five working-day extension will apply.

Different coursework assessments within a module can have different nominations.

Only one option can be chosen for each assessment. Students and EC panels do not choose.

If the support measure used is not the default (five working-day extension), students must be told at the start of the academic year (e.g. via the module handbook or Moodle) what support measure would apply, and if it is an alternative format then what that format is. 

Nominations must be made each year by the third Friday in October. They don’t carry over from year to year.

2.5.1 Definitions of decisions and support measures

For clarity, this regulation uses the term decision to refer to whether or not a claim for EC has been accepted. A claim may be approved with evidence, approved without evidence, or not approved. 

If a claim is approved, support measure refers to the specific measure put in place to support the student - for example, an extension, a deferral, or another first attempt at assessment. There are different support measures available depending whether the EC request had evidence.

2.5.2 Core considerations for decisions and support measures

The following principles apply for EC claims:

• Claims with evidence are reviewed and decided by School EC Panels, selecting support measures for approved claims from the full range available.
• Claims without evidence (self-certified) are reviewed and decided by Student Services, working with the limited range of support measures permitted for self-certified claims.
• Marks cannot be changed by EC Panels or Student Services. Any change to a student’s mark or classification can only result from reassessment or by setting aside a module or element during final calculation by the exam board.
• EC panels must always consider offering an additional attempt before recommending that an assessment or module be disregarded. The latter support measure must only be selected if an additional attempt is not possible or appropriate. 
• If a student’s EC claim for an exam is approved (evidenced or not), the support measure is not optional, unless the claim is withdrawn using the process in Section 2.6. For example, if the support measure is a further attempt, the original exam will not count, even if the original script is accidentally marked or the result released. If the student does not attend the new attempt, a mark of zero will be recorded.
• Self-certified EC claims count toward the student’s annual limit, even if the student does not use the support measure (e.g. if a coursework extension is granted but the student submits on time), unless the claim is withdrawn using the process in Section 2.6.
• If an EC claim would mean that a student would exceed their maximum period, whether of stage or registration, the EC panel must make an outside of regulations request to the Quality and Standards Committee (QSC) before confirming the decision and support measure to the student. Such EC claims would always need evidence. The case must justify the extension based on the student’s currency of learning, prior extensions, and the impact of current circumstances. If QSC approve the extension, only then can the student be notified of the EC panel’s decision and resulting support measure.
• EC panels and Student Services cannot override academic misconduct penalties. For example, a first sit cannot be granted for an assessment already penalised for academic misconduct. If academic misconduct is discovered after an EC decision is issued, any corresponding support measure will be invalidated.
• Support measures awarded must be proportionate to the severity and timing of the circumstances and the evidence provided.
• If an EC panel award a support measure and it later is clear that this is not possible for a university reason (e.g. student was offered another sit of an exam, but later that exam cannot run for some good reason and an alternative assessment format is needed) the EC panel can reconsider and offer another support measure from 1-8 in section 2.5.4 below.

Where support measures 1–8 in Section 2.5.4 are applied, no further consideration of the claim will take place at the final Examination Board even if the support measure is not utilised. 

2.5.3 EC decisions  

There are four possible decisions an EC Panel or Student Services can make, depending on the evidence provided and the circumstances of the claim:

Decision 1. The claim is not approved, due to: 

i. unacceptable grounds within the university’s regulations.

ii. insufficient or invalid evidence (e.g. not covering the relevant period, or within the required timeframe or from an unapproved source).

iii. approval would exceed maximum registration period without extension approval.

Decision 2. Claim approved without evidence, where there are reasonable grounds to believe the student’s ability was adversely affected.

Decision 3. Claim approved with evidence, where sufficient evidence supports the adverse impact on the student’s ability.

Decision 4. Provisional approval (for students in their final year of study only), where evidence shows affected performance but a final decision will be deferred to a meeting of the EC panel at the end of the academic session when the full impact can be assessed. This should only be used if a further attempt at an assessment cannot be made before the relevant Examination Board meets or if the other support measures 1-8 are not available for good reason.

