Case Summaries

Due to an administrative error, the student was accidentally allowed another resit opportunity and they passed the assessment at the third attempt. The student paid to extend their visa and began a placement.

When the error was discovered the provider declared the student’s third attempt null and void. The provider’s assessment regulations only permit a maximum of two assessment attempts at postgraduate level. The student could therefore no longer meet the academic requirements to be awarded an MSc and was only eligible to receive an exit award of a Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) with placement.

The student submitted an appeal against the decision. The provider apologised for the administrative error which led to the student initially being given a third attempt, but upheld the assessment board’s decision that the student had exceeded the maximum number of assessment attempts at postgraduate level.

The student complained to us and asked for the result of their third attempt at the module to be allowed to stand so they could be awarded an MSc. The student said that if they had known at the time that no further assessment attempts were available, they would have applied for a different Masters programme instead of starting their placement because they needed to attain an MSc, rather than a PGDip.  

We upheld the student’s complaint (we decided it was Justified). We decided it was reasonable for the provider not to grant an exceptional third attempt. But we did not think the provider’s apology properly recognised the extent of the distress and inconvenience caused by its administrative error. The provider had also missed several opportunities to mitigate the distress caused to the student by the mistake. We recommended that the provider reimburse the student for costs they had incurred as a direct result of the error (the placement fee and costs associated with extending their visa) and offer them £2,500 for distress and inconvenience caused by the mistake.