Appeals Guide 101 (Lesson 2): How to Complete an Appeal

We get into the meat of how to do this whole Appeals thing.

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Heya! Welcome to lesson 2 of our short course on what to do on results day. If this is your first time here and you are yet to read lesson 1: “What is an appeal?”, then feel free to check it out here. Our previous class covered the fundamentals of what an appeal is (and more importantly, is not), and when you should apply, so I would highly encourage you to read it!

Today’s learning objective is to make sure that you have all the right ingredients, methods and tips on cooking up the best appeal application. How, you ask? By following Chloe’s not-so-secret recipe, of course! Today I will be walking you through a step-by-step guide on how to complete a stage 1 appeal from start to finish. While we mere advisors can never guarantee that your appeal will be successful, we are confident that our guidance should give your chances a significant boost!

Step 1 – Contact the SU

The golden rule. Yes, it’s a cheeky plug, but we can support you in understanding and completing the appeals process and provide guidance specific to your individual circumstances. It is much easier when you have someone on your side who knows what to expect and how to best complete the form. We can even read your draft and suggest ways to evidence your points. Get in touch with us here.

Step 2 – Check your results letter

Your results letter will hold a lot of information that is essential to double-check before starting your appeal. Our advisors are happy to check your letter for you, but if you are flying solo then here are a couple of things to look for:

Publication Date – Your appeal must be submitted no later than 15 working days from the date your results are sent to you. The date written at the time of your letter is when those 15 days start from. It is very important to be aware of this as it determines your appeal deadline. If your appeal is late, UAL will be unable to review it unless you provide a valid reason for the delay.

Resubmissions and Retakes – If you have any work that is outstanding due to failure or non-submission, your results letter should include clear guidance on when you will be expected to complete your unit(s) and if any penalties will be applied. If you are happy with the resubmission offer and conditions outlined in your letter, then you do not need to submit an appeal.

Extenuating Circumstances – If you had a validated EC claim for the unit(s) you are looking to appeal, then you should be eligible for a resubmission opportunity without the need to appeal your mark. As above, this should be clearly outlined at the bottom of your letter.

Step 3 – Download the correct form

You will need to complete a stage 1 appeal form to request a review of your exam board results. If you have already submitted one of these and are looking to contest the outcome, this will follow a different process. In this case, I refer you again back to step 1.

Step 4 – Fill in your Form

Once you have your form you’ll need to complete all sections for it to be correctly processed. Parts A and B are pretty self-explanatory, so I’ll leave those to you to figure out. If you’re stuck, though, please refer to step 1.

With the finer details now out of the way, Section C is where you will need to shine. The details you provide in this section will be the largest factor in UALs decision to accept your appeal or not, so it is important to get this bit right. Below is a list of the key points to cover.

What are your grounds – For Question 7 you will need to explain, in detail, what issues you faced during your assessment and how you feel these fit within UAL’s definition of valid grounds. Be sure to include timelines and make clear why you feel the exam board should reconsider their decision. If you are unsure of what grounds UAL consider valid, please refer to our previous blog post or UAL’s appeals website.

Question 8 of the form is only required if your appeal is on the grounds of extenuating circumstances. If you are appealing for a different reason, you can skip straight to step 5 of this blog.

How did your circumstances impact your assessment(s)? – Here you will need to give detail as to how your academic work was impacted by your situation. Examples we often see include missed classes due to appointments/illness/obligations, or difficulties completing work due to ill physical/mental health. You should refer to the specific unit(s) that you are appealing to and includes dates or timelines wherever possible.

Did you apply for ECs? If not, why? – This question is arguably the make or break of your appeal. UAL will want to know why you did not seek support from them sooner, so you should consider what barriers prevented you from doing this. If you did submit ECs but these were denied, you should say this and include a screenshot of your EC outcome in your appeal evidence.

Step 5 – Attach your Evidence

The University Appeals Unit (UAU) an only accept your appeal with proof to verify your answers in Section C. While not every piece of evidence you provide necessarily needs to meet the criteria (you can view this here), you must provide at least one document or image that is:

a. Dated during or close to the unit(s) you are appealing – We know that in many cases the circumstances have been ongoing for a while, but your evidence must show that the impact of these was recent.

b. From an official source – ‘Official’ can seem arbitrary, we know, but this generally means that your evidence is written and signed by a professional either on headed paper or from a verifiable email address. Examples we see most often come from doctors, therapists, the police, or the government/council, but this will vary depending on the reason for your appeal.

Our team is also available to review your evidence and give you suggestions on where to get more!

Step 6 – Send it and wait!

Once you are satisfied with your form and evidence, you are ready to submit! Your appeal should be sent via email to the University Appeals Unit at appeals@arts.ac.uk together with a copy of your exam board results letter. Once received, the UAU will contact you in no more than 10 working days to confirm whether your request for review has been accepted or denied. If your request is accepted, then congratulations! The exam board will review your case and issue a new results letter if applicable. If your appeal is rejected, there are still plenty of options available to you, so I refer you back to step 1: the golden rule.

So, there you have it, a start-to-end guide on completing a stage 1 appeal. To those still with me, thanks for sticking around and I hope that you found this helpful. If there is one thing I ask you take away from today’s lesson it is the golden rule.

Come and speak to us (about anything. Literally anything. We will always do our best to support you where we can, and where we can’t always find you someone that can.) As always, if you should need us, please complete our SU Advice Contact Form or book an appointment with on our team here.

Class dismissed! Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk.

TTFN! Chloe, Student Advisor x

Links, Resources, and References

Academic Appeals

UAL Student Guide to Appeals

UAL Appeals Regulations

Arts SU Advice – Appeals

UAL Evidence Guidance

Arts SU Advice Service

Email us

Book an Appointment

Advice Service Website