2.5.4   EC support measures for undergraduate students, postgraduate students on taught programmes and postgraduate research students undertaking taught modules.

EC support measures for undergraduate students, postgraduate students on taught programmes and postgraduate research students undertaking taught modules

Support measure	Self-certified claim	Evidenced claim	Coursework	Exam	Details
(1) Short extension	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Grant an extension of up to 5 working days. Students must be told if this changes when they will receive their marks and feedback in accordance with the Policy on Feedback to Students.
(2) Extended extension	No	Yes	Yes	No	Grant an extension of up to 15 working days, considering support plans and past extensions on the same assignment. Extensions should normally get shorter if applied more than once. Students must be told of any impact on feedback return dates.
(3a) Deferral	No	Yes	Yes	No	If more than 15 working days is needed due to serious impact, the student must defer to submit in the summer assessment period (or School equivalent) to avoid further disruption to study.
(3b) Further attempt (coursework)	No	Yes	Yes	No	If more than 15 working days is needed due to serious impact and a new assessment task is required, an equivalent sit in the summer assessment period (or School equivalent) with new assignment may be granted.
(4) Further attempt (exam)	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Allow a further attempt as an equivalent sit, on the next assessment date for that exam (and in line with progression regulations for resits), which can be with or without attendance as appropriate. The mark achieved in this further attempt will count as the first mark toward the award. If the student does not attend the new attempt, a mark of zero will be recorded.   Bespoke examinations to facilitate progression, graduation etc. will not be scheduled.
(5a) Short-term exam adjustment	No	Yes	No	Yes	Where a short-term adjustment is approved, a temporary arrangement should be put in place for any in-person exams during the next assessment period. The required arrangement must be detailed in the decision letter and will expire at the end of that assessment period.
(5b) Short-term additional time and/or breaks	No	Yes	No	Yes	Where there is insufficient time to implement a short-term adjustment for the next assessment period, the student may instead be granted more time and/or rest breaks for in-person exams during the next assessment period. The required arrangement must be detailed in the decision letter and will expire at the end of that assessment period.
(5c) Combined short-term exam adjustments	No	Yes	No	Yes	Where appropriate, a student may be granted both types of short-term adjustment for in-person exams (as described in 5a and 5b). The required arrangement must be detailed in the decision letter and will expire at the end of that assessment period.
(6) Alternative assessment format	Yes (if school permitted)	Yes	Yes	Yes	Recommend a different form of assessment (whether as a first sit or resit), as determined by the school, where the original or equivalent is no longer possible.  Alternative assessment formats would need to be detailed in the module specification, otherwise an outside of regulation request would first need to be made to QSC.
(7) Disregard an element	Yes (if school permitted)	Yes	Yes	Yes	Disregard an element of a module assessment and re-compute the module mark from completed elements subject to regulation 6 of the Assessment Regulations (subject to PSRB requirements). Only to be used when additional attempts are not possible or inappropriate, or where the school has nominated it by the required deadline for self-certified coursework EC.
(8) Repeat period of study	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Offer a repeat period of study and assessment (tuition fees apply), subject to this option being supported by any sponsor, immigration legislation or legal obligation and also to the university’s regulation on Maximum Period from Initial Registration.
(9) Disregard modules (in final year only)	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	For final year students (including taught stage for PGT students), if a further attempt at an assessment cannot be made before the relevant Examination Board meets, marks for specific affected module(s), up to a maximum of 20 credits, may be disregarded when calculating the final classification or credit-weighted average for the final stage. This is subject to the relevant Regulations for Undergraduate, Taught Masters, Postgraduate Diploma, and Postgraduate Certificate courses. Usually, a first attempt at the assessment must have been made for this support measure, but Section 6a of the Assessment Regulations must also be considered. This support measure can only be applied at the end of the final year once the full marks profile is available and is subject to PSRB requirements.
Degree classification outside regulations (in final year only)	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	In rare circumstances, where a student’s ability to study or complete assessments in their final year has been seriously affected, and their academic performance is not representative of their overall profile, the Board of Examiners may make a request to the Quality and Standards Committee to recommend a degree classification outside the normal regulations, based on the student’s performance in earlier years. This support measure must only be made when there is no reasonable prospect of the student completing further first attempts within an appropriate timeframe, such as in cases of chronic or terminal illness affecting the student or their dependent. The Board must also be satisfied that all programme learning outcomes have been met before submitting such a request to the Quality and Standards Committee.

