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What Medical Evidence the University of Newcastle Accepts for Adverse Circumstances
Newcastle University does not call it special consideration, and for a short extension you may not need a certificate. Check this before you book anything.
5 min readMedically reviewedAustralia-wide
The University of Newcastle does not use the term special consideration for assessment issues. The process is called Adverse Circumstances, and you lodge it through the University's online Adverse Circumstances system. Medical evidence is a letter or certificate from an accepted health professional stating the dates the health grounds affected the assessment item. Since March 2025, a short extension of three calendar days or less for an eligible assessment may not require supporting documentation.
The process has a different name, which is why students cannot find it
Searching Newcastle's site for "special consideration" will not get you where you need to go unless you are in the Joint Medical Program. For everyone else, it is Adverse Circumstances, and you lodge the application online. You cannot email documents or hand them in at a service point.
You may not need a certificate at all for a short extension
This is the detail worth knowing before you spend money. Since March 2025, if you are requesting a short extension of three calendar days or less on an eligible assessment, Newcastle may not require supporting documentation. Check whether your situation qualifies before booking a certificate from an online GP. If you need longer than that, or your assessment is not eligible, you must provide evidence.
Upload within three calendar days, or the application can be cancelled
Newcastle's application guidance warns that an application left without supporting documentation for three calendar days risks being cancelled. Lodge the application and submit the evidence quickly, rather than waiting to have everything ready at once.
What the medical evidence has to show
A letter or medical certificate from an accepted health professional, and critically, it must include the date or dates on which the health grounds affected the relevant assessment item. A certificate that only states you were unwell, without tying that to the assessment period, is weaker evidence.
Keep the original for six months
Newcastle requires students to retain original supporting documentation for six months after the end of the relevant term, and to produce it if the University asks.
Documents must be in English
Where a document is not in English, Newcastle requires a translation from a translator accredited by NAATI, not an informal translation.
Medicine students follow a different procedure entirely
Students in the Joint Medical Program apply under a separate procedure with its own requirements, including a certificate completed by a registered medical or dental practitioner stating the date of examination.
Newcastle's evidence requirements at a glance
| Evidence element | Newcastle's requirement |
|---|---|
| Issued by | An accepted health professional. |
| Dates | Must state the date or dates on which the health grounds affected the relevant assessment item, not just a general period of illness. |
| Lodgement | Through the online Adverse Circumstances system only. Email and in-person submission were discontinued. |
| Upload window | Within three calendar days of lodging, or the application risks cancellation. |
| Short extensions | Three calendar days or less for an eligible assessment may require no documentation. |
| Translation | NAATI accredited translation where the document is not in English. |
| Retention | Keep the original for six months after the end of the relevant term. |
Two systems have run in parallel, so check which one you are in
Newcastle moved extension requests for Canvas assessments to a newer system. At the same time, exam rescheduling, placements and attendance exemptions continued through the legacy system, and the documentation rules themselves changed in March 2025. Check the Adverse Circumstances Procedure for which route applies to your assessment type before you lodge.
If you do need evidence, get the dates right
Book a consultation and tell the GP the exact date of the affected assessment, so the certificate records the dates the health grounds affected that item. That specific link is what Newcastle asks for. You can also learn more about getting an online GP medical certificate in Newcastle.
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Frequently asked questions
View all FAQsNewcastle University has run multiple systems in parallel. Extension requests for assessments in Canvas go through the newer system; exam rescheduling, placements, and attendance exemptions go through the legacy system. Check the current Adverse Circumstances page.
Not for the Joint Medical Program, where it is explicitly insufficient on its own. For other students, check the current procedure.
Newcastle University's procedure indicates applications are usually determined within about three working days.
Newcastle University asks you to notify them as early as possible and, if the issue arises during an exam, to tell the supervisor before you leave.
Not always. Whether supporting documentation is required for a short extension can depend on the assessment settings and the circumstances of your request. If evidence is required for health grounds, a medical certificate from an accepted health professional may be used.
