What Are Mitigating Circumstances?

Mitigating circumstances, often called mit circs, extenuating circumstances or special considerations, are serious events outside a student's control that significantly affect their ability to prepare for, attend or complete an assessment. UK universities have formal processes to consider claims and offer adjustments such as extensions or new assessment opportunities.

What counts

Examples that are often accepted include:

• Serious illness or injury of the student, supported by medical evidence.
• Bereavement of a close family member or friend.
• Significant family crises, such as serious illness of a dependent.
• Accidents, victimization or crime.
• Major disruptions such as house fires, floods or legal proceedings.
• Acute mental health crises.

Things that often do not count include routine stress, poor time management, minor illness, computer failure without backups, holidays or normal work commitments. Rules differ by university, so read the policy.

How to apply

1. Check the policy and deadlines in your student handbook or portal.
2. Submit a form describing what happened, how it affected you and which assessments are affected.
3. Provide evidence, such as a doctor's letter, a death certificate or a police report. Some universities accept a self-certified statement for short illnesses.
4. Submit promptly, ideally before the deadline or exam. Many universities require claims within a few days of the assessment.
5. Wait for the decision, which is usually made by a panel, not your module tutor.

Possible outcomes

• Extension to an assignment deadline.
• Deferral of an exam to a later sitting, taken as a first attempt.
• Uncapped resit, when a resit would otherwise be capped at a pass mark.
• Other adjustments, depending on policy.

Marks are not normally adjusted or increased because of mitigating circumstances, and a claim does not excuse you from learning the material.

Tips

• Tell someone early, such as your personal tutor or student support, who can guide you.
• Keep records and evidence.
• Do not wait until after your result to claim.
• Ask about confidentiality, since many universities treat claims sensitively.
• Use support services in parallel, such as wellbeing and disability teams.

Related terms

See personal tutor, moderation, external examiner, incomplete grade and ombudsperson.