Our experts at the Advice Centre have provided an easy to understand Rules and Regulation Awareness (RARA) guide on Personal Mitigating Circumstances.

If you have personal mitigating circumstances (PMC) which temporarily prevent you from undertaking an exam or submitting coursework, then it might be in your interest to complete a PMC form online.

PMCs are different to ongoing or long term conditions (e.g. long term illness or disability) and for these you should seek support from the Disability team in Student Life.

Key points to remember

• PMCs should be submitted electronically. Logon to the PMC system via the Student portal link on the student channel: https://sss.salford.ac.uk.
• PMCs can be submitted in advance or no later than 10 working days after the assessment or submission date.
• Provide as much detail of dates affected by the circumstances and the impact of those circumstances on your assessment. Show that the situation had a severe effect on your ability to do the assessment and show it was unexpected and unpreventable.
• PMCs should be submitted with relevant evidence.
• If you attend an examination or submit coursework, you have declared yourself “fit to sit or submit” the assessment. As such, you will be unable to claim at a later date that your performance was adversely affected by the mitigating circumstances.*
• Certain types of personal mitigation circumstances may not be acceptable. Please ensure you read the PMC procedure.

Sources of information/related links

• You can read the guidance notes on personal mitigating circumstances here.
• Email the students’ Union Advice Centre for support/clarification at advicecentre-ussu@salford.ac.uk

If you do decide to submit a PMC and would like an adviser in the Student Union Advice centre to check the draft of your request, then please book an appointment through the info point staff on 0161 351 5400. Full details can be found here.

*If you sat or submitted an assessment but are able to show that you were unable to determine if you were fit to do so, the University may consider a PMC or appeal on this basis.