The appeals procedure is currently being redeveloped. Some new aspects are being brought in this year, and we are updating our guidance as things develop. If you're unclear about any part of the procedure, please email advice@luu.ac.uk or contact Student Cases at studentcases@leeds.ac.uk.

The University's Academic Appeals Procedure is the process you can use to change a finalised mark or degree classification, and you can also challenge academic decisions such as withdrawal from studies, or a transfer to MPhil (if you are a PhD student).

Other decisions, like disciplinary, academic misconduct and academic progress decisions, can be appealed under different procedures. For these cases, read our related articles and contact LUU Advice as early as possible.

You can only appeal against finalised marks. If you disagree with a provisional mark that you got for an assessment, you should contact your School for feedback in the first instance.

Once your results have been published online or you have received your decision in writing, you will have 20 working days to submit your appeal.

The grounds for appeal are the only basis upon which you can appeal.

Grounds for Taught Students

a) There were relevant mitigating circumstances at the time of the assessment, and there is a good reason why these were not presented to the University sooner.

b) The student notified the University of mitigating circumstances or some other disruption to the assessment process, but they believe the examiners or examining body did not give sufficient consideration to this information.

c) The assessment was conducted unfairly or improperly, or the assessment of your achievement was biased.

d) A procedural irregularity occurred in the processing of an assessment and this had an impact on the outcome.

e) The supervision of a Final Year Project or dissertation was unsatisfactory, and there is a good reason why this was not presented to the University sooner.

Grounds for Postgraduate Researchers

a) The assessment was conducted unfairly or improperly, or the assessment of your achievement was biased.

b) A procedural irregularity occurred in the processing of an assessment and this had an impact on the outcome.

c) The supervision of postgraduate research was unsatisfactory, and there is a good reason why this was not presented to the University sooner.

d) A decision to refuse a suspension or extension of study was unreasonable.

More info on how to appeal as a PGR can be found in our related articles.

Appeals against the academic judgement of the examiner are not accepted. There are approved marking processes in place and results are agreed by the Progression and Awards Board. Once a mark is finalised, unless there is a clear error (such as a clerical mistake) or objective evidence that the marking procedure was not followed, this decision is final. This means that you cannot just appeal because you don’t think the mark is correct and would like it to be remarked.

If you’re not sure how your situation fits into the procedure, come and speak to an Advisor or email us at advice@luu.ac.uk

FAQs

I’m unhappy with my assessment/exam results, what can I do?

If you’re unhappy with how your assessments have gone or are disappointed with your results there are a few things you can try.

Speak to your School, the Module Leader or your Personal Tutor first. It's best to discuss your worries and concerns about your results with them, they may be able to offer some guidance on the best option for you. They might also be willing to go over your work and provide feedback on why you got the mark you received.

If there have been any difficulties which affected your ability to work or take an exam and they have not been taken into account, you might need to appeal based on these circumstances.

You cannot appeal just because you disagree with the mark given - this is called challenging the academic judgement of the examiner and is not a ground for appeal.

How can I appeal against a rejected mitigating circumstances application?

You cannot appeal against this directly. Instead, you need to wait for the academic result to come out for the module(s) in question, and if you failed due to your mitigating circumstances request being rejected, you should appeal this finalised mark under ground b).

Can I still attend graduation if I’m appealing my final degree classification?

If you want to appeal your final results, you are still able to attend your graduation ceremony if you meet the requirements. However, if you choose to graduate, you will graduate with the award and classification published in the final results. If the award or classification is changed due to a successful appeal, a revised certificate and transcript will be issued.

Alternatively you can defer your graduation to the next available ceremony following completion of the appeals procedure. If changes to the award or classification are made, this will be presented to you at the ceremony.

I’m going to be excluded from university, can I appeal?

If the decision to withdraw you is due to academic failure, then you will need to appeal using the Academic Appeals Procedure described here.

If the decision is due to Disciplinary Procedures, Fitness to Study, Fitness to Practise/Health and Conduct, Progression Procedures or Academic Misconduct you should read our related articles on how to appeal these.

Can I appeal academic misconduct decisions made in my School?

Yes, but this is under a different procedure. Read our related articles about plagiarism and cheating to find out more.

Can I appeal to the Pro-Vice Chancellor?

Possibly, yes - read our related articles to find out more.