Supporting evidence requirements

Applications for Special Consideration require evidence to support your request. This evidence will help determine if your application is eligible, and the most appropriate outcome for your application.

Supporting evidence must:

  • identify the nature of the circumstances
  • include dates and/or the length of the circumstances
  • explain the severity and impact of the circumstances
  • clearly describe how the circumstances have adversely affected your capacity for effective study related to the assessment/exam
  • include the date(s) on which you were seen by the professional providing the evidence (if applicable)

Types of supporting evidence can include:

  • appropriate independently corroborated documentation
  • medical documentation such as a medical certificate or Professional Authority Form (PAF) [PDF 971KB]
  • a statutory declaration or personal statement

Supporting evidence included in an application for Special Consideration must be truthful and accurate. As per the MQ Student Code of Conduct, breaches will be reported to the Complaints, Appeals and Misconduct team for action under the Code.

Recommended supporting evidence

Various documentation types can be used as supporting evidence, however applications may not be approved if they are not supported by appropriate documentary evidence.

The below table outlines the recommended forms of evidence based on the event type. For a full list of acceptable evidence forms please see the Special Consideration Supporting Evidence Schedule.

Event typeRecommended evidence type

Short Term Illness

Hardship or Trauma

  • Statutory Declaration or Statement of Fact;
  • Medical Certificate;
  • Professional Authority Form – stating how the student was affected;
  • Official letter from relevant source/authority

Death of a relative/close friend

  • Statutory Declaration or Statement of Fact – stating the relationship to the student;
  • Medical Certificate;
  • Professional Authority Form – stating how the student was affected;
  • Death Notice/Certificate

Unavoidable commitments

  • Wedding invitations accompanied by Statutory Declaration or Statement of Fact;
  • Letter from religious leader/Elder;
  • Letter from employer – stating why the student cannot be released from the unexpected work commitments;
  • Letter from doctor/medical certificate;
  • Letter confirming student’s attendance to Jury Duty/court date

Exacerbation of ongoing illness

Elite athlete or performer commitments
  • Official letter from the Macquarie Elite Athlete Program or appropriate organisation (at state level or higher) supporting increased training commitments/competition
Army Reservists/SES commitments and Volunteer Firefighters
  • An official training notice from the organiser explaining why attendance is required; or
  • Statutory Declaration

Supporting evidence FAQs

When can I use a Statement of Fact as supporting evidence

A Statement of Fact can be used as supporting evidence for all event types other than Elite Athlete commitments, however it can only be used if event is 5 days or less in duration, and cannot be used for the same assessment task more than once.

Why was my Statement of Fact not accepted as supporting evidence

If your Statement of Fact does not include sufficient detail, or does not allow for your circumstances to be confirmed as serious and unavoidable, it will not be accepted. Students are recommended to consider independently corroborated documentation forms which clearly demonstrate serious and unavoidable circumstances.

Do I need to provide other evidence if I use a Statement of Fact

You do not have to include other evidence when applying, however you may be requested to provide additional supporting evidence when your application is reviewed. If you are able to obtain recommended supporting documentation forms it is suggested to use these documents rather than a Statement of Fact.

What evidence do I need to provide if I have Covid-19

If you are unable to complete an assessment task due to testing positive for COVID-19, apply for Special Consideration as soon as possible. You should provide dated evidence of your positive test result, for example a dated photo of your rapid antigen test (RAT) result, or a dated confirmation email or SMS from the NSW Health after registering a positive PCR result.

Photos missing identifying details and dates of impact are not considered appropriate supporting documentation for Special Consideration, so a photo of a positive rapid antigen test by itself is not adequate documentation.

Does my supporting evidence need to be in English

If your supporting evidence is not in English it cannot be properly assessed. This will impact whether your application is deemed to have acceptable or insufficient evidence.