Deferral
What it really means
Officially moving an exam or deadline to the next opportunity because of serious circumstances, with the mark not capped. It must be approved through the mitigating circumstances process — you cannot just skip the exam.
Context, tips & common mistakes
Deferring an assessment means being treated as taking it for the first time at the next opportunity — the mark is not capped like a resit, which is exactly why universities demand evidence through the mitigating circumstances process before granting one. It is an application, not an entitlement, and 'I wasn't ready' does not qualify.
For international students the visa dimension comes first: deferring assessments or a whole year can change your course end date, which touches your visa and CAS, so speak to the international student support team before submitting any deferral request, not after. A deferred summer exam can also mean an August resit-period sitting or even returning the following year — get the actual date in writing before making travel or work plans around it.
Example conversation
What you could say back
No spoken reply needed for this one.