Late Submissions and Extensions

Extensions | Academic Support (ox.ac.uk) 

Exams and assessments | Academic Support (ox.ac.uk) 

Graduate students: Submission date and extension of time | University of Oxford 

Mitigating circumstances for late submissions | Academic Support (ox.ac.uk) 

Also check here Current students | University of Oxford for the latest information for students relating to the coronavirus pandemic. 

If you are not sure of the process around late submission or asking for an extension, you can have a conversation with your College Academic Office, Department or Supervisor. If you would like help with this process, Email Us.

If this is a difficult conversation for you, Student Advice are happy to meet with you to support you through the process. With enough notice, we may be able to attend a meeting with you and your supervisor if you feel that would be useful. Undergraduate students can talk to their College Office, their Tutor or Senior Tutor or, as a starting point, a member of the College Welfare Team. Decisions on whether to grant an extension are based on the individual circumstances of the student and the reasons given for requesting an extension to a deadline. In our experience, the best approach is to be clear and open about why you need an extension and to have a plan in place around how you plan your time to meet the new deadline if one is granted. All students should be mindful of any limits around how many times it is possible to ask for an extension if this is relevant. If you are not sure if there is a limit which applies to you then you can email us.

How Advice can help 

• We can help you prepare for a conversation about asking for an extension. 
• We can support you through the process around declaring mitigating circumstances around a late submission. 
• If we have availability, we can come with you to a meeting with the College or University to talk about an extension. We can’t speak on your behalf, but can help you to make the request clearly and logically. 
• We can read and comment on draft submissions or statements regarding an extension or late submission. 

Often, the hardest part is taking the first step to contact someone in your College or Department to talk things through. If you would like our support then drop us an email.

We hear from many students in this position.

Our case records show that not meeting an extended deadline happens quite often and that it is usually due to a change in the student’s circumstances which was unforeseen at the time they asked for the original extension. Sometimes though, there are other reasons which mean it has not been possible to meet the extended deadline. Mental health, issues around the pandemic and problems relating to time management and perfectionism or difficulty getting started with work are often reasons students talk to us about as why they need more time. The most productive thing to do is to accept what is happening and seek as much support as you can from your College/Department or Student Advice.