Assessment extensions

If you are unable to submit or sit your assessment by the due date, you may be eligible for an extension.

To defer a final exams, see Deferred Final Exam.

You can apply for:

Up to seven calendar days of extension, without evidence.
More than seven calendar days of extension if you have exceptional circumstances and provide supporting evidence.

Applying for extensions for up to seven days

To apply for an extension of up to seven calendar days from the original due date, submit your request as soon as possible either in writing to your Unit Coordinator, or via the LMS extension request tool if your Unit Coordinator has advised it has been enabled for that assessment. This request should be sent before the due date of the assessment. Applications in writing or through extension plugin may be accepted after the assessment due date. Evidence is not required for this extension request.

In your request to the Unit Coordinator, you must include the reason you require an extension, and you have the option to share a plan to avoid future late submissions. If you believe your circumstances may affect you again later in the teaching period, please include this in your request.

Regardless of whether your extension was approved before or after the due date, your assessment must be submitted within seven calendar days from the original due date of the assessment.

Sonam is unwell with a stomach bug that is impacting her ability to complete her essay, which is due in one day. She emails her Unit Coordinator with a reason, and a plan to avoid late assessments in the future.

Dear Unit Coordinator,
I have been unwell due to a stomach bug I have caught which has impacted my ability to finish my essay in time for the due date. As this is a virus, it should pass soon and I do not expect my submissions for other assignments will be impacted. I would like to request an extension so I can recover and then get my assignment handed in.
Thank you, Sonam

Sonam’s extension is approved and she has up to seven calendar days from the due date to complete her work. She submitted her completed assessment two days later.

Drew has been kept at home due to a storm warning in their area. During the storm, their house loses power and reception for two days and Drew misses the date to submit their assignment. They continue working on the assignment in the meantime. When Drew regains internet access, they email their Unit Coordinator with a reason and their plan to
avoid late assessments in the future.

Dear Unit Coordinator,
Due to the storm in Roleystone, I lost power and reception and was unable to submit the assignment due on Wednesday. I am emailing you now, on Friday, to request an extension as I have just reconnected to internet access and am now able to work on my assessment again. This was an isolated weather event, and I don’t believe my future assessments for this unit will be late for the rest of the semester.
Thank you, Drew

Drew’s assessment is approved and has three business days left to complete their assessment, as they requested the extension two days after the due date. They submit on Wednesday, the last day of the extension.

Making multiple extension requests

Requests for extensions should not be unreasonably refused. If multiple extension requests are made in the same unit, your teaching staff may reach out to you to connect you with our Student Success and Support teams.

Applying for extensions beyond seven days

Your circumstances may continue beyond seven days. In this case, you may need a longer time frame for your extension. You may apply for an additional extension if you have evidence of exceptional circumstances that impacted your ability to submit or sit the assessment at the scheduled date and time. You may use the initial seven days to provide you time to collect the documentation you need for a longer extension.

The evidence you provide must be directly applicable to the reasons provided, include the dates you were affected by the relevant circumstances, specifically support the extension period you are requesting, and be submitted in English.

Exceptional circumstances are circumstances beyond your control and include:

Exceptional circumstance	Evidence required
Student health or medical condition	Signed statement covering the period when the circumstances occurred on relevant official letterhead from a medical practitioner or other approved health professional registered with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) or the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) or other relevant professional board or authority. Medical statements from pharmacists are not acceptable. Signed statement on relevant official letterhead from Murdoch University’s Counselling Services.
Exceptional family or personal circumstances	Death certificate or funeral notice. Police report or statement. Any form of supporting documentation accepted under the student health or medical condition category listed above. Statutory declaration outlining the relationship to the impacted family member if this is not evident without clarification.
Participation in Defence Force or emergency services or Jury duty	Emergency services: signed statement of support on relevant official letterhead detailing the mandatory service requirements or participation in a recognised emergency services callout. Defence Force: signed statement on relevant official letterhead detailing the student is rendering defence service. A copy of the jury summons. The summons must include the start and finish dates of the jury duty.
Unavoidable and unexpected work commitments not opted into on a voluntary basis	Signed statement on company letterhead from the employer supporting claims of unavoidable and unexpected work commitments, confirming that these were not opted into on a voluntary basis. For self-employed students, sufficient detail to adequately explain why work commitments are both unavoidable and unexpected will be provided.
Extreme weather events such as major bushfire, flood, earthquake or tsunami.	Evidence of home address in the affected area or statement from emergency services.
Elite athlete sporting activity participation	Signed statement of support from the University’s Elite Athlete Coordinator outlining how circumstances have impacted the student’s ability to submit or sit the assessment at the scheduled date and time. The extension request must be related to a specific sporting event or activity.
Being a victim of crime, including domestic violence	One or more of the following documents: police report written verification from an approved health professional registered with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA), Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW), or other relevant professional board or authority letter from a recognised family and domestic violence support service statutory declaration (students located in Australia only).
Experience of Gender-based Violence	One or more of the following: statement from a University employee confirming a Disclosure or Report of Gender-based Violence written verification from an approved health professional registered with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA), Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW), or other relevant professional board or authority letter from a recognised family and domestic violence support service statutory declaration (students located in Australia only) police report.
Religious	A signed and dated statement (on the organisation’s letterhead) from an imam, pastor, rabbi, priest or equivalent spiritual or community leader that includes: the student’s name, and that the student is a regular attendee or participant.
First Nations cultural grounds	First Nations students obtain a written communication from: the manager of Kulbardi or nominee, a First Nations service provider/ incorporated body, or a letter from an elder/ community member sighted by the Manager of Kulbardi.

The policy document that covers assessment extensions is the Student Assessment Support Procedure.

Contact

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