Procedures for Handling Missing Marks

All missing marks for coursework, problems classes, mid-term tests, etc. will be investigated by the staff member responsible for returning the marks. In cases of bona fide absence, e.g. due to illness (see also Mitigating Circumstances Affecting Assessments), an appropriate substitute mark will be used when calculating the returned mark for the module. Each final marksheet will include written confirmation that this procedure has been implemented. The substitute mark will normally be based on marks obtained by the student in a similar assessment, as follows:

• For a missing test, the student's performance on an equivalent test on the same module will be used, if available. (If there are two or more equivalent tests the average performance over these will be used.)
• Similarly, for a missing problem class or minor piece of coursework, the student's average performance for equivalent assessments will be used, if available.
• If the student has no mark available from an equivalent assessment, a substitute mark will be calculated on the basis of the student's average performance over other assessments on that module.

Notes:

1. Substitute marks may not normally contribute a substantial (as defined in the document Penalties for Late Submission of Work ) proportion of a student's module mark. If a student is missing a substantial proportion of marks for a module because of bona fide absence, a deferred assessment may be required.
2. In some cases of bona fide absence the student may, at the discretion of the module instructor, be expected to catch up the missing work and so a substitute mark will not be provided. This will normally be the case in a laboratory module (or similar) if the student has missed the work session as well as the associated assessment.
3. In certain modules, the assessment procedure may involve consideration of a student's highest-scoring work only, with other marks being discarded. In such cases a substitute mark may not be necessary.
4. Evaluation of a student's 'performance' will be an academic judgement drawing on the student's marks and/or rank position in the cohort.