Requests to defer assessments must be accompanied by appropriate evidence, in English. Wherever possible you should provide evidence at the same time that you submit the request, however if this is not possible then you can submit the request and provide the evidence later. 

The sections below provide guidance on when to submit your evidence, what type of evidence is appropriate, the technical requirements, and how you can get documents translated. There is also advice around requesting deferrals for longer term conditions or circumstances. 

When to submit your evidence 

You must submit deferral requests 24 hours in advance of the assessment deadline / start time. Wherever possible you should provide your evidence at the same time that you submit your request. If your evidence is not ready then you should wait until it is ready before submitting your request, so long as you can still meet the 24 hour deadline.

If you cannot supply evidence by the 24 hour deadline you should submit your request without evidence (the request to defer assessments form will give you the option to make your request without evidence). You will then need to supply your evidence within 14 days of submitting your request. It's worth noting that we will not consider your request until your evidence arrives - your request will have met the deadline but you will not receive a decision until we have received the evidence. 

Standards of evidence

We expect deferral requests be accompanied by evidence which meets the requirements laid out in the Standards of Evidence document. 

You should always aim to provide evidence which explains the impact on your ability to undertake the specific assessments listed in the form. 

We understand that, in some cases, it can be difficult to obtain appropriate evidence for very sudden circumstances and aim to be flexible where we can. For example, if you suddenly injure yourself, it may be difficult to obtain a letter from your GP explaining the impact on your studies in time and so we may accept a discharge note from A&E instead. In some cases, we can be more flexible around the evidence for deferrals than may be the case for other processes such as Exceptional Circumstances (ECs). We would expect the evidence for an EC submission to be more compelling than the evidence for a deferral. 

In some cases a statement from an LSE member of staff (for example you Academic Mentor, a Student Counsellor, a Mental Health Adviser, or a Disability Adviser) may be acceptable. The types of circumstances where a staff supporting letter can be accepted is set out on page two of the Standards of Evidence document.

The Student Wellbeing Service have a medical pro forma which you may find helpful if you're requesting evidence from a medical professional. 

Longer term conditions and deferrals

Generally speaking we do not consider deferrals to be appropriate for longer term conditions or circumstances; My Adjustments or an interruption are designed to support students needing longer term support.

However, we understand that you may experience a sudden or unforeseen deterioration or 'flare-up' of a long term condition or circumstances. In these instances you should provide evidence of this deterioration or 'flare-up' along with evidence of your longer term condition. Your aim should be to provide evidence which explains why the specific assessments are impacted. 

If you need advice or support with longer term health conditions the Student Wellbeing Service have a range of support available. 

Students returning from interruption in January

If you are returning from interruption at the start of Winter Term and need to defer exams that are taking place in the January exam period (or other assessments that are due just before the start of Winter Term) then confirmation of your interruption will meet the evidence requirement for deferral. You should note that you were on interruption in the form itself and attach a PDF version of the email confirming your interruption (or the email confirming your return). Any other evidence you can supply will also be helpful. 

Technical requirements

The deferral request form will allow you to upload evidence in a range of file formats. 

The maximum file size is 2GB, if you upload files larger than this the submission of your form may fail. You can upload more than one document but please try to keep this to a minimum. If you upload more than five files the submission of your form may fail. 

You can submit files in the formats listed below, however, we expect most files to be PDFs, Word documents or images. 

• Portable Document Format (.pdf)
• Microsoft Word (.doc, .docx)
• Image files (gif, .jpe, .jpg, .jpeg, .bmp, .png, .tif, .tiff)
• Microsoft PowerPoint (.pptx, .pps, .ppt)
• Microsoft Excel (.xlsx, .xls)

Video and sound files cannot be submitted as evidence to support deferral requests.

We cannot accept HEIC files (photographs taken using Apple devices), if you have HEIC files please convert them to JPEG files before uploading. There are lots of free conversion tools available online.

Translating evidence

All evidence must be signed, dated, and written in English. If your evidence is not written in English, you will need to provide a certified translation.

The LSE Language Centre are able translate documents from languages that they teach. There is a fee for this service and requires at least 72 hours. Visit Language Centre Additional Services for more information.

Alternatively, you can use an external translation agency. You should contact your embassy for a list of authorised agencies.

When you provide translated evidence, the original (untranslated) document must also be provided.