Supplementary Assessment Procedure

Policy code: AG2032
Policy owner: Deputy Pro Vice-Chancellor (Learning and Teaching)
Approval authority: Pro Vice-Chancellor, Learning and Teaching
Approval date: 20 April 2026
Next review date: 20 April 2029

Purpose
Scope
Legislative context
Definitions
Actions
1. Checking whether a unit may offer supplementary assessment
2. Determining whether a student is eligible for supplementary assessment
3. Notifying student of opportunity to complete supplementary assessment
4. Timing and grading supplementary assessments
Supporting documents
Responsibility
Promulgation
Implementation
Records management

Purpose

Supplementary assessment provides students with an additional opportunity to demonstrate they have achieved the academic standard required for a Pass level in a unit where they have marginally failed a previous examination/assessment. This additional assessment allows the student to demonstrate a satisfactory level of knowledge of fundamental concepts and essential skills to meet the unit learning outcomes.

This procedure articulates the eligibility criteria and process to be followed for supplementary assessment at Federation University.

Scope

This procedure applies to eligible higher education coursework units.

Legislative context

  • Federation University Australia Act 2010
  • The Higher EducationStandards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2021

Definitions

For the purpose of this procedure, supplementary assessment is defined as an assessment or examination that provides eligible students with a further opportunity to demonstrate that they have achieved the required learning outcomes of a unit.

It is the responsibility of the Unit Coordinator to specify in the Unit Description which assessment tasks are eligible for a supplementary assessment, and which are not.

Actions

1. Checking whether a unit may offer supplementary assessment

  Activity Responsibility Steps
A. Checking whether a unit may offer supplementary assessment Unit Coordinator
  1. Check the Unit Description that will specify if supplementary assessment is available for a particular unit. All Higher Education coursework units of the University may offer students supplementary assessment except where it is specifically excluded in the rules applicable to that course/unit.
  2. The following types of units or assessment tasks may be exempt from offering supplementary assessment:
    • An identified dissertation or project unit/assessment task
    • Placement unit/assessment task
    • Fieldwork or laboratory-based unit/assessment task
    • Attendance or participation requirement
  3. All exemptions must be approved by the Curriculum Committee via the School/Institute Board/TAFE and Pathways CAC and specified in the Unit Outline and Unit Description.

2. Determining whether a student is eligible for supplementary assessment

  Activity Responsibility Steps
A. Identifying which students meet the eligibility criteria Executive Dean/Dean or nominee such as Course Coordinator and Unit Coordinator
  1. Supplementary assessment is available to students who have failed a unit but have achieved at least 45 per cent for that unit. The student must have:
    1. Been studying a unit that allows supplementary assessment in its Unit Description (see above).
    2. Have failed overall in the unit but achieved a final unit mark of 45 per cent or above.
    3. Completed and/or made a reasonable attempt all major assessment tasks (likely over 20% weighting) (including all sub-components where a task has multiple parts) as specified in the Unit Description.
    4. Is not eligible for any other form of supplementary assessment.

Note: A student found guilty of academic misconduct is still eligible for supplementary assessment if their final unit mark inclusive of any penalty imposed for academic misconduct is 45 per cent or above.
B. Grading students eligible for supplementary assessment Unit Coordinator
  1. Record a ZN grade (Supplementary assessment to be completed within 3 months) for students eligible for supplementary assessment in the university-approved student management system.
C. Determining type of supplementary assessment task Unit Coordinator
  1. Determines the type of supplementary assessment task.
  2. The type of supplementary assessment is at the discretion of the unit coordinator, but they must ensure that it is designed to enable the student to demonstrate achievement of learning outcomes they are yet to achieve.

3. Notifying student of opportunity to complete supplementary assessment

  Activity Responsibility Steps
A. Notify student Student Comms and Partner Liaison Officers
  1. Send an email to exams@federation.edu.au with a copy to the Unit Coordinator and Scheduling Services to the student’s University address notifying them of the opportunity to complete a supplementary assessment:
    • Immediately upon the release of end of semester grades.
    • Detailing the type of assessment (i.e. examination or non-invigilated assessment)
    • For non-invigilated assessments, the type of assessment (e.g. essay) and the contact details of their Unit/Academic Coordinator
  2. For examinations, advise that further details will be emailed by the Scheduling Services. Students must be given a minimum of five (5) working daysnotice for a supplementary examination. In the case of a non-invigilated assessment, the designated due date would normally be before the close of the official deferred examination period.

