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Assessment & Appeals

Assessments are a stressful time for many Law Students so we have compiled a resource of information regarding some of the issues students might have with assessment, the University Assessment Policy, and how to appeal a mark on an assignment or exam.

Late Submission | Appeals | Word & Page Limits | Scaling | Exams | Assessment Return

What penalty is there for late submission?

• Unless otherwise stated in the unit outline, you will lose 5 percentage points for each day an assessment is late. So, if you would have received 75%, but submitted the assignment 2 days late, your mark will be: 75% – (2*5%) = 75% – 10% = 65%

How can marks be appealed?

• It is possible to seek review of marks for individual assessments and final grades. The University policy is set out here. The full policy is here. There are now 3 stages of review.
  • A Stage 1 Review of:
    • An assessment mark must establish either:
      • An irregularity in how the marking standard was applied; or
      • Errors in the marking process used to determine your mark.
    • A final grade must establish:
      • Procedural errors in the determination of the grade.
  • A Stage 2 Review must establish:
    • The Stage 1 Review did not adequately deal with the relevant ground for review.
      • See Schedule Aof the Policy.
  • A Stage 3 Review must establish:
    • The Stage 1  and Stage 2 Review did not adequately deal with the relevant ground for review.
      • See Schedule B of the Policy.
• There are strict time limits, and a particular procedure to follow that is summarised below. It is also set out by the University here. If would like Blackstone’s support in this process, please contact the Education Vice President, Emma Boogaerdt. 
• Within 5 university working days of the release of the results —
  • You may, but are not required to contact the Unit Coordinator to organise an informal discussion of your assessment. Find out their reasons for giving you your mark.
    • If unresolved:
      • Complete the Review Stage 1 appeal form and lodge it as a Word Doc, along with any relevant assessment documents to review-law@uwa.edu.au.
    • If unresolved:
      • Within 5 university working days of the date of notification of an unsuccessful review 
      • Complete the Review Stage 2 appeal form and lodge it, along with all relevant assessment and appeal documents to review-law@uwa.edu.au.
    • If unresolved:
      • Within 5 university working days of the date of notification of an unsuccessful review 
      • Complete the Appeal form and lodge it, along with all relevant assessment and appeal documents to review-law@uwa.edu.au.
• Advice on writing your review statement
  • The Student Guild has advice on the appeals process on Student Assist.
  • The statement should:
    • Focus on the grounds for your appeal, your reasoning and evidence;
    • Be written respectfully;
    • Explain what you submit has happened, and how you intend to respond;
    • Include evidence of medical issues, family pressure, or other uncontrollable factors that affected your performance; and
    • State the outcome you’re seeking — a deferral, supplementary exam, or adjustment of marks.

What are the rules for word and page limits?

Word limits in law are strict, and no leeway can be expected. Where a word limit is given, all words in the text of the assignment will count. This includes titles, headings and quotations. Where Harvard-style referencing is used, in-text references — (author, year, page) — will be included in the word count.

Footnotes will not ordinarily be included in the word count where they are used to give citations, or other brief information. If footnotes are used for commentary, then students should expect they will be counted. If there is a clear statement in the assessment instructions, footnotes will count towards the word limit.

If you exceed a word or page limit, your mark may be reduced by the percentage the word limit is exceeded, and extra pages will not be marked.

How are marks scaled?

• When there are more than 30 students in an LLB or JD unit, examiners must apply the scaling policy. When there are fewer than 30 students in a unit, the policy will act as a guide.
• The policy limits the percentage of students that can receive distinctions and high distinctions:
  • 4 – 10% of students can receive an HD.
  • 25 – 40% of students can receive a D or an HD.

When do assignments need to be marked and returned?

Assignments should be returned within 3 weeks of the submission date. If there are exceptional circumstances, including an agreement between the Unit Coordinator and all students, this time may be extended.