Cambridge has rejected calls to introduce exam re-sits in a report published last week, including in cases where candidates are “impacted by illness or grave cause”.

The University’s exam task force, which consulted on changes to the assessment system last term, dismissed recommendations by an external review to introduce “re-sits as a standard option”. The taskforce cited concerns around “staff burden,” “quality of assessment,” and “student welfare”.

One section of the report said: “Burdens were expected to fall most heavily on junior, female, ethnic minority staff […] and hence have a negative impact on equality considerations.”

The report also revealed that only two colleges and three departments supported the introduction of re-sits.

Cambridge is virtually alone in the higher education sector in not offering re-sits. The Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA), the external watchdog for student complaints in England, says that this provision should be “a matter of standard practice”.

Two undergraduate students, who were affected by illness and family bereavement during the most recent exam cycle, told Varsity that re-sits should be a matter of cause.

Tom, a second-year psychology student, was bedbound with a viral infection which forced him to miss two tripos exams last summer.

“I wasn’t in any sort of state to take any exams,” he said. “I got all the required doctor’s notes. And people at college then said: That’s all fine. We’ll sort all that out for you.”

Tom was awarded a zero in both Part IA exams and passed his first year by only two marks.

Tom’s college assured him that the University’s Exam Access and Mitigation Committee (EAMC) would retroactively strike the missed exams from his record.

He had scored an average mark of 79 on the two exams he did sit, and had been predicted strong grades in the papers he missed.

“After a while, [the EAMC] got back and said: we cannot take both the exams off the record because that constitutes more than a small amount of the examination.”

Tom was allowed to progress into second year, but he is worried that the third-class grade on his transcript may affect his job prospects.

“That’s the main concern for me. I’m looking for internships next summer. I haven’t started applying yet, but if it comes up that they need to see my grade, obviously that’s going to be an issue.”

Tom says Cambridge should offer resits as standard practice. “The option to take resits would have been an ideal way for me to achieve an overall grade reflective of both my hard work throughout the year and academic capabilities”, he said

Jane*, a former engineering student at Churchill college, was not allowed to continue her studies after failing her exams following a family bereavement.

“I had been a carer for my grandparents before attending Cambridge, and my grandfather died after my first term,” she said.

Over the course of the academic year, Jane repeatedly sought out help from her college, but because she had been a strong student her concerns were dismissed.

Jane was told that the Engineering tripos was “designed so that it challenges everyone” and “no one stays on top of the curve at Cambridge”.

She says that her college did not explain to her that bereavement was grounds for intermission.

“Having spent the term attempting to revise while supporting my grandmother and grieving, I was ill when I sat my exams,” she said.

“Though I had an exam warning, I failed the year, and my college advised me that the chance of the EAMC considering me was slim-to-none. My Senior Tutor told me I should focus on transferring.”

Jane has now started an engineering course at another university, but says that Cambridge forced her hand into making this decision.

She says that the opportunity to re-sit her exams would have given her a fair chance to prove herself in an unmitigated context.

“It shocks me that the system is so flawed that there is no possibility for me to continue at the university, even after proving myself throughout the year.

“It feels like a shame. I had six offers last year: five UCAS offers, and then an offer from the Dyson Institute for a degree apprenticeship as well.

“And I chose Cambridge because I thought Cambridge would be the best for me. And ultimately I’ve come out of it a year later having essentially one offer.”

A University spokesperson told Varsity that students dissatisfied with their EAMC outcome should request a review, and if still dissatisfied, file a complaint with the external ombudsman.

They continued: “We cannot comment on individual cases, but where students’ exams are affected by serious illness or other grave circumstances, they need to inform their College as soon as possible and collect contemporaneous evidence of the circumstances.

“Each case is considered individually, and decisions are made taking all circumstances into account by trained decision-makers, including qualified medics.”

“The University actively and regularly reviews its academic support for students. Following a collegiate University-wide consultation, there is no plan to introduce a standard re-sit period or a re-sit opportunity for students who have failed their exams unaffected by illness or grave cause.

“However, it is acknowledged that there is a need for greater breadth and flexibility than the current package of exam allowances offers, particularly for final year undergraduate students who are unable to sit exams because of illness or grave cause and where the current likely allowance can provide them only with an unclassified degree.

“A revised package of exam allowances for both undergraduates and postgraduates will be consulted on during Michaelmas Term 2024 and Lent Term 2025, for implementation in the academic year 2025-26.”

Churchill College was contacted for comment.