59 Many providers have “fit to sit” policies which say that if a student attends an exam or submits coursework, they are declaring that they are fit to do so and that the mark they achieve should stand. They are not then allowed to ask for additional consideration relating to that assessment.
It is normally reasonable for providers to place the responsibility on students to decide whether they are well enough to sit an exam or submit coursework. But the provider should explain this policy clearly to students and they should be reminded of it at relevant points during the year, for example before exams start.
60 It is normally reasonable for providers to place the responsibility on students to decide whether they are well enough to sit an exam or submit coursework. But the provider should explain this policy clearly to students and they should be reminded of it at relevant points during the year, for example before exams start.
61 Where providers have a “fit to sit” policy, it is normally good practice to accept a declaration from a student that they are not “fit to sit”, without having to approve that declaration. If approval is required, this is likely to be a time-sensitive decision that should be taken quickly, and ideally before the exams start. Having an approval process that only takes place after the exams have finished may encourage students to sit exams when they are not well enough to do so. They might not want to risk missing the exam when there is a possibility that their declaration, that they are not “fit to sit”, could be rejected.
Withdrawing a “fit to sit” declaration
62 Although it is normally reasonable for providers to place the responsibility on students to decide whether they are well enough to complete assessments, “fit to sit” policies should not be applied in a blanket way. It is good practice to allow students to withdraw a “fit to sit” declaration in certain circumstances, for instance where they were taken ill partway through an exam, or where their judgment was impaired and they were unable to make a rational decision about whether they were well enough to sit.
63 There may also be other circumstances where it would be reasonable to allow a student to withdraw a “fit to sit” declaration. Some students may have good reasons for attempting the exam or submitting the work even though they knew they were unwell. Examples might include the student reasonably believing that they would not be able to sit the exam at the next opportunity because they were pregnant, or had a deteriorating health condition, or had visa difficulties. Or the student might have faced serious financial or employment consequences if they delayed completing their course.
64 A student who wanted to withdraw their “fit to sit” declaration would normally need to make a request for additional consideration explaining why. It is normally reasonable for providers to expect students to provide evidence to support a request to withdraw a “fit to sit” declaration.
CASE STUDY 8: Withdrawing a "fit to sit" declaration
A provider has a “fit to sit” policy which is communicated clearly to students. Students are required to sign a form at the start of each exam to confirm they are “fit to sit”. A student attends their exams and signs the “fit to sit” form. However, the student’s friends are very worried about the student’s mental health. They encourage the student to see their GP shortly after the exams have finished. The GP says that the student has depression which has probably been affecting them for several months. The GP prescribes medication and refers the student to counselling. The GP provides a letter to say that the student’s judgment was impaired due to their depression and that they would have been unable to make rational decisions about their studies.
The provider allows the student to withdraw their “fit to sit” declaration and allows them to sit their exams later in the year as first attempts.