Note: The grade of ZN is typically linked to 3-month period of completion time.
B. Notify staff Student Comms and Partner Liaison Officers
  1. For domestic and international students studying at main Federation campuses, send a copy of the email to the Unit Coordinator. In the case of a supplementary examination, also send a copy to the Scheduling Services.
  2. For partner students, send a copy to the Unit Coordinator, Partner Liaison and the Partner Academic Coordinator.
C. Advising students of time and location of supplementary examinations Scheduling Services
  1. Email the time and location details to the student.

4. Timing and grading supplementary assessments

  Activity Responsibility Steps
A. Grade non-respondents Unit Coordinator
  1. The grades of students who do not respond to the offer of a supplementary assessmentwill revert to that originally recorded (MF).
B. Establish the timing of a supplementary assessment Institute/School/Student
  1. If a student cannot complete a supplementary assessment in the normal time-period specified above, an outcome will be negotiated that both reflects natural justice, is reasonable to all parties and is consistent with all University policies and procedures.  In the case of an examination, a supplementary examination may be scheduled at a mutually convenient time, or defer it until the end of the next semester in which that unit runs. All extensions of time for the completion of supplementary assessment must be in accordance with the Higher Education Special Consideration Procedure and use the appropriate form. Wherever possible, supplementary examinations will be completed in the published deferred examination period.
  2. Results must be lodged by the Unit Coordinator within ten (10) working days of the submission or completion of the supplementary task.
C. Mark the supplementary assessment grade

Unit Coordinator

Executive Dean/Dean (or nominee)
  1. The supplementary assessment task is marked on a Pass/Fail basis only.  If the student fails to achieve a pass mark on the supplementary task, the original MF (Marginal Fail) grade will be reinstated in the university-approved student management system by the Unit Coordinator. This should normally be finalised within 1 week (i.e. 7 calendar days) of the supplementary task being submitted.
  2. Unit Coordinator generates a Unit Result Amendment (URA) and submits to the Executive Dean/Dean (or nominee such as Course Coordinator) for approval.
D. Reporting URA outcomes to Governance bodies

Curriculum Services

Institute Associate Dean Learning & Teaching
  1. Approved URAs are then submitted as part of the Student Matters report to the next Institute/School Board meeting for noting.
  2. Memo/s providing justification for the approved URA/s are submitted to Learning and Teaching Quality Committee for noting at the end of each teaching period.
D. Reporting grade to student Student Administration
  1. Publish the final grade on the official student management system.
E. Appealing grades Student
  1. Students may appeal against a grade in accordance with the Student Appeals Procedure.

Supporting documents

Responsibility

  • Pro Vice-Chancellor, Learning and Teaching (as the Approval Authority) is responsible for monitoring the implementation, outcomes and scheduled review of this procedure.
  • Deputy Pro Vice-Chancellor (Learning and Teaching) (as the Document Owner) is responsible for maintaining the content of this procedure as delegated by the Approval Authority.
  • Policy Officer is responsible for the administration support for the maintenance of this procedure as directed by the Document Owner.

Promulgation

The Supplementary Assessment Procedure will be communicated throughout the University community in the form of:

  1. An Announcement Notice via FedNews website and on the ‘Recently Approved Documents’ page on the ‘Policies, Procedures and Forms @ the University’ website to alert the University-wide community of the approved Procedure.
  2. Distribution of e-mails as appropriate.

Implementation

The Supplementary Assessment Procedure will be implemented throughout the University via:

  1. An Announcement Notice via FedNews website and on the ‘Recently Approved Documents’ page on the ‘Policies, Procedures and Forms @ the University’ website to alert the University-wide community of the approved Procedure.

Records management

Document Title Location Responsible Officer Minimum Retention Period
Higher Education supplementary assessment Institute/Schools and Partners Registrar Two years after conclusion of use
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Policy Glossary

Approval Authority: Pro Vice-Chancellor, Learning and Teaching Original Issue 24/08/2018
Policy Sponsor: Deputy Pro Vice-Chancellor (Learning and Teaching) Current Version: 20/04/2026
CRICOS Provider Number 00103D Review Date: 20/04/2029
TEQSA Provider ID: PRV12151 Provider Category: Australian University
RTO Code 4909 Policy Code AG2032