Deferred Assessment

Students are expected to complete all assessments, both formative and summative assessments.

Students are required to plan accordingly to ensure that they adhere to submission deadlines, which include external factors, for example, a lack of access to a device, or interruptions to power supply such as load shedding.

Students must meet all the technical requirements of assessments. These requirements include:

Submission (non-invigilated assessments) and sitting (invigilated assessments) dates and times.

Attendance of invigilated assessments.

Assessments must be submitted in the correct format and/or using the correct submission link.

Assessment length.

Any other technical requirements specified in assessment instructions.

Students must meet all intellectual integrity requirements of assessments.

Students may not use a lack of access to on-site facilities, similarity detection software, or online access as an excuse for late submission as students are expected to plan to have enough time to submit, knowing that demand will increase prior to the submission deadline.

Students cannot use a lack of familiarity with assessment requirements and rules as the reason for non-compliance with assessment requirements and rules.

Students are expected to keep copies of non-invigilated assessments and produce copies if required.

Students must collect (hardcopy) or review (online) formative assessments within 10 working days of assessment results being released.

For students in the distance mode of offering and not located in South Africa, an alternative assessment venue must be arranged by the student.

This venue must be in place eight weeks before the assessment opportunity.

In unforeseen and exceptional circumstances, a student who cannot access their regular assessment venue, the student may be eligible for a deferred assessment opportunity.

In unforeseen, exceptional circumstances, a student who cannot access their regular assessment venue is responsible for selecting an alternative venue as their designated exam centre.

All applications must be made via Assist 10 working days before the assessment opportunity.

Assessment instructions must require a group contract.

Assessment instructions must make provision for students to individually indicate and confirm their contributions.

Assessment instructions must make provision for students to evaluate the contributions of others.

Students who do not meet the requirements for collaboration will be penalised 20% of the overall percentage for the assessment.

Any requests for a remark of the syndicate assessment must be agreed to by the majority of syndicate members.

If an assessment is not completed or submitted as stipulated in the standard siting, the student record will reflect “absent”, which effectively means that the student is awarded 0% for that assessment.

There are standard processes in place to ensure that students who have legitimate reasons for missing standard sittings/submissions are accommodated.

Deferred sittings /submissions applications made via Assist are granted at the discretion of the Office of the Registrar.

Applications for deferred sittings/submissions must be made either before, or within five working days of the missed standard sittings/submission.

Assist must respond to deferred sittings/submissions within 48 hours.

If a student does not apply for a deferred sittings /submission on time on Assist, or is denied the deferred sittings, then the student’s record will reflect “absent”, and the student will effectively receive 0% for the assessment.

Any student who provides false, inaccurate, or misleading information to attempt to access the deferred sittings/submission will be managed according to the disciplinary code and will automatically forfeit all such deferred opportunities for the duration of their studies.

A student may not be granted more than two deferment opportunities in any academic year. Any exceptions to this must be reviewed by the Office of the Registrar.

Only students who have been granted a concession due to a chronic condition may submit more than two doctor’s notes per year. These will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

For non-invigilated assessments, if the application is approved, the resubmission must be made within 5 working days of the original due date.

For invigilated assessments, if the application is approved, the assessment will be written in the next available sitting as per the Programme Assessment Schdule.

Typical legitimate (and evidence) for an application for deferred opportunities include:

Death of an immediate family member (death certificate and affidavit/ birth certificate confirming the relationship).

Own serious illness/ injury (medical certificate valid for the standard submission/sitting and indicating a serious illness/ injury).

Official Representation in a national/ international competition (documentation from a relevant official confirming the details of the event).

Resident Visa renewal appointments (proof of appointment).

Court appearance (certified copy of the subpoena).

Victim of a crime (a formal police crime report detailing the incident/crime and the student involvement in it and a case number).

National and regional unrests (if not widely published, documentation is required), but typically applications will be managed by the site.

Instances that are not covered under the extended submission period and the above reasons will be managed on a case-by-case basis if documented evidence is in place.

Deferred Teaching Experience takes place in the Teaching Experience Weeks that directly follow the current Academic Year.

There are only three (3) categories of student teachers for which this opportunity applies:

Category 1: As per the Rules and Regulations for Leave of Absence from Teaching Experience a B.ED/HCECCE/ PGCE student who has missed 3 or more days during TE (as per the reasons aligned to the policy 009) and was unable to make up days before the final PoE submission date of that year.

Category 2: Any PGCE (Contact PT or Distance) or HCECCE (Distance) student who has been approved for Leave of Absence from Teaching Experience due to work-related reasons (special allowance - maximum 4 weeks PGCE or up to 3 weeks ECD Centre-based weeks for HCECCE).

Category 3: Any B.ED/ HCECCE/ PGCE student who has never been registered for the exit level TE module and where the exit level Teaching Experience module is the only outstanding module for completion of the qualification.