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If you are unhappy with your results, you may be wondering if you should make a complaint or submit an appeal. If you are looking to challenge the outcome of an exam, coursework, or your degree classification, you will likely need to submit an “academic appeal”.

How do I make an academic appeal?

Universities will often ask students to (a) complete an appeal form (b) ask you to explain your grounds of appeal in writing and (c) may require you to provide evidence to support your case. Many universities provide very limited time to submit an academic appeal, so it is important to act fast.

Universities will also set out the grounds of appeal they permit which may include:

• A procedural irregularity in the assessment process.

• Bias or perception of bias.

• Mitigating/extenuating circumstances (e.g. bereavement, illness).

If your appeal is not made on one or more of the permitted grounds of appeal, your appeal may fail. An appeal can also fail if a student challenges the “academic judgement” of the assessor (where the opinion of an academic expert is vital).

If your appeal is unsuccessful, you may be able to challenge this further with the Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education (OIA).

How we can help

Our university solicitors are specialists in academic appeals. Academic appeals can be difficult to bring as specific grounds need to be raised, robust arguments need to be made and you may also be required to provide supportive evidence.

Our higher education law experts can help guide you through the complex area of university law, provide you advice on the strengths of your case and help draft your grounds of appeal. Many universities will set down extremely tight deadlines, so it is advisable to contact one of our higher education law specialists urgently to seek the advice and support you need.

We can also help you with your complaint to the OIA if your appeal has been unsuccessful.

Please contact us on 01633 240743 or by e-mail [email protected] to discuss how our university law solicitors can help you.

We offer an initial free consultation during which we will explain (a) how we can help and (b) provide an estimate of costs.