Repeating a year on a different course
If you choose to repeat the year on a different course, 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 on your new course and will need to undertake all tuition and assessment
- you will automatically be moved onto your new course of study; you do not need to request a change of course
- 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 select this option, you will automatically be transferred onto the new course listed on your results page prior to the start of the 2024-25 Academic Year, you do not need to submit a change of course form for this change to take place. It may be possible for you to be considered to change to other courses within your department where you meet the course specific requirements to do so. If this is something you would like to consider, please contact your department directly.
If you’re retaking 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 issue and you may wish to consider undertaking different optional modules.
Advice and support
If you have been given the choice to repeat a year on a different course or to undertake reassessment to remain on your current course and you’re not sure which to choose, then you should speak to the departments that run these courses as soon as possible to discuss your options.
It’s important to remember that marks from all years of study, including your current year, will appear on your Higher Education Achievement Report, as will any failed credits.
Fees
You will have to pay tuition fees in full again for repeating the year.
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’ve studied this year, or they may be different ones.
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.
Maximum attempts
The Rules of Assessment state that you will not be granted more than three attempts at assessment in a module (the original attempt plus two reassessment attempts) 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.
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.
Funding for repeat year
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 fees and funding webpage or contact the Funding Team at funding@essex.ac.uk for further advice if required.
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.
