Regulations for postgraduate research students: Section 8

Section 8: Assessment Appeal Regulations

 

You should seek impartial advice and support from the Students’ Union Advice Centre if you wish to submit an appeal.

 

8.1 Introduction

8.1.1 This section applies to you if you want to appeal the outcome of any research degree assessment.

8.1.2 If your appeal would be more appropriately dealt with using a different University procedure, we will advise you of which procedure to use and why. If you raise issues using a different procedure, we may choose to consider it as an appeal instead. If so, we will explain this to you.

 

8.2 Grounds for appeal

8.2.1 There are three grounds for an assessment appeal, and you must evidence at least one of them for your appeal to be considered. They are:

• That you can demonstrate that there was a material irregularity in the way we handled your assessment that affected your outcome.
• That you have extenuating circumstances which - for good reason - you could not have told us about before the outcome of your assessment.
• That you can demonstrate bias (or a reasonable perception of bias) in the way you were assessed.

8.2.2 You may not challenge the academic judgement of the examination team: academic judgment is an assessment of the standard of your work in relation to learning outcomes and academic integrity that can only be made by someone who has relevant academic expertise.

 

8.3 Appeal procedure

8.3.1 There are two stages to the assessment appeal procedure:

8.3.2 Stage 1 – Initial appeal:

• If your appeal is successful, we will explain what will happen next.
• If your appeal is rejected, we will confirm that the outcome of your assessment stands.

8.3.3 Stage 2 - you should use Stage 2 if you believe that your appeal was not dealt with correctly at Stage 1 and you want the outcome to be reviewed:

• If your appeal is successful, we will explain what will happen next.
• If your appeal is rejected, we will confirm that the outcome of your assessment stands and that you have reached the end of the internal review process.

 

8.4 How to appeal

8.4.1 Full details of How to submit an assessment appeal can be found on our website.