The following information is to help students understand the grade appeal process at Macquarie University.
This should be read in conjunction with the Assessment Policy and Procedure.
I am disappointed with my grade, what can I do?
In many cases, disappointing grades will indicate the need to improve while in a smaller number of cases, there may be an error. If there has been a clerical or procedural error, you may wish to appeal. You can only appeal your final grade, so you need to wait until final grades are released before appealing.
If considering an appeal:
- Review the feedback you have been given for your unit, and view your final exam (if appropriate).
- Seek written feedback from academic teaching staff.
- Assess whether you meet one or more grounds for appeal.
Grounds for a Grade Appeal
A Grade Appeal must be supported by evidence. Grounds for a Grade Appeal are limited to:
- an administrative error occurred in the calculation of the final grade;
- e.g. your marks were not added up correctly.
- the outcome of an approved Special Consideration application was not correctly applied;
- eg. you were granted an extension on your assignment after you put in a Special Consideration Application, but now you find you have lost marks for submitting your assignment late.
- Note: If you did not lodge a Special Consideration request, or the request was rejected, you cannot appeal on this ground.
- you did not receive the same opportunity to demonstrate the learning outcomes as their cohort due to the conduct of their assessment task or examination being different from that of the cohort.
- eg. For your oral presentation, you were only given the opportunity to speak for 10 minutes and had to rush the end of your speech because the time allocated to the tutorial had finished and a new class was waiting outside. Everyone else in the class got a full 15 minutes for their presentation.
Before lodging an appeal
Review your grades
Check your grade has been calculated accurately. Check iLearn and the exam paper, and add up your marks independently.
Review the feedback you have been given / request further feedback
Review the feedback you have been given on your assessment tasks, and, if required, request further feedback from your Unit Convenor or Tutor. It is important to remain courteous in your emails and to reflect objectively on any constructive feedback you have been provided. You should keep copies of your emails as these may be needed for evidence in your appeal.
View your final exam
If you intend to appeal based on your final examination, speak with your faculty about viewing your examination paper.
When viewing your exam
Check all questions have been marked and all marks have been added correctly
You may not be able to take photographs or notes, so if you identify an error, try to recall which part of the exam the error appears.
If you are unable to arrange to view your exam before the deadline for grade appeal, this should be addressed and explained in your submission.
Obtain evidence for your appeal
You will need to demonstrate with evidence that you meet one of the grounds for Grade Appeal. Take some time to identify where the procedural error occurs, and what evidence you can provide. Evidence could include:
- Screenshots from iLearn
- Confirmation of a successful Special Consideration Application
- Emails from your Unit Convenor / Tutor
- Feedback / comments on your assessment tasks
How to lodge a Grade Appeal
All Grade Appeals need to be lodged with supporting evidence via the Grade Appeal Application.
You must submit your appeal within 15 working days from the published result date for your unit. If your grade is released late (e.g. due to a supplementary exam), you will need to calculate from the date you received written notification of the final grade.
What should I do if I missed the deadline to appeal?
Keep in mind there are no guarantees a late appeal will be accepted. If you apply, make sure to explain why your application is late, and provide supporting evidence about the delay if you can.
What happens once I submit a Grade Appeal?
Your Grade Appeal will be reviewed by an individual in your faculty who was not involved in the assessment process or determination of the final grade for the unit. Your appeal will be reviewed based on its merits, and the university will inform you of a decision within a reasonable timeframe.
A grade appeal may result in no change, an increase, or a reduction to the awarded final grade.
What if my Grade Appeal is rejected?
If you are dissatisfied with the Grade Appeal process and can demonstrate that the university did not follow the procedure for assessing your Grade Appeal, you may be able to appeal this decision in accordance with the Academic Appeals Policy. Check out our Guide to Academic Appeals for more information about this process.
Support available
Feedback and support with your Grade Appeal
If you would like feedback on your Grade Appeal, complete the eStudent CARE MQ Referral form select “Advocacy support” as the reason for referral, and attach your draft appeal (with evidence) to your submission. Keep in mind that Grade Appeal time is a busy period for us, and we help a lot of students with these appeals. If you haven't heard from us, make sure you submit your appeal anyway.