Special Consideration: Surviving a Disaster Before an Exam

The Final Exam Panic

An Australian final exam is often worth 50% to 60% of your entire subject grade. If you wake up on the morning of the exam with severe gastroenteritis, or you are in a car accident on the way to the campus, your entire semester is in jeopardy.

Universities have a system for this called Special Consideration. But it is ruthlessly strict.

The Fit to Sit Rule

Most universities enforce a "Fit to Sit" policy. This means that if you physically walk into the exam hall, sit down, and begin the exam, you are legally declaring yourself fit to sit.

If you vomit halfway through, or you fail the exam because your brain was clouded by painkillers, it is too late. You cannot claim Special Consideration after you have attempted the exam.

The Strategy: If you are genuinely, severely ill, do not go to the exam. Stay home.

The Medical Certificate Arms Race

You cannot just email your tutor and say "I have a headache." You must provide intense, verifiable documentation.

You must get an official Medical Certificate from a registered doctor.

Crucially: The doctor must see you on the exact day* of the exam (or before). If your exam is on Tuesday, and you go to the doctor on Thursday to ask for a backdated certificate, the university will reject it and give you a 0% for the exam.

The doctor usually has to fill out a specific 'Professional Practitioner Certificate' provided by the university, clearly stating how the illness "severely impacted your ability to complete an assessment."

The Supplementary Exam

If your Special Consideration application is approved, you are not given a free pass. You will be granted a Supplementary Exam (a 'Supp').

This is a completely different version of the exam, usually held 3 to 4 weeks after the main exam period. You must spend your entire holiday break studying for the Supp while your friends are at the beach.

Never fake an illness to buy more study time. Universities routinely audit medical certificates by calling the clinics. If you submit a fraudulent certificate, you will be expelled for academic misconduct.