At the ANU, students affected by unforeseen and unavoidable circumstances that significantly impact their ability to complete an assessment, can apply for an Extenuating Circumstances Application (ECA).
The ANU has reformed its guidelines for ECA applications, which took effect on 21 July 2025 and apply from Semester 2 onwards. The changes cover assessment extensions, deferred exams, and documentation.
Observer provides a guide to how ECA applications have changed, so students’ applications can be submitted correctly.
Assessment Weight Repealed
Students can now lodge an ECA for any assessment regardless of weighting. If the new due date you are requesting for is ten or more working days after the original date, students must apply through the ECA process.
For extensions of nine working days or less, students should contact their course convenor.
Deferred Exams Appeals Process
Appeals for deferred examinations will now follow a single-stage process that reviews both procedural and merit-based factors together.
This streamlining will shorten the maximum timeframe for outcomes from around two months to around one month, allowing students to receive decisions faster.
Medical Documentation
The requirements for acceptable medical documentation have also changed.
Students can now also submit a Health Assessment Form that their healthcare provider is able to fill out. The revised form aims to make it easier for students to provide the required information to the ANU.
If an independent letter of assessment is being provided by the medical profession, it must have:
- The Full name of the student
- The date the certificate or letter was issued
- The name, contact details, and registration/provider number of the medical practitioner or clinic
- The practitioner’s professional opinion on how the student’s condition has impacted their ability to complete assessments and/or attend an examination at a given date
- The date the condition began or significantly changed/worsened
- The expected duration of the impact on the student
- Issued on official letterhead
- Signed by the practitioner or authorised professional.
The ANU has also committed to an improved invigilator reporting process. Students are encouraged to report anything that negatively affects them while they are sitting their exams. During the exam, students can ask the invigilator for an Exam Incident Report, which will support their ECA application.
Applications for an ECA can be submitted through the Request for Assessment Adjustment page via ANUHub. The University has updated the ECA webpage with these changes, including the application process and further details. These are accessible to students prior to submitting an ECA.
Students can access ANU’s guide to the ECA here.
Graphics by Fatima Usman
ANU Observer 