This article provides an overview of the 5 working day arrangements that can be made for disabled students when completing coursework. Students will be able to request up to 5 working days of additional time to complete assessed coursework.
This also includes:
- Essays
- Dissertations
Important to know: This adjustment can't be made for assessments with short deadlines (less than 3 weeks between assessment details provided and the submission deadline). Similarly, it can't be made for written exams (face-to-face and online).
Any reference to 'day' or 'working day' in this article excludes weekend days, public holidays and university closure days.
How can I apply for the 5 working day extensions for coursework assessments?
The first step is to make sure the 5 working day extensions are added to your Personalised Assessment Arrangement (PAA) within your King's Inclusion Plan (KIP). If this isn't shown in your KIP:
- Make sure you have PAA. If you don't have this provision in your PAA or you're applying for PAA for the first time, please refer to our article Guidance for applying for Personalised Assessment Arrangements (PAA).
- Go to your PAA application form on Student Records and select the '5 working day extension provision'.
- When this is approved by the PAA panel, you'll have the option to request 5 working day extensions for your assessments via the Mitigating Circumstances Form (MCF).
Important to know: The Exams Office are not able to help with 5 working day extension queries after the PAA application stage. Please ask for help within your department instead.
How do I submit a request for the 5 working day extension?
- Log on to Student Records;
- Select ‘Student Home Page’ within the banner at the top of the homepage;
- Select ‘My Mitigating Circumstances’ within the ‘My Modules’ area;
- Select ‘New Request’ within the ‘Submit a new Mitigating Circumstances request’ area;
- Select the “Extension Granted by PAA” option from the 'Nature of Circumstances' drop-down list;
- Fill in the details on the form, as applicable.
You'll need to complete these steps each time you want to request a 5 working day extension for a coursework assessment.
What happens after my request is submitted?
Important to know: Some departments might award more than 5 working days of extension. This will depend on their faculty's policies, but you'll be offered 5 working days extra time as a minimum. Extensions are not automatically applied - you'll need to make an application under the mitigating circumstances process.
Common questions about the application process
I'm a King's Online student, can I apply for PAA and 5 working day coursework extensions?
All disabled students can apply for 5 working day coursework extensions. Extensions are not always possible for assessments with short time frames.
To learn more about the ways we support disabled students, please read our article An overview of the provisions and support you can access for your disability at King's.
Why can't I select a 5 working day extension request in the Mitigating Circumstances form (MCF)?
Before completing the MCF, you need to apply for the 5 working day extension via an application for Personalised Assessments Arrangements (PAA).
Please apply for all provisions that may be needed. Have a look at our article What are Personalised Assessment Arrangements (PAA)? for further guidance.
I’ve submitted my application for PAA; why can’t I see the option to select a 5 working day extension within my MCF?
If you're not able to request a 5 working day extension in your Mitigating Circumstances Form, your application for PAA may still be under review. To check the status of your application, please email the Examinations Office.
Important to know: For guidance on what to expect once you’ve applied for PAA, please read our article After you have applied for Personalised Assessment Arrangements (PAA).
Is there a restriction on how many requests I can make for a 5 working day extension?
You can only request one 5 working day extension per assessment.
There's no restriction on requesting 5 working day extensions for different coursework assessments.
If you request a 5 working day extension and find that you need more than the 5 additional working days, you’ll need to submit another Mitigating Circumstances form, and select another category. You'll need to provide an explanation of your circumstances and supporting evidence.
Important to know: Some academic departments may offer you a short extension that is longer than the approved 5 working days. This may be for administrative reasons, or to keep within their assessment cycles, but you're able to hand in your work at any point during the agreed extension time.
If 5 working day extensions can only be applied to assessments where completion time/deadlines are set at least three weeks in advance, what about other assessments with shorter timings?
Extra time is available for timed tests and examinations, but assessments with short time frames (including 24-hour online examinations) usually have additional time built in, so that it is not necessary to add any further time for disabled students.
Can I request a 5 working day extension for a dissertation?
Yes, you are able to request a 5 working day extension for a dissertation.
Can I request a 5 working day extension for a presentation?
This would not normally be appropriate, but if you are required to submit your presentation in a written format then you can request a 5 working day extension for it.
Important to know: Verbal presentation deadlines can't be extended under this arrangement. You should speak to your personal tutor if you will not be able to present at the time given. To find out how to contact your personal tutor, read our article Who is my personal tutor & what do they do?
My tutor has set a task to complete for next week and won’t provide an extension, why is this?
Assessments with short time frames (see above) are not covered by the 5 working day extension arrangement. Assessments with short time frames are set with enough time for all students to complete them, including those who need extra time compared to others.