 

2.5.5   EC support measures for postgraduate research students in relation to progression reviews  

For Postgraduate Research students at any stage of study, for circumstances impacting their progression ability, the EC panel may:

either

(a) Grant an extension to the date set for the submission of the Progression Review report

or

(b) Grant an extension to the date set for the progression review meeting

or

(c) If circumstances occur that mean the progression review meeting cannot be completed, permit the student to undertake a further Progression Review as a First Sit.  

Note, the award of one of these support measures does not alter or extend the thesis submission date or the start of the thesis pending period.  

It is not possible for PGR students to self-certify.  All EC claims require evidence.

2.5.6 Additional advice or instructions

EC panels may also or alternatively include additional advice or instructions in response to an EC claim, whether or not the claim is approved. 

This advice or instructions may include, but are not limited to:

• a student is advised to attend a meeting with their Personal Tutor, Academic Guide, the School Postgraduate Student Advisor (SPSA), a Support and Wellbeing Officer (UNUK) or School Senior Tutor (UNNC) to consider the support options available, including the possibility of a voluntary interruption of study;
• a student is advised to seek support from relevant support services, e.g. Counselling Service, Disability/Academic Support.
• referral to the university’s Occupational Health Service (UNUK) or Health and Wellbeing Centre (UNNC).

If a student fails to seek appropriate support following an instruction from an EC panel or Student Services, further claims made due to similar circumstances would likely be rejected.

Students may withdraw an EC claim if the circumstances no longer apply (e.g. recovery from illness, cancelled jury service), or if the student no longer believes their performance would be strongly affected. This applies regardless of whether the claim has already received a decision.

However, to withdraw an EC claim the following conditions must be met:

2.6.1 General conditions

• No EC claim may be withdrawn after the mark for the relevant assessment has been released to the student.
• An EC claim that is under an academic misconduct investigation cannot be withdrawn.

2.6.2 Coursework claims

• Coursework EC claims may only be withdrawn before the original coursework deadline.
• If the claim is withdrawn and the coursework is submitted after the original deadline, standard late submission penalty will apply.

2.6.3 Exam claims

• Exam EC claims may be withdrawn any time before the scheduled exam begins.
• They may also be withdrawn up to 5 working days after the exam, provided the mark has not yet been released to the student. 

2.6.4 How to withdraw an EC claim

See the EC procedure page (link provided in Section 3 below) for details on the how to withdraw an EC claim.

Extenuating Circumstances procedure

Extenuating circumstances FAQ

Standard of evidence

Academic misconduct regulations

Academic misconduct procedure

Academic regulations

Assessment Regulations

Circumstances affecting students' ability to study and complete assessments

(Withdrawal requests must be submitted via the ‘Ask a Question’ function in the Student Enquiry Centre portal).

High Performance Athlete academic flexibility

 Long-term conditions or disabilities affecting students' ability to study and complete assessment

Maximum period from initial registration for completion of studies

Policy on support for pregnant students and students with very young children

Feedback to students

Quality Manual glossary

Student status changes and implications for your student visa

University of Nottingham Online Extenuating circumstances

Voluntary interruption of study

Version control table

Version Number	Purpose/Change	Approving Committee	Date
1.0	Reformatted to align with new University of Nottingham Policy Management Framework based on content last modified on 24/05/2025	QSC	June 2025
2.0	Added the ability to request an extenuating circumstance claim for coursework without evidence which is not optional for schools. This regulation has also been rewritten to improve clarity and readability, without changing the underlying rules.	QSC	September 2025