16 Special Consideration
a) Special consideration may be given, at ABRSM’s discretion, to a candidate whose performance in an exam is felt to have been affected by, or who does not complete an exam owing to circumstances beyond the candidate’s control (e.g. a personal trauma shortly before, or at the time of, the exam, such as bereavement or family crisis; a minor injury immediately before, or illness occurring during, the exam; instrument failure/malfunction immediately before, or during, the exam; a serious disturbance or disruption at the time of the exam, such as power failure, fire alarm or noise from nearby building work). Further details are contained in ABRSM’s Special Consideration Policy, (NB these arrangements do not apply to candidates suffering illness or injury in advance of an exam, for whom the recommended course of action is withdrawal (see regulation 10 and regulation 16g)).
b) Application for special consideration should be made only by the Applicant and must be sent in writing to the UK Operations Director as soon as possible, and no later than seven days, after the exam. Where appropriate, the application should be supported by documentary evidence, i.e. a medical certificate or a statement from an involved party. Should the Applicant be unavailable in the seven days after the exam, an initial application may be made in writing by another concerned party (e.g. the accompanist or aparent/guardian) but must be followed by formal confirmation by the Applicant as soon as possible, in accordance with the conditions outlined immediately above.
c) Examiners are not permitted to determine whether special consideration should be given. Such decisions are made only by ABRSM, provided that the conditions in regulation 16b are met.
d) Candidates can be assessed only on the performance given during an exam and consequently an application for special consideration will not normally result in an adjustment to marks.Where a section of an exam is not attempted, marks for that section cannot be awarded, but a candidate may still be successful and be awarded a certificate, provided that the marks awarded for the sections attempted total 100 or more in a Practical exam and 66 marks or more in a Theory exam.
e) Should an application for special consideration prove successful, the following possible outcomes will be considered by ABRSM in consultation with the Applicant:
- discussion of the provisional outcome (i.e. informal notification by ABRSM whether or not the candidate has passed) and a decision by the Applicant to accept the result, with a written acknowledgement from ABRSM that external circumstances may have affected the candidate’s performance;
- invalidation of the exam result and the opportunity for the candidate to retake the exam at the earliest opportunity and at no extra cost (for Practical exams, within the same exam Period where possible, although this may mean attending at an alternative venue);
- invalidation of the exam result and a discretionary refund of up to 75% of the entry fee;
- in exceptional circumstances, consultation with the examiner and possible minor adjustment to the marks awarded, if an identifiable event or circumstance has affected the performance in any section or sections.
f) Application for special consideration may delay the release of the exam result while investigation is carried out.
g) For a candidate who has fallen ill or suffered injury in advance of the exam, the recommended course of action is withdrawal, followed by application for a partial refund (see regulation 10c): it is not advisable for a candidate who is unwell to attend an exam, nor for a candidate suffering illness or injury to attempt an exam under disadvantageous circumstances that cannot be taken into account by the examiner.