Aegrotat Information

On this page:

What is an Aegrotat? Qualifying for an Aegrotat When to apply for an Aegrotat How to apply for an Aegrotat When an Aegrotat may not be approved Who to contact at University

What is an Aegrotat

An aegrotat is a pass ("G") which may be awarded when your preparation for, or performance in, an examination or other item of assessment was impaired, or you have been prevented from attending examinations (or completing an item of assessment) because of illness, injury or other circumstances outside your control.

Faculty of Education Qualifications
Courses which contribute to Teacher Education qualifications are excepted from the Aegrotat Pass provisions outlined in the Assessment Statute. In the event that a candidate is prevented from completing a course by one of the circumstances outlined above, the candidate will be granted an extension to complete the assessment. Students undertaking other qualifications may be eligible to apply for an aegrotat. Contact the Student Administration Office for more information.

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Qualifying for an Aegrotat

There are two conditions you must meet to be eligible for an aegrotat. You must:

1) Provide documentation of the impairment by seeing a health professional at the right time

Your illness or impairment must be verified at the time by a registered health professional (medical practitioner, midwife, dental surgeon, psychologist, or counsellor approved by the Convener of the Academic Committee) who can supply supporting documentation.

Note: The health professional's assessment of your circumstances must cover the relevant period. For applications based on absence from an exam, your consultation must take place within a 24-hour period either side of the exam. For applications based on impaired performance during the three weeks prior to exam or piece of assessment, your health professional would normally need to see you more than once, including a consultation immediately after the exam or hand-in date.

2) Show sufficient academic performance

You must have completed sufficient internal assessment in the course to a standard (at least C+ to B-) that the Head of the School can state you would have passed the course.

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When to Apply for an Aegrotat

You may apply for an aegrotat when:

• your preparation time has been seriously impaired in the three weeks leading up to an exam or piece of assessment*;
• your performance has been impaired; or
• you have been prevented from attending an exam or completing an item of assessment;

For one of the following reasons:

• an illness or injury;
• personal bereavement;
• some other critical personal circumstance involving the health or wellbeing of a relative or close friend; or
• some other exceptional circumstance beyond your control.

Criteria for examinations or other items of assessment

The examination or item of assessment must meet all the following criteria. It must:

• contribute to the passing of the course; and
• take place or be submitted not earlier than three weeks before the last day of lectures; and
• be one where no alternative piece of assessment could be substituted; and
• be one where an extension of time was not allowed.

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How to Apply for an Aegrotat

For in-term assessed work

Go to your Student Administration Office to ask whether an aegrotat is appropriate for your situation. Depending on the item of assessment concerned, the issue may be able to be resolved within the School.

Illness or impairment on the day

If you are unwell or have personal circumstances causing distress on the day of an assessment, contact your Faculty Student Administration Office, Student Health or the Counselling Service. They can advise you about special facilities where you will be looked after, or give you an aegrotat form if you need to see your own health professional.

Remember, an aegrotat application may not be accepted if you were absent when you could have attended by making use of special facilities.

Where illness or impairment has affected your preparation time

Where your preparation time has been impaired, you must have consulted your health professional in the three weeks before the date of the assessment. This period can be extended with medical or counselling support, or if it can be shown that it was beyond your control.

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When an Aegrotat may not be approved

Not requesting an extension of time

Where the item of assessment is one that could have an extension of time granted or alternative date set, then these options must be explored before you apply for an aegrotat.

If you could have applied for a special pass

If you are running late for an examination or if you mistake the time or date, contact your Faculty Student Administration Office immediately.

If you can't write

If you have an accident that affects your ability to write, contact your Faculty Student Administration Office and they will get somebody to write for you using a special facility room. Please give them as much notice as possible to enable the Examinations Coordinator to arrange an appropriate writer for you.

Not reporting your illness or impairment at the right time

You must report the illness, injury or distressful personal circumstance to a health professional as soon as possible. A health professional must be able to verify you were impaired at the time of the examination/item of assessment. You should submit your application for an aegrotat within seven days of your last examination/piece of assessment.

In exceptional circumstances late applications may be accepted if you did see your health professional at the relevant time and they can support you. In such cases enquire at your Faculty Student Administration Office.

Applying late

The completed aegrotat form must be submitted no later than seven days after your last examination. Any application submitted after this date must be supported by a written statement as to why it is late.

Honours students

In the case of Honours examinations, aegrotat applications are considered whether or not there is a pass grade. The relevant Faculty Examiners' Committee will take the degree of impairment into account when making a recommendation to the Convener of the Academic Committee on the final results that should be awarded. First or Second Class Honours may not be awarded to a student who gains aegrotat considerations for more than half the courses required to complete their qualification.

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Who to Contact at University

Faculty of Architecture and Design
139 Vivian St
Email: architecture@vuw.ac.nz
Telephone: 0-4-463 6256

Faculty of Commerce and Administration
Level 1, Railway West Wing Pipitea campus
Email: fca-sao@vuw.ac.nz
Telephone: 0-4-463 5385

Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
Level 4, Murphy Building
Email: fhss-enquiries@vuw.ac.nz
Telephone: 0-4-463 5192

Faculty of Law
Government Buildings, 15 Lambton Quay
Email: law-enquiries@vuw.ac.nz
Telephone: 0-4-463 6342

Faculty of Science
Level 1, Cotton Building
Email: science-faculty@vuw.ac.nz
Telephone: 0-4-463 5308

Faculty of Education
Donald St, Karori
Email: education@vuw.ac.nz
Telephone: 04-463 9660

Counselling Service
Telephone: 0-4-463 5310

Disability Support Services
Telephone: 0-4-463 6070

Student Health Service
Telephone: 0-4-463 5308

VUWSA
Education Coordinators:
Sandra Crews
Email:sandra.crews@vuwsa.org.nz
Telephone: 0-4-463 6983 or 0-4-463 6984

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