Mitigating Circumstances

A mitigating circumstance is a situation outside of your control that may negatively affect your health or personal life. It is usually something that you could not reasonably expect and is therefore unforeseen.

We know that serious events, illnesses and situations, which have happened during study or are still happening, can have a significant impact on your ability to reach your full potential and achieve the grades you were expecting.

There is no definitive list of mitigating circumstances as we consider each individually on a case-by-case basis.

The information on this page is about circumstances which have affected the examinations you're taking this academic year where you don't yet have your results. To let us know about circumstances which affected your prior achievement, please ensure your referee includes this in the "extenuating circumstances" section of your academic reference at the point you apply to us.

Impact on your exams

At Durham we would expect applicants to ensure, where possible, that all reasonable steps were taken to inform examination boards, schools, colleges and parents/carers in a timely manner of any issues.

Examination boards are the experts on their qualifications and are in the best position to assess the right level of mitigation for your circumstances. If your mitigating circumstances could have been reported to your examination board but are not, we unfortunately will not be able to consider these. However, if reporting these to the examination board has been impossible, you can choose to inform us about your circumstances using our Mitigating Circumstances Form.

Submitting your Mitigating Circumstances Form

If you plan to submit mitigating circumstances for consideration, you must upload the form and evidence before you receive your results or by 31 July 2024 - whichever is earliest.

If you wish to use this form you should:

Specify which parts of your studies were affected and how they were affected

Specify why it has not been possible to report the mitigating circumstances to the relevant examination boards or why the examination boards were unable to take account of their mitigating circumstances

Why your school/college were unable to account for this in their assessments of your work

Include evidence, including medical evidence, where applicable

Please note, submitting mitigating circumstances does not guarantee that the University will be able to accept you if you do not meet the conditions of your offer. Although we understand you may have or are still facing very challenging circumstances, we also have a duty of care to admit students who are equipped to succeed on their chosen course. A student’s best interests are at the centre of all we do.

Continued support while you study

If your mitigating circumstances are a result of a long-term health issue or disability, the University offers support and guidance to students and applicants through our Disability Support Service.