Supplementary and deferred examinations

Supplementary examinations
Special examination
Supplementary/deferred examination
Examination procedures
Assistance to students
Special consideration

General

Provision for award of supplementary and deferred examinations is made in University regulations (see Examination Regulations)

Significant differences between special or deferred and supplementary examinations

Supplementary examination

A supplementary examination is a form of supplementary assessment (there may be assignments, orals, etc.) that is granted to a student in accord with the prescribed rules and conditions of the relevant Faculty Board (see Sections 4 of Examination Regulations.) A supplementary examination is intended to be bestowed in predefined and determinable circumstances such as when a candidate obtains a mark in a particular mark range or after certain prerequisites have been satisfied. Students are not required to offer any justification or supporting evidence to gain a supplementary examination.

Students who fail a unit, which is the last unit necessary to complete a course of study and which has been undertaken in the last two semesters of study, will be given supplementary assessment in that unit provided that they have completed all the work for the unit, have sat the final examination and have obtained a mark of at least forty per cent in the unit. This provision does not apply to units studied through another Monash Faculty, through Open Learning or through any other institution.

The final grade awarded to a student granted a supplementary examination in a unit can be no higher than a pass (mark up to 59).

Special examination

A special examination is usually referred to as a deferred examination (see section 4.5 of the Examination Regulations) Such examinations differ from supplementary examinations in that a candidate may not sit the original examination as scheduled or, having sat all or part of it and received a mark between 0 – 49, is able to satisfy the faculty that medical or other circumstances so severely affected his/her performance that he/she should be entitled to another examination. In exceptional circumstances a deferred examination may also be granted to a student with a mark between 50 and 79. To be eligible for a deferred examination, students must submit a special consideration application to the faculty on the prescribed form.

Power to award supplementary/special/deferred examinations

The power to award supplementary/special/deferred examinations is vested in the faculty's board of examiners and the duly appointed delegates of the faculty board. (see Examinations Regulation) Examiners may, of course, make recommendations to the Board and its delegates.

Examination procedures

These are essentially the same as those for final examinations. (see Final Examinations). Before making application for recreation leave in January and/or February, academic staff are advised to ascertain from the Head of Department whether (and, if so, when) they will be required to be available to examine supplementary or special or deferred examination scripts.

Assistance to students

Teaching staff are not obliged to provide extra tuition to students who have been awarded special or supplementary examinations. Students who have failed the final examination are, however, entitled to have access to their answers in that examination. In cases where a number of students have been awarded supplementary or special examinations in a unit, it may be appropriate to arrange for a session at which academic staff provide the students with general comments on the final examination.

Special consideration for supplementary and deferred examinations

If, as a result of a special consideration for the final examination, a student is granted a deferred examination, then submits a new special consideration for the period of the deferred examination, a further deferral of the examination will not normally be granted in such circumstances. All rights to deferred exams examinations are forfeited if not taken up by the January supplementary/deferred exam period following their attempt of the unit.

If a student fails the final examination and is granted a supplementary examination and then submits a special consideration for the period of the supplementary examination, individual lecturers-in-charge can adjust a student's mark using the normal procedures for such considerations. However, a further deferral of the examination will not normally be granted in such circumstances. All rights to supplementary examinations are forfeited if not taken up by the January supplementary/deferred exam period, following their attempt of the unit.

Related: Timing of supplementary and deferred exams; Near passes and supplementary/deferred exams

Reference number

28/02

Policy approval

Fac Brd 2/01 Amended June 03 by Deputy Associate Dean.

Policy review

2004

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