Assessment Resits Policy and Procedure

1.   Purpose

This policy outlines how National College of Ireland supports students who experience serious or unforeseen circumstances that temporarily prevent them from completing an in-class assessment as scheduled. It aims to ensure fairness while maintaining academic integrity and the timely completion of assessment and progression processes.

2.   Scope

This policy applies to all students at NCI, at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. It applies to all in-class assessments where an in-class assessment is defined as any summative assessment activity which takes place during scheduled class time and forms part of a student’s overall grade for a module.

It does not apply to formal end-of-semester exams, which are managed under the College’s Assessment Deferral Policy.

3.   Assessment Resits

3.1 Eligibility for Resits

• Students may apply for an assessment resit where they experience extenuating circumstances that impact their ability to complete an in-class assessment as scheduled.
• Extenuating Circumstances are unforeseen, exceptional, and short-term events that significantly impact a student’s ability to prepare for or complete an assessment.

3.2.   Valid Grounds for Assessment Resit

Examples include but are not limited to

• Certified illness or medical condition (accompanied by a medical certificate)
• Hospitalisation or medical appointment (with documentary proof) Bereavement (e.g., death notice or funeral details)
• Work-related travel or significant professional commitments (confirmed via a signed employer letter on headed paper)
• Personal or family emergency (with appropriate supporting documentation)

Routine workload, time mismanagement, or technical issues (unless independently verified during the assessment) are not considered extenuating circumstances.

3.3    Application Procedure

• Requests for assessment resits must be submitted via the NCI360 system.
• Students must submit their request within 5 days after the original scheduled date of the in-class assessment, where possible.
• All requests must include:
  • A completed Assessment Resit Form
  • Relevant documentary evidence in support of the request
  • Incomplete applications will be automatically denied

3.5   Decision Making and Communications

• Assessment Resit requests are considered at the discretion of the Lecturer/Programme Coordinator and the Programme Director.
• Where an assessment resit is granted, the resit will be scheduled during class time in the final week of the semester (Assessment Contingency Week).
• The Lecturer/Programme Coordinator will formally communicate the outcome of the application to the student in writing.
• Dates and times of the assessment resit will be communicated via the Module page on the college VLE.
• The student must notify the module lecturer of their intention to undertake the assessment resit.
• Only one resit opportunity will be scheduled for each in-class assessment.
• Where an eligible student misses a resit opportunity with further extenuating circumstances, the student must apply under the Colleges assessment deferral policy.
• The format of assessment resits may differ from the original assessment but will measure the same learning outcomes
• Approved cases are recorded by the Programme Coordinator and retained for the Examination Board.

3.6   Appeals

• Students have the right to appeal the application of late penalties. Appeals must be made through the Office of the Registrar via registrarsoffice@ncirl.ie

4.   Roles and Responsibilities

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