LSE

Academic Appeals

Deadline: You must submit an appeal within 10 working days of your final results being published. Appeals cannot be made against provisional marks. The appeal form and supporting evidence must be received by 23.59 (UK time) on the deadline day.

Grounds:

• Procedural error: the examination board failed to follow the correct procedure and there is reasonable doubt that the outcome would have been the same had the procedure been followed correctly.
• New exceptional circumstances: new information about exceptional circumstances that affected your assessment, together with evidence explaining both the circumstances and why they were not reported at the appropriate time.

Stage 1 Appeal

• The Student Regulations Team (SRT) first considers whether the appeal is valid and whether the grounds have been established.
• The appeal is considered on the basis of your statement and supporting evidence. The SRT may seek further information where appropriate.
• If the appeal is accepted, the matter is referred to the relevant Examination Board Chair, who considers what action should be taken.
• Depending on the circumstances, this may include correcting a procedural error or considering exceptional circumstances as if they had been submitted on time. Possible outcomes include a higher classification, additional attempt or discounting a failed attempt.
• If the appeal is rejected, you will be given reasons and may request a Stage 2 review.

Stage 2 - Review

• You must request a review within 10 working days of receiving the Stage 1 outcome.
• A review may be requested on the grounds that:
  • the appeal procedure was not properly followed;
  • the outcome was unreasonable in all the circumstances; or
  • there is new relevant evidence which you had a valid reason for being unable to provide earlier.
• The review is conducted by the Academic Registrar (or nominee), who must not have been involved previously.
• Stage 2 does not normally reconsider the appeal from scratch. It considers whether the correct procedure was followed and whether the Stage 1 decision was reasonable.
• If the review identifies a procedural failure or unreasonable decision, the original decision may be set aside and a new decision made.
• The Stage 2 outcome completes LSE's internal appeals process and you will receive a Completion of Procedures letter.

Exceptional Circumstances

Deadline: Undergraduate students must normally submit ECs within 14 calendar days of their last assessment, or by the specific deadline set by LSE, whichever is earlier.

Before the assessment: If circumstances arise before an assessment, you should consider requesting an extension or deferral rather than submitting the assessment and relying on ECs afterwards.

After the assessment: If you submit an assessment but your performance was directly affected by sudden, unforeseen circumstances outside your control, you should submit ECs so that the Exam Board can take them into account.

If you miss an assessment: You should submit ECs if you were unable to submit an assessment or attend an exam without having obtained permission to defer.

Evidence: EC submissions should normally include corroborating evidence confirming the circumstances and, where relevant, their impact on the assessment. If evidence is unavailable by the deadline, you should submit the form explaining why and provide the evidence as soon as possible.

Outcome: The Exam Board decides what action, if any, is appropriate based on your circumstances, evidence, timing and marks. Possible outcomes include discounting a failed/absent attempt, granting an additional attempt, removing a late penalty or, in appropriate cases, awarding a higher degree classification.

Individual marks: ECs cannot normally be used to change an individual mark. They are instead considered through the Exam Board's application of the relevant regulations.

Fit to sit: LSE operates a fit-to-sit policy. By submitting an assessment or sitting an exam, you are generally considered to have declared yourself fit to do so. This means EC claims after an assessment can be difficult to establish.

Long-term circumstances: ECs are generally intended for unexpected short-term circumstances affecting a specific assessment. Students affected by longer-term circumstances should normally seek appropriate support or consider interrupting their studies. A sudden deterioration or flare-up of a long-term condition may nevertheless qualify.

Late ECs: If you did not submit ECs by the deadline, you may seek to rely on the circumstances in an academic appeal, but you must provide a good reason and supporting evidence explaining why you could not report them at the appropriate time.

Academic Misconduct

Allegation and Initial Assessment

• The Department must inform the SRT of the allegation and whether it considers the case minor or major.
• The SRT advises on the appropriate classification before the allegation is formally presented to the student.
• The student must be given details of the allegation, relevant evidence and an opportunity to respond.

Minor Allegations

• A minor allegation may be dealt with by the Department without a Panel.
• The student must normally be given at least 10 working days to respond to the allegation and provide evidence or an explanation.
• The Department considers the allegation, the evidence, the student's response and any relevant exceptional circumstances.
• The allegation may be dismissed, dealt with by a disposal, or result in a penalty such as a re-mark, capped mark or zero mark.
• The student may accept the proposed penalty or request that the case be considered by an Assessment Misconduct Panel. At least 5 working days must normally be given to decide.
• If the student does not respond, the proposed penalty may ultimately be applied.

Major Allegations / Assessment Misconduct Panel

• All major allegations are considered by an Assessment Misconduct Panel. A second allegation following a previous misconduct finding will normally also be referred to a Panel.
• The student must receive the allegation, supporting evidence and details of the procedure and must be given at least 10 working days to respond.
• The student's results are normally withheld until the case is concluded, which may affect progression or graduation.
• The student is entitled to attend the hearing, make representations, present evidence, question witnesses and challenge evidence.
• The student may be accompanied or represented, normally by a Students’ Union Advice Team representative.
• The Panel decides whether the allegation has been proved on the balance of the evidence.

Outcome and Penalties

• If the allegation is not proved, it is dismissed and no misconduct record is placed on the student's record.
• If proved, the Panel may impose a range of penalties depending on the seriousness of the offence, including:
  • re-marking work with unauthorised material removed;
  • a zero mark for an assessment or course;
  • loss of the right to resit;
  • additional zero marks for other assessments or courses;
  • reduction of the degree classification; or
  • expulsion.
• The decision and penalty are confirmed to the student in writing.

Appeal

• A student may appeal a Panel decision within 10 working days of receiving written confirmation.
• The grounds are:
  • the Panel was not impartial;
  • there was a material breach of procedure affecting the fairness of the decision; or
  • there is relevant fresh evidence which could have affected the outcome and which it was not reasonable or practical to provide earlier.
• The appeal may result in the penalty being reduced, a re-hearing by a different Panel, or the appeal being rejected.
• The appeal outcome completes LSE's internal procedure and a Completion of Procedures letter will be issued.