Religious observance

The University of Nottingham respects the rights and religious views of its students. The University's protocol relating to absence from an examination for reason of religious observance sets out the procedure for students who are unable to take examinations on a particular day during the published examination periods for reasons of religious observance.

• Students should complete a Religious Observance Form
• This form should be authorised by their personal tutor (or equivalent) and submitted to the School Examinations Officer
• This form should be filled out when a student begins their studies and the students details will remain on record for the remainder of their time on their current programme of study.
• Having completed a Religious Observance form students are NOT required to fill out further forms each Semester.   A student’s modules will be taken from the Student Records System for each examination period. It is imperative that students check their modules when prompted to do so as the timetable will be based on the module records we have.
• Should a student return to the University to undertake a second degree (e.g. Postgraduate Masters) they will need to complete a Religious Observance Form.

The deadline for submission of completed forms to School Examinations Officers is:

• 17 October 2016 – For January Examinations
• 17 February 2017 – For May Examinations (only required if a form has not already been completed for January).

For guidance pertaining Ramadan for the May examination period, please click here.

Where this is not possible to take a students requests into account, and the student has completed the Religious Observance Form by the published deadline, the student should contact their School Examinations Officer for further advice. The School concerned may make the following alternative arrangements:

• Setting an alternative examination paper for such students to be taken on another day
• Permitting the student(s) to take the examination as an alternative assessment candidate at either an earlier or later start time, on condition that the student is able to provide a chaperone acceptable to the School, who will accompany the student in the intervening period
• Setting an alternative form of assessment

It is anticipated that Schools will make every effort to ensure an alternative arrangement for a student is possible. In exceptional circumstances the School should consider offering the student a deferral of their examination until the August/September resit period under the University’s Extenuating Circumstances Policy.