Repeating a year
If you choose to repeat the year, it’s important that you take these factors into account:
- your marks from the previous year cannot be reinstated, even if you previously performed better
- you will be re-registered onto the same year of study and will need to undertake all tuition and assessment
- your marks will not be capped
- this will count as one of your three attempts at assessment in each module, unless offered as a ‘First Sit’
- you will be liable for the tuition fees for a full year of study, even where this has been offered as a ‘First Sit’
- all years of study will appear on your Higher Education Achievement Report (HEAR), even where your repeat year is offered as a ‘First Sit’
If you’re repeating a module, please don’t assume that everything will be the same as it was this year; there may be changes to the content or the way the module is assessed – you can check this in the module directory.
Where you are undertaking the same modules, you will not be able to use previously submitted work but will need to write new assignments. Resubmitting previously submitted work, counts as self-plagiarism and is an Academic Offence. We therefore advise that, where possible, you select questions on different topics for your assignments to help avoid this and/or consider taking different optional modules where possible.
Fees
You’ll need to pay full tuition fees again for repeating the year. View next year's fees.
Enrolling on modules
- You’ll have to undertake the modules that are core and/or compulsory for your course. These may be the same modules you previously studied, or they may be different ones, depending on whether your department has changed the structure of the degree.
- You will need to select any optional modules on the online module enrolment system, eNROL, before the start of the new Academic Year. You may choose different optional modules if you want to.
Before selecting this outcome, we urge all students to read the important information below:
Maximum attempts
The Rules of Assessment state that you will not be granted more than three attempts at assessment in a module unless you have accepted Extenuating Circumstances. If you fail a module for the third time, and cannot be offered a further attempt, you may have to carry the fail or could be withdrawn from the University.
Resubmitting coursework
It’s important to know that if you take any of the same modules during your period of repeat study, you must not resubmit any work that you’ve previously submitted. This counts as self-plagiarism which is an academic offence and has serious consequences.
To avoid this, you should try to choose different assignment titles next year or different optional modules. However, you must talk to your tutor if the same, or a very similar, assignment title is set.
Funding for repeat years
If you are receiving a tuition fee loan from Student Finance England you may be affected by repeat funding rules.
If this is your first repeat year and you have no previous higher education study, then the repeat year would be classed as your ‘gift’ year and your repeat year will be funded. However, if this is not your first repeat, or you have previous higher education study, you may not receive funding for your repeat year.
Please see the Funding Team webpage for guidance on repeat funding and applying for compelling personal reasons.
Please contact the Funding Team via funding@essex.ac.uk for further advice if required.
Maximum study period
You have a maximum period in which you need to complete your studies – this is normally the length of your course, plus two years. A repeat period of study will normally count as one of the additional years from your maximum period of study unless offered as a ‘First Sit’ due to accepted extenuating circumstances.
Information for sponsored students
If you have a Tier 4 or Student Route visa, please see our immigration webpages to determine what impact your Board of Examiners outcome may have on your visa.
