Appealing your final grade for a course

Find out how you can appeal your final grade for a course you’re studying as part of any AUT programme¹.

The content on this page is only a summary – you can find more details about this process in Part 6: Academic Appeals of the AUT Calendar.

_{1. There is a separate process if you need to appeal the results of your research component.}

When you can appeal your final grade

You can appeal your final grade for a course if:

• You can present additional information that couldn't reasonably have been made available before the final grades were approved and therefore couldn’t have been brought to AUT’s attention at the time¹.
• You can show new or additional evidence that there was a material irregularity in how the assessment was conducted, or in the procedures of the assessment board or board of studies. This means that AUT procedures were not followed, or an assessment was conducted in a way that you think disadvantaged you unfairly (for example if an assessment was significantly changed after you started your course).

Being disappointed with your grade or needing a better grade isn’t a valid reason to make an appeal.

_{1. Your appeal application may not succeed if you had reasonable opportunity before your grade was finalised to notify AUT of any exceptional circumstances beyond your control that might have affected your ability to do well when you completed an assignment or sat an exam. If you experience these kinds of challenges, you should apply for a special consideration for an assessment when this happens.}

You must submit your appeal to the relevant faculty contact within 14 days of receiving the final grade you want appeal.

Appealing your final grade at the end of a course is different from asking for a review of your mark for a specific assessment during the course if you believe there was a mistake in the marking (for example if your marks for a test for miscalculated). In this case you would apply for reconsideration of an assessment grade.

How to appeal your final grade

If you need to appeal a course grade, you should fill in the Academic Appeal Form below and submit relevant evidence for your appeal.

Download Academic Appeal Form

Submit your appeal to the relevant faculty contact within 14 days of receiving the final grade you want to appeal.

Before you submit your appeal

We encourage you to seek advice from AUTSA (the AUT Students' Association). They can guide you through the process, and explain what to expect and what evidence you should submit with your appeal.

Who to send your appeal to

To appeal a final grade for a course, email or post your filled in Academic Appeal Form and any supporting evidence to the relevant contact person for your AUT faculty:

Faculty of Business, Economics and Law

Faculty of Culture and Society

Faculty of Design and Creative Technologies

Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences

What happens next

After you have submitted the Academic Appeal Form, you can expect the following:

1. Your faculty will review your appeal application
2. There are two possible outcomes:
   • If your appeal meets the requirements, it will be sent it to the faculty appeals committee, which is chaired by the dean of your faculty or their nominee
   • If your appeal doesn't meet the criteria, you will receive a letter to let you know that your appeal has been declined
3. If your appeal meets the requirements, you will receive an email about the appeal procedures and will be invited to the faculty appeals committee meeting where you can make a submission to support your appeal. AUTSA can guide you with your submission
4. You can bring support to the faculty appeals committee, either an AUTSA member or another person of your choice
5. If you can't make the date of the committee meeting, your faculty will try to be flexible with dates but this isn't always possible. You can make a written submission if you can't attend
6. The faculty appeals committee will consider your appeal and submission. They can:
   • Uphold your appeal (agree with you)
   • Dismiss your appeal (not agree)
   • Confirm, raise or lower your final grade
7. You will be notified in writing of the decision

How long this process takes depends on your faculty, the timing of the faculty appeals committee meeting and the complexity of your situation. Reach out to your faculty contact if you have questions while you're waiting. Your faculty will advise you what to do while your appeal is being considered and if there is any impact on other courses you're studying.

If your appeal is dismissed, your faculty will provide advice on who you can talk to and what to do next. The decision of the faculty appeals committee is final.