Academic appeals

2023/24

If your appeal includes queries about missing marks, or what you think might be incorrect marks, you should speak to your course team directly in the first instance so that this can be addressed quickly. If, following this, you still believe that you have grounds for appeal then the appeals procedure should be used.

Please note that you can expect to receive a response to your appeal within 20 university working days. Until you receive an appeal outcome, you must assume that the decision of the assessment board stands and you must engage with whatever assessments you have been set.

Assessment Boards make decisions on assessment outcomes, student progress and awards. An academic appeal is a request for a review of an Assessment Board decision.

You might have grounds to appeal if you have evidence:

that there was a significant irregularity in the assessment process;
that there was evidence of bias or a perception of bias in the assessment process; or,
that the Assessment Board was not aware of a significant factor relating to your assessment. This includes mitigating circumstances that you could not present to the Assessment Board when it made its original decision.

You can only appeal against marks that have been ratified by an Assessment Board.

How to submit an academic appeal in 2023/24

Before you make an appeal

Please read the relevant regulations for:

Taught courses – AR8: Academic Appeals 2023/24 (PDF)
Research degrees – AR9: Academic Appeals 2023/24 (PDF)
Third party representative form 2023/2024 (Word doc)

You can seek independent advice from Kingston Students' Union Advice Centre. You can make an appointment with the advice service by email: support@kingston.ac.uk.

To make an appeal

You must submit your academic appeal within 15 working days of your results being published.

Use your Kingston University Student ID to login to OSIS;
Go to the "Your Studies" tab;
In the list shown you will see the title "Appeals", and a link to the online appeals system;
You will find further instructions provided on screen.

If you have difficulties accessing the system please contact the IT service desk.

If there are reasons preventing you from making an online submission, please contact Academicregistry@Kingston.ac.uk.

What's not covered by academic appeals?

The academic appeals process is not intended to encourage students to challenge disappointing results.

You should not appeal because you disagree with the Assessment Board – for instance to complain about the decision of academic staff on the quality of your work. This is defined as academic judgement.

The appeals process excludes complaints against services provided by the University including the delivery of a programme and the teaching you receive.

If you have concerns that these factors are having an impact on your ability to perform at your best in assessments, you will need to raise these through a separate complaints procedure (see General Regulation 2), as soon as you are aware that you are being affected by a service delivery shortfall. Waiting for your results before speaking up about such complaints will probably be too late.

From previous years

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