Undergraduate students – Repeats or Retakes
(This handout is only for students, who have, or need, a Tier 4 student visa to study in the UK)
If you are an undergraduate overseas student and have failed a stage of study, you may be offered a repeat of the entire year or you may be offered intermission for that time, only sitting/resitting the failed assessments.
If you decide to repeat the entire year, you can do so on your current visa, providing you have sufficient time remaining. However, at some point you will need to obtain a new CAS, with a new course end date, from the Student Progress and Assessment Office (SPA). You will then need to use this to make a new Tier 4 visa application.
If you decide to only sit/resit the failed assessments, University policy means that you will need to intermit from your studies and return at a later date, in order to take the assessments. As this option involves intermission, this would mean that the University is required to report your situation to the UK Border Agency (UKBA). You are advised to leave the UK as soon as possible as you will no longer be in the UK for the purpose for which your visa was granted. At some point, the UKBA will curtail (cut short) your leave/visa and should write to you to inform you of this. Please ensure that you keep the UKBA up to date with your address by completing and returning this change of circumstance form:
What if I can’t, or don’t want to, travel home?
Unfortunately, we are not allowed to make exceptions. The UKBA guidance does not permit us to make allowances for extenuating circumstances such as the fact that it is difficult to return home, so we would still not be able to issue you with a CAS. In these cases, you would need to seek specialist advice regarding any alternative options for remaining in the UK, from an immigration solicitor. We are unable to give recommendations but some students have used Irving and Co (
You may have been hoping to use the University facilities for revision. If so, we advise you to useyour remaining timebefore you leave the UK wisely, accessing the Library and other facilities, including getting academic advice to ensure you know what you are expected to achieve in each of your assessments.
Returning to the UK for resit exams
You will usually need to return to the UK on a student visitor visa in order to take the exams, please allow plenty of time to organise this.
The Student Progress and Assessment Office will provide you with a letter confirming your current status and the details of your exam(s), and you will need to include this with your visa application. If you are a visa national you need to apply in your home country. Non visa nationals can either obtain the visa in advance or apply on re-entry to the UK (although we recommend applying in advance). You cannot apply for this visa from within the UK.
Some students wish to enter the UK as a student visitor earlier than their exam date. However, think about this carefully as we cannot guarantee that you will be successful in obtaining this visa to return earlier and some embassies are stricter than others. In addition, you need to consider that the maximum time granted for all visitor leave is six months in any 12 month period. You will need to leave the UK before your student visitor visa expires: it is not possible to make a new visa application from within the UK as a student visitor.
Details on this category can be found here:
Once you have progressed to the next stage of your course, the SPA office will be able to issue you a CAS to use for a new Tier 4 visa application. You must request the CAS in sufficient time and you must obtain a new Tier 4 visa before travelling back to the UK to resume your full time degree study.
Frequently asked questions
What if I only need to submit a written assessment/piece of coursework?
In this case, you should submit this by post from overseas to the School Office (or other appropriate submission point) in time to meet the deadline you have been set. You do not need to return to the UK in person to submit.
If I apply for a student visitor visa, how long can I stay in the UK for?
Visitor leave is usually issued for a maximum of six months (in any 12 month period) and cannot be extended. If you intend to apply for any type of visitor visa, please bear this in mind and ensure this fits with your plans to take your exam or attend graduation.
If you have any further questions about the immigration aspects of taking resits/repeats, please email January 2013