Supplementary assessments are the last opportunity to pass a failed unit. If you meet the eligibility requirements, you will be automatically given a supplementary assessment. If you choose not to complete a supplementary assessment, you’ll need to opt out of it.

If you’re given a supplementary assessment and you pass, your result for the unit will be 50 (P).

How it works

1. Check your results to find out if you have a supplementary assessment

Check your results on the day they are released. If you have any units with a grade of NS, this means you have met the eligibility criteria and have been given a supplementary assessment to complete. If you have any units with a WH (withheld) grade, you’ll need to wait for the results of those units to be finalised before you find out if you’re eligible for a supplementary assessment.

If you’d prefer not to sit your supplementary assessment(s), you can choose to opt out.

Eligibility criteria

You’re eligible for a supplementary assessment if:

• you receive a mark of 45 to 49 for the unit and your grade is either N (fail) or NH (hurdle fail). Your results will show NS.
  (You won’t be eligible for a supplementary assessment if you receive a grade of NGO or NSR).
• the unit offers supplementary assessments.
  (If the unit is ineligible for a supplementary assessment, it will state this in the Handbook. Supplementary assessments aren’t offered for some units because of the way they’re taught, e.g. professional practice, clinical placements and project-based units.)
• you haven’t completed a deferred or rescheduled deferred assessment for the unit.
• you don’t have a finding of academic misconduct with a zero mark penalty applied to an assessment task worth 20 per cent or more.

2. Decide whether to take your supplementary assessments

You don’t have to take your supplementary assessment, but there are a few things you should consider before deciding whether to complete it or opt out.

Prioritise your supplementary assessments

If you’re eligible for multiple supplementary assessments it’s a good idea to prioritise the one you have the best chance of passing, and consider opting out of any others.

Considerations for international students

Completing all eligible supplementary assessments gives you the best chance of completing your course within the standard course duration.

• International students at Monash University Malaysia: It’s a condition of your student pass that you complete your course within the standard course duration. It is difficult to get an extension of your student pass, beyond the standard course duration – this decision is made at the discretion of Immigration Malaysia.
• International students at Monash Australia: You may be required to submit an application to extend your Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) and/or apply for a new visa if you can’t complete your course on time (your CoE shows the cut-off date).

Consider the impacts on your WAM

If you sit a supplementary assessment, the highest mark you can get for your unit is 50 (P). If you retake the unit instead, you’ll have the opportunity to receive a higher mark. Before you decide what to do, consider how this will impact your WAM (weighted average mark).

You can estimate your WAM by using our WAM calculator. For more help, take a look at the resources on our Student Academic Success website.

Fees

If you opt out of a supplementary assessment, or if you take it and fail, you'll need to retake the unit (or a different unit) and pay the fees. You can speak to Monash Connect about the financial implications of retaking units.

3. Sit your supplementary assessment

You must complete your supplementary assessment on the date it is scheduled, which will be within 90 calendar days of the results release date.

Here’s how to find the details of your supplementary assessments:

• Scheduled assessments
  Check Allocate+ for the date, time and location of the supplementary assessment. To find out when your assessment details will be published, see final assessment dates.
• Assessments in a different format 
  Your faculty will send you an email with the details of your assessment at least five University working days before the set date.

Need help preparing?

You can get advice on how to prepare for your supplementary assessment – all you need to do is:

1. Take a look at the prepare for supplementary assessments page on LearnHQ.
2. Book a consultation with a Student Academic Success Adviser.

How this affects your results

Completing a supplementary assessment

Until you complete your supplementary assessment, you'll have an interim result (NS grade). An interim result may not satisfy unit prerequisites and could prevent you from enrolling in some units. If this happens, check your enrolment details carefully and seek course advice.

If you pass a supplementary assessment, your result for the unit will be 50 (P). You cannot achieve a higher mark.

If you fail a supplementary assessment, you’ll receive the original mark you had when results were released.

Opting out of supplementary assessment

If you opt out of a supplementary assessment, your grade for the unit will be finalised and changed back to a fail grade – N (fail) or NH (hurdle fail).

Completing a supplementary assessment is your last opportunity to try and pass your unit, so we recommend you speak with a course adviser before deciding to opt out.

If you don’t want to complete a supplementary assessment, submit the Supplementary Assessment Opt-out form within five University working days of receiving the result for your unit – that way your grade can be finalised as soon as possible.

Supplementary Assessment Opt-out form

We'll begin scheduling supplementary assessments once results are released. If you opt out of completing your supplementary assessment, it may still appear in your timetable, but you won’t need to attend the assessment for that unit.

Unable to complete a supplementary assessment

You have one opportunity to complete your supplementary assessment. If you’re not able to complete the supplementary assessment, you’ll receive the original mark you had when results were released – N (fail) or NH (hurdle fail).

If you’re unable to complete your assessment on the set date because of extreme circumstances, you may be able to apply for a Withdrawn (WDN) grade (WDN grades are excluded from your GPA and WAM). Just make sure you apply within 10 University working days after your grade is finalised for the unit.

Time zone differences

If you’re participating in a Monash program overseas or interstate (e.g. GIG), you’re still expected to complete your supplementary assessment on the scheduled date and time – even if it overlaps with your program. But, if you’re in a time zone where your supplementary assessment is scheduled to start before 5am or finish after 12.30am in your local time, you can apply for special arrangements to have your assessment start time moved to the next suitable timetabled session.

If there isn’t another suitable session on the same day, you’ll have to sit your supplementary assessment at the time it is scheduled.

Related links

• Deferred and supplementary assessment dates
• Failing a unit

Related policy

• Assessment Regime Procedure: Section 5 (pdf)
• Scheduled Final Assessments Procedure (pdf)

Whether you have a complaint about an assessment or another matter, it should concern something that you yourself have experienced or something that has affected you. You can’t make a complaint on behalf of someone else, or as part of a group.

Making a complaint will not disadvantage you in any way. For example, if you're an international student, it will not affect your enrolment or visa status.

Whatever your issue, we’ll do our best to resolve it. We want you to have a positive relationship with Monash staff and enjoy your experience at university.

Assessment complaints

If you’re unhappy about an assessment because, for example, you feel it was too hard or unfair, or that it didn’t match the description in Moodle, you can submit a complaint.

During the marking process, you can’t contact teaching staff about an assessment or thesis examination issue – not even to complain informally.

Marking and feedback complaints

If you believe that part of the Marking and Feedback Procedure – sections 1, 3 and 4 (pdf) hasn’t been followed for your assessment, you can submit a complaint. Keep in mind that you’ll need to explain exactly which part of the procedure you mean.

Re-marking

It’s unlikely that we can help you with a complaint about a faculty’s refusal to re-mark your assessment. You’re not generally entitled to a re-mark.

If you fail a major assessment – one that makes up 20% or more of your unit’s total mark – you don’t need to request re-marking. In this case, it will happen automatically before your result is finalised.

Correcting a mark or grade

If you find that an error has been made in calculating your mark or grade, you can talk to your faculty about correcting it. An error may, for example, occur when:

• your marks have been summed up incorrectly
• you’ve received a late penalty even though you handed in your assessment on time.

We don’t consider it an error when you think that your assessment has been marked unfairly, or you feel that the marker hasn’t given you a good enough explanation for your mark.

For in-semester assessments, you’ll need to request a correction within ten working days of your mark’s release.

For semester one final assessments,you’ll need to request a correction within six weeks of your unit result’s release. For semester two final assessments, you’ll need to request a correction before the end of the first week of semester one the next year.

Seeking feedback

If you’re seeking feedback on your assessment, follow the process set out for your unit in Moodle. For more information about requesting feedback, see feedback on your assessments.

Giving us feedback

If you’d just like to give us some feedback about an assessment issue or something else, follow the process for an informal complaint. But make it clear that you simply want to provide feedback. You can also submit feedback through other channels, such as unit evaluations.