Deferred Exams

If you are unable to attend a final exam due to a serious illness, misadventure or other exceptional circumstance beyond your control you can apply for a deferred exam. A Deferred Exam Application must be lodged online no later than 5.00pm on the second working day after your scheduled exam.

Under the Western Sydney University Special Consideration Policy, permission to sit a deferred exam will only be granted in the event of exceptional and unavoidable circumstances where rescheduling the exam is demonstrated to be the only reasonable option. These circumstances include:

• a certified medical condition
• sporting or cultural commitments only where a student has been selected, through a formal documented process, to represent or participate in a state, national or international event
• serious personal or emotional trauma
• substantial change to routine employment arrangements or status beyond the student's control
• major technical issues that prevented you from starting your online exam during the main session

Note: Access to a deferred exam is a privilege and not an automatic right. As a general rule, neither pressures of work or university studies, nor other avoidable events or commitments, are sufficient reasons for deferring an exam.

Deferred exams are not granted for:

• pre-arranged holidays, including overseas travel
• if you misread your exam timetable
• for social and leisure events, including sporting and cultural commitments other than at state, national or international representative level
• if you commenced your online exam but could not finish it due to technical issues (in this case you may be eligible for Special Consideration).

Refer to the Western Sydney University Deferred Exam Procedures for more information about your eligibility for a deferred exam.

1. Deferred exam applications can now be completed online via a Student Form.
2. Complete the form, including attaching supporting documents. Your supporting documents must be in PDF (.pdf) format so you can upload them with your application.
3. Submit the form online. You will receive an email (to your student email account) acknowledging that your application has been successfully submitted.
4. You will also receive an email notification advising you of the outcome of your request.

The recommended internet browsers for the new Student Forms are Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox and Microsoft Edge.

All applications for deferred exams must be accompanied by supporting documentation to substantiate the circumstances that are impacting on your studies. Applications without supporting documentation may not be considered.

Examples of the type of supporting documentation are set out in the table below. Supporting documentation must be uploaded and attached with your application when applying for a deferred exam.

If you are sick, you must obtain a medical certificate on official letterhead or have a Western Sydney University medical certificate [PDF, 69.06 KB](opens in a new window) filled out by your practitioner and submit this with your application for a deferred exam. The medical certificate must:

• be signed by a registered medical practitioner or registered nurse (including contact details and provider number)
• state that you were unfit to sit exam on the relevant day

Please note: a medical certificate stating just "illness" or "medical condition" or "medical reason" may not be sufficient.

You must have an electronic copy of your supporting documents and submit them as part of the online process. Hard copy documents will not be accepted. Your supporting documents must be in PDF (.pdf) format and you must submit all of your supporting documentation at the same time when you submit your application.

For auditing purposes you must keep either the original or certified copy of all supporting documentation you attach for at least one year. The University conducts audits to validate the information students provide in their applications. You may be contacted anytime within one year of submitting your application and required to produce either the original or a certified copy of all supporting documentation.

You must be available to sit the deferred exam at the scheduled date and time. There are no provisions to sit deferred exams earlier than scheduled, or for further deferral of a deferred exam.

Your School will decide whether your Deferred Exams are conducted online or in person on campus.

If your application for a deferred exam is successful, we will send an email to your student email account. You will also be advised of the release of the deferred exam timetable via your student email.

If you have approval to sit a deferred exam but are unable to attend on the day due to illness or misadventure, you may apply for consideration under the Disruption to Studies Policy using WesternNow.

You must lodge the form along with supporting documentation no later than 5.00pm on the second working day after your scheduled deferred exam.

For more information please visit the Disruption to Studies website.

If you have already received your final results you may be eligible for a Review of Grade or Supplementary Assessment. Please visit the linked websites to read more about whether you are eligible.