Special consideration: what medical evidence your uni or TAFE needs

What is special consideration?

Special consideration is a process for students whose assessments are affected by illness or other circumstances outside their control. Outcomes vary by provider. At UNSW, for example, approved arrangements can include an extension, a supplementary exam or an alternative assessment.

The name, rules and deadlines vary between providers, so check your own university or TAFE’s policy and treat everything below as a guide to the kinds of questions to ask, not a rulebook for your provider.

What should you check in your own provider’s policy?

Before you book an appointment or request a certificate, find your provider’s special consideration page or policy and check:

• The deadline. How long do you have to apply, and does the clock start from the assessment date or the due date?
• What the evidence needs to show. Are there requirements about dates, how long you were affected, or how it affected your study?
• Whether there’s a set form. Does your provider want its own form completed by a practitioner, rather than a standard certificate?
• Who can provide evidence. Is a particular type of practitioner required?
• How the evidence is dated. Does it need to be dated within a certain time of the assessment?
• Certificates from online assessments. Does the policy say whether it accepts these, or set specific requirements for them?
• What happens if you sit the exam anyway. Does attending count as declaring yourself fit?

If anything is unclear, ask your student support or student services team before the deadline passes.

Example: how UNSW handles special consideration

To show how one policy works in practice, here’s a summary of the UNSW Sydney special consideration page as at October 2026. It applies only to UNSW students, and UNSW may change it. Other providers’ rules will differ.

Who is eligible at UNSW?

UNSW says you may be eligible if your circumstances are short-term, unexpected and beyond your control, substantially disruptive to your assessment performance, and not reasonably foreseeable, avoidable or preventable by you. They must also have either:

• occurred during a critical study period for 3 consecutive days, or
• prevented you from completing or attending an assessment on a specific date or due date.

Higher degree research candidates and UNSW Diploma students follow separate processes.

What does UNSW need as evidence?

Supporting documentation is mandatory for special consideration at UNSW. It should clearly show:

• what happened: the circumstances that affected you
• when it happened: the relevant dates and how long you were affected
• how it affected you: the impact on your ability to complete the assessment

For medical circumstances, UNSW suggests asking your doctor or allied health professional to complete its Professional Authority Form. You can also provide other medical documentation that meets its requirements. If you’re in Australia when the medical circumstances happen, the documentation needs to come from an Ahpra-registered practitioner and be verifiable.

UNSW says it won’t accept online medical certificates unless a real-time phone or video telehealth consultation took place, and that certificates based only on an online questionnaire or form won’t be accepted. It may also verify online certificates. If you plan to use an online service, check your provider’s rules on this before you request a certificate.

Key UNSW timeframes

Item	What UNSW says
Application deadline	As soon as possible, within 3 working days of the assessment due date
Late applications	May be considered in exceptional circumstances, with an explanation of the delay
Assessment of your application	Usually within 3 to 5 working days
Maximum extension	14 calendar days for a term, 21 for a semester, 7 for a hexamester
Short Extension (some courses only)	1 to 7 days, no documentation needed, apply by the due date
Requesting a review of the outcome	Within 3 working days of the outcome date

UNSW also advises not to wait for a decision before submitting your assessment. If an extension is approved, it applies from the original due date.

What is UNSW’s Fit to Sit rule?

If you access or sit a timed assessment on the scheduled date, UNSW treats that as declaring yourself fit, and you’re no longer eligible for special consideration.

If you become unwell during a timed assessment, UNSW says you must stop before 80% of the scheduled time has passed, tell a staff member straight away, apply within 3 working days, and provide documentation dated within 24 hours of the assessment.

What about false documents?

UNSW warns that falsified supporting documents can lead to penalties ranging from failing the course to suspension or exclusion.

What if your circumstances are ongoing?

At UNSW, special consideration is aimed at short-term, unexpected events. If your health is affecting your study over a longer period, ask your own provider what ongoing support it offers. At UNSW, for example, the options include an educational adjustment through a learning plan and support from Equitable Learning Services.

What medical evidence should you ask for?

Bring your provider’s requirements with you. If there’s a set form, take it to your appointment or have it ready to share. If not, make sure the evidence you receive covers the dates and the impact on your study, as your provider asks.

For more on the documents themselves, see our guide to sick notes, medical certificates and carer’s certificates, and who can issue a medical certificate.

Getting a study certificate

Click Clinic offers an online assessment for a study certificate. Requests are assessed by registered practitioners, and a certificate is issued only when it’s clinically appropriate. Certificates aren’t backdated, and your provider decides what it accepts, so check its policy first.

This guide is general information, not academic, legal or medical advice.