FAQs

How can I appeal an exam result?

Complete the online application form and submit it along with supporting documentation and appeal fee.
Important: Incomplete or invalid appeals will not be processed.

What are the grounds to Appeal?

Grounds for Appeal An appeal of an examination result shall be considered either under Ground A or Ground B as set out below:

Ground A: if there is evidence of substantive irregularity in the conduct of the examination and/or the assessment process, or where a student presents evidence to support an assertion that the mark awarded was incorrect.

Ground B: If there are extenuating circumstances that impacted on the student’s exam or assessment performance of which the Examinations Board were not aware when making its decision, or, the Examination Board were aware of the circumstances, however, were not aware of the impact of those circumstances on the student’s exam or assessment performance. If the extenuating circumstances had not been made known previously to the Dean of the College as required, the appeal must include a supported explanation for the non-disclosure. Where medical evidence is being relied upon, appropriate certification by an independent Medical Practitioner (excluding any Medical Practitioner who is a family relation of the student) should be attached.

Please see link for more information QA235 Appeal of Examination Result and QA091 Recheck of Examination Results

What are the Extenuating Circumstances under Grounds B for Appeal?

Extenuating circumstances must be pertinent to the time of an assessment, and comprise (including but not limited to below):

1. Involvement in an accident or serious incident
2. An acute illness, injury, or trauma
3. Deterioration in an ongoing medical or health condition, or adverse change in a fluctuating condition
4. Life-threatening illness or death of a person with whom you have a close relationship
5. Significant adverse personal or family circumstances
6. Serious or abrupt upheaval, such as a house fire, burglary, or eviction; or upheaval with respect to geopolitical change related to period(s) of study abroad or international study trip(s)
7. A victim of crime or threatening behaviour 8. Other significant and relevant exceptional factors for which there is evidence that academic performance has been impaired.

How long does it take to get a decision?

Typically, an appeal decision can take up to three months but some appeals can take much longer depending on their complexity.

The Examination Appeals Committee makes every effort to complete appeal decisions in a timely manner, however, it is not possible to give specific timelines about when a decision will be made. 

I am a final year student; can I still appeal?

Yes, you can still appeal, however please refer to the Conferring webpage here for any queries on conferring schedules

If I submit an appeal for a non passing modules, should I sit the Autumn exams?

 While we endeavor to resolve all appeals before the repeats, it is possible the results of an appeal will not be available before the repeat exam of the module in question. A student should always be prepared to sit the repeat as there is no guarantee that the result of an appeal is favourable. 

In the instance where a student's first sitting appeal application is upheld after sitting Autumn exams, the upheld first mark takes precedence over second sitting. 

What is the difference between a recheck and an appeal?

A recheck is simply a re-calculation of all parts of the exam and there is NO review of the exam content.

An appeal application is considered based on one or more grounds:

A - If there is evidence of substantive irregularity in the conduct of the examination and/or the assessment process, or where a student presents evidence to support an assertion that the mark awarded was incorrect.

B - If there are extenuating circumstances that impacted on the student’s exam or assessment performance of which the Examinations Board were not aware when making its decision; or, the Examination Board were aware of the circumstances, however, were not aware of the impact of those circumstances on the student’s exam or assessment performance.

The Examination Appeals Committee considers the appeal based on the grounds and consults, as appropriate, with the examiner(s). Exam appeal workflow is available online.

Do you have to get an exam re-checked before you can apply for an appeal?

No. It is not necessary to apply for a formal recheck of an exam result before making an appeal application. It is important to note that a formal recheck application may not be processed and complete in advance of the examination appeal deadline. As part of an appeal application, it is necessary to provide documentary evidence that you have already received EITHER informal feedback on your performance from your lecturer or discipline OR the results of a formal recheck.

What if I can’t get feedback from my lecturer?

Students are advised to make every effort to get feedback from their lecturer and to avail of opportunities such as consultation day. If you are unable to get feedback from your lecturer, include documentation with your exam appeal application outlining your attempts to get feedback e.g. email correspondence.

I have missed the deadline. Can I still appeal?

No. Late applications will not be accepted under any circumstance.

My overall result is close to the next grade e.g. close to a H2.1. Can I appeal the overall result for the year/award?

No. An exam appeal application is accepted for module result(s) only. You can appeal one or more modules following the official results release.

For how many modules can I apply for an appeal?

You can apply for all modules for which an official result has been released (in line with the appeal application deadlines).

Can I make an appeal application for results released previously e.g. last year?

The timeframe to make an exam appeal application is strictly defined (application deadlines available above). You can only appeal results for modules which have been officially released in the defined timeframe.
Example: If you have received official results for 3rd Year (1st Sitting), you cannot appeal results received for 2nd Year (1st Sitting).

For Autumn (2nd Sitting) exam appeal applications, what is the advice with regard to registration and lecture attendance?

For students who have an overall result of Fail (or Incomplete) for the Autumn (2nd Sitting) and have submitted an exam appeal application, please be advised that you should not make any assumptions about the outcome of the exam appeal. Students are advised to register for the year of programme that is appropriate to their current student record e.g. a student who has an overall result of Fail (or Incomplete) for 1st Year, must register to repeat 1st Year. Please email registration@universityofgalway.ie if you require assistance with registration.
With regard to attendance at lectures, students must contact their College or School Office directly for academic advice.

Can I submit other documents after making an exam appeal application?

All documents for an exam appeal must be submitted at the time of application. Students are advised that additional documents cannot be accepted.

What if I’m waiting on one (or more) items of documentation for my exam appeal?

If you do not have one (or more) items of supporting documentation at the time you are making your exam appeal application, it is recommended that you state the details in your appeal statement. It will not be possible to submit additional documents at a later stage.

What if I need more space for my appeal statement?

If there is not enough space in the online form field for your appeal statement, write your statement and include it as part of your attached file.

Should I include my essay/coursework/thesis as part of my appeal?

The Examination Appeals Committee recommends that applicants do not include original essays or theses with their appeal documentation. Applicants are advised that the committee can request additional documentation at a later stage, if the committee consider it relevant.

What medical statements should I submit as part of my appeal?

Applicants are advised to submit documentation that they believe is relevant to their exam appeal. The Examinations Appeals Committee recommends that any medical statements submitted as part of an appeal application should contain a statement about the impact on the student’s performance in the relevant module.