Resits and retake information

If you do not pass a module at the first sit, you will normally get an automatic resit. You will need to resit any assessment tasks you have not passed. You do not need to pay for a resit.

A retake is when you study a whole module for a second time because you have taken it previously but have not passed it yet. As you will be retaking the module in a different academic year, the assessment is likely to be different. You will not be able to retake a module if you’ve already passed it.

If you retake a module, you will have to redo all assessments and pay for the whole module again. No marks can be carried over from one attempt to the next, even if a missed assessments or exceptional removal of marks application has been accepted.

• If you have a resit, this is shown in your academic record using a code of 1RALL.
• If the code starts with a ‘2’, that means it is your second attempt at the module.

Resits are primarily opportunities for students who have failed the original assessment or who were unavailable at the first sit, e.g. due to illness. 

You should be aware that if you are resitting an assignment, the academic support and access to specialist facilities are likely to be limited during the resit period.

There are several risks involved in not submitting to the initial deadline or having to re-sit later in the year. These risks may increase with the number of re-sit assignments you may need to undertake, including:

• Relearning module information – The module may have run many months before, so you may need to relearn module information without the support of module leader and peers
• Unplanned re-sits – If you fail any other assignments during the year you may end up with multiple re-sit assignments at once
• No additional sit if you fail – You will need to retake the module if you fail at the re-sit
• Impact on progression – If you fail too many modules at the re-sit period you may need to retake the year of study
• Cost – If you fail the re-sit you will need to pay for the cost of retaking the module. See the section on retake cost below for further details.
• Late graduation – If you are a final year student you won't be able to graduate until the Graduation Ceremony which follows the completion of your award. This means that you'll normally graduate later than the rest of your cohort if you are resitting and retaking, depending on the resit schedule for the module
• Further study – You may not be able to progress onto further study (at UWE or other institutions) if you are undertaking a summer re-sit and haven’t completed your course in time
• Visa implications – If you undertake assessments within the resit schedule, you may not receive your results before your CAS expires. If you have any queries or concerns, please get in touch with our Immigration Advice Service at immigrationadvice@uwe.ac.uk.

Retake costs

The University does not charge students to take a resit. Charges for retakes will depend on your individual situation.

The fee implications for retaking a module as well as details of your financial liability are set out in the University tuition fee policy.

Fee levels are determined based on a number of factors including the fee regime in force at your initial registration on a programme of study (subject to any annual changes which will be outlined in the fee policy). You will be asked to agree to the terms of the policy as part of the registration process at the start of each year of study. If you do have to pay to retake a module, it will be because there are still costs associated with retaking a module even if you have studied it before. These include:

• teaching, supervision, assessment and feedback
• use of university facilities eg the Library, computer rooms, laboratories, software
• provision of module materials
• administrative services eg registration and examinations.

If you do need to utilise the re-sit period, there will be study support available to you. While you will not be able to receive support from module leaders you will be able to access other resources such as Blackboard resources, pre-recorded sessions, study skills workshops and library study support over summer.

More information on study support outside of your course.

You should receive the outcome of your resits by the official results publication dates.

You can access your results in MYUWE. If you need help understanding them, you may find our guidance on modules and marks terminology helpful.

If you receive the decision "Refer", it could have an impact on your programme of study. This could mean that you cannot continue on a failed module.

For undergraduate students, following the publication of results a programme of study for 2022/2023 academic year will be selected for you. You will see your programme of study when your timetable is published. See student timetable publication dates.

For postgraduate students, please contact your Programme Leader to discuss your retake module options.

If you receive the decision of 'Failed Award', you won't be able to continue on your award. We'll contact you as soon as possible after your results have been published to confirm your result. This will be in the form of a letter emailed to your last registered personal email address. If you have failed your award there may still be some options available to you.

If your studies have been affected by any personal circumstances or significant health difficulties, particularly over the past academic year, please contact an Information Point as soon as possible.

You may potentially be able to transfer to a different course at UWE Bristol. Please note that for most courses you would need to start again in year 1. The new course must not include any of the modules that you have failed as compulsory credits.

Depending on the number of credits you have passed to date, you may be able to claim an Interim Award. Information about the different awards available and the requirements for each can be found in Appendix 2 of the Academic Regulations.