University special consideration
Every university's rules, in one place.
Deferred exams, extensions, supplementary exams and withdrawal without penalty all run on the same thing: medical evidence a university can trust. Find your university's process, deadline and form, then talk to a doctor who issues what the assessment supports.
- 41
- universities covered
- 22
- doctor-completed forms
- 12
- student forms plus certificate
- 7
- portal upload only
By state, largest first
Form doctor completes a formCert certificate is enoughPortal upload to a portal
New South Wales
UNSW SydneyWithin three working days of the assessment d...Form
University of SydneySpecial considerationForm
University of Technology SydneyWithin 48 hours after a centrally conducted e...Form
Western Sydney UniversityWithin five working days of the assessment du...Cert
Macquarie UniversityNo later than five working days after the ass...Form
Charles Sturt UniversityUp to three business days after the exam date...Form
University of WollongongAcademic considerationForm
University of NewcastleAdverse circumstancesCert
University of New EnglandSpecial examinationCert
Southern Cross UniversityAt least one day before the due date for an e...Portal
Avondale UniversityExamination adjustmentsCert
Victoria and Tasmania
Monash UniversityNo later than two University working days aft...Cert
RMIT UniversityWithin five working days after the assessment...Form
University of MelbourneWithin four business days of the assessment d...Form
Deakin UniversityWithin three University working days after th...Form
Swinburne University of TechnologyNo later than 5pm on the third working day af...Form
La Trobe UniversityBefore the assessment due datePortal
Victoria UniversityWithin three working days of the assessment d...Form
University of TasmaniaAs soon as possible after the completion of t...Cert
Federation University AustraliaNo later than three University working days a...Form
University of DivinityExtension requestCert
Queensland
University of QueenslandExtension of assessment due date and deferred examPortal
Queensland University of TechnologyStudent academic concessionForm
Griffith UniversityAssessment applicationPortal
CQUniversityConsideration of special circumstancesCert
University of Southern QueenslandAssessment extension and deferred examPortal
James Cook UniversityNo later than two University working days aft...Form
University of the Sunshine CoastDeferred examination and special considerationForm
Bond UniversityDeferred assessment and special considerationForm
WA, SA, NT, ACT and multi-state
Adelaide UniversityAssessment applications / change of study arrangementsForm
Curtin UniversityAssessment extensionCert
Australian Catholic UniversityPrior to, or up to five working days after, t...Form
Edith Cowan UniversitySpecial consideration / withdrawal without penaltyForm
University of Western AustraliaExceptional variation of assessmentForm
Torrens University AustraliaAssessment special considerationCert
Flinders UniversityDeferred assessmentPortal
Murdoch UniversityDeferred assessmentForm
Australian National UniversityExtenuating Circumstances ApplicationForm
University of CanberraDeferred assessmentPortal
Charles Darwin UniversityAssessment extensions within three working da...Cert
University of Notre Dame AustraliaWithin three business days of the due dateCert
How universities take evidence
Three processes. The names change, the evidence does not.
Special consideration, academic consideration, adverse circumstances, exceptional variation of assessment: every one of them turns on the doctor's opinion of impact over specific dates.
The doctor completes a university form
UNSW, USyd, RMIT, UniMelb, Deakin, QUT, UTS, Macquarie and more publish a practitioner section: severity rating, dates, registration number and stamp. Doccy issues the certificate and the completed form together.
- +18
A student form plus a medical certificate
Monash, Curtin, Western Sydney, Newcastle, CQU, UNE and others. The student completes the application and attaches the certificate, so what the certificate states is what decides the outcome.
- +8
Upload the certificate to a portal
UQ, Griffith, La Trobe, Flinders, UniSQ and others take applications only through a student portal or a form behind a login. The certificate is uploaded as-is.
- +3
Why evidence gets rejected
Universities check the consultation, not just the certificate.
UNSW, JCU and Monash refuse certificates issued from an online questionnaire alone. USyd prefers in-person. Every practitioner form carries a declaration that the university may contact the doctor to verify.
- A voice pre-screening call captures symptoms, history and dates before a doctor sees the case.
- An AHPRA-registered doctor reviews every case and writes the impact statement in their own words.
- The certificate's QR code opens a verification page with the doctor's name, AHPRA number and the consultation timeline.
Consultation record
Multi-step telehealth process with voice pre-screening, doctor review, and ongoing patient communication.
- Doctor assigned
- Timestamped
- Reviewing doctor
- Named on your certificate
- AHPRA registration
- Shown on your certificate
- Two-way chat
- Open during review
The doctor reviews your details and the pre-screening notes, writes the impact statement in their own words, and can message you with questions before issuing.
What is special consideration at university?
A formal process for students whose performance in an assessment was affected by illness, injury or misadventure outside their control. Outcomes range from a short extension to a deferred or supplementary exam, or withdrawal without academic penalty. Every Australian university runs one, under names that vary from special consideration to adverse circumstances.
Do universities accept online medical certificates?
Most do, but several now check how the certificate was issued. UNSW, JCU and Monash refuse certificates issued from an online questionnaire without a phone or video consultation. USyd prefers in-person. ECU's guidance asks for an in-person consultation. The safe path is a consultation where a doctor actually assesses you and the certificate can be verified.
How long do I have to apply for special consideration?
Usually two to five working days after the assessment. Monash allows two, UNSW three, UNE five, UWA three calendar days. Some universities, such as La Trobe and Newcastle, want the application lodged before the due date. Check your university's page on this site for its window.
Do I have to tell my university my diagnosis?
Often not. The University of Melbourne, UWA and QUT say they do not want a diagnosis on the form. Several others accept a statement that the condition is confidential. What every university does want is the doctor's own opinion of how severely you were affected and over which dates.
Can a medical certificate be backdated for special consideration?
No. A certificate is dated on the day of the consultation. If your illness started earlier, the doctor can record that period after assessing you, but the issue date does not change, and UNSW and Bond both say backdated documents may be refused.
Unwell before an assessment? Talk to a doctor today.
Voice pre-screening, AHPRA-registered doctor review, and a certificate your university can verify. Where your university has a practitioner form, the doctor completes it.
Start a consult opens on 19 September. We are finishing the doctor-completed forms for every university. Bookmark this page and come back then.
Doccy is a telehealth service. Universities decide what evidence they accept. We issue what the doctor's assessment supports.