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GUIDELINES FOR PENALTIES (UNDERGRADUATE AND POSTGRADUATE TAUGHT) 
The Bands presented below are guidelines only, whilst the Penalties are fixed.  Adjudicators should always take the 
evidence with which they have been provided, including any extenuating circumstances, into account. 
Band A – Minor Offence / Unacceptable Academic Practice 
Penalties available to Departments 
Maximum Suggested Penalty: 
Penalty 3 
(coursework only), Faculties and 
Academic Offence Committees: 

Coursework: 


The academic offence relates to a failure to understand or apply
Penalty 1: A formal written warning
the University’s academic conventions in regards to proper
only
referencing and acknowledging source material, but where an
 Penalty 2: Resubmit unit of
attempt to do so has been made.
assessment with minor amendments
 The student is completing a unit of assessment that is early in their
only, as determined by the Adjudicator
studies, or has no previous experience of the particular referencing
(such as correct referencing,
style (including self-plagiarism), and there has been a failure to
paraphrasing or striking out), for an
understand the University’s academic conventions.
uncapped mark.

Examination: 
Penalty 3: Resubmit unit of
assessment with minor amendments
 The student is found to have contravened the rules of the
only, as determined by the Adjudicator
examination as a result of human error or a misunderstanding, and it
(such as correct referencing,
is agreed that they have not gained an unfair advantage.
paraphrasing or striking out), for a
capped mark.
Band B – Intermediate Offence 
 Penalty 4: Mark of zero to be given for
Maximum Suggested Penalty: 
Penalty 5 
the unit of assessment, with
Coursework: 
reassessment available to the Board of
 A significant portion of the work submitted by a student is not
Examiners.
original text and has not been referenced properly, either where the
student has made no attempt to acknowledge the source material,
Penalties available to Faculties and 
or where the student would reasonably be expected to have a full
Academic Offence Committees only 
understanding of the academic conventions.
 Penalty 5: Mark of zero to be given for
 The work submitted includes references that are false or
the unit of assessment, with no
incongruous, (ie it appears that the student has not consulted
resubmission or reassessment
works to which reference is made) but the concern does not relate
permitted.
to false authorship.
Examination: 
Penalties available to Academic 

Offence Committees only 
The student is found to have contravened the rules of the
examination by introducing and/or attempting to access a small
 Penalty 6: Mark of zero to be awarded
amount of material to aid their attempt at the examination.
for the module, with no resubmission
 The student is found to have had access to the internet or to have
or reassessment permitted;
communicated with someone other than an invigilator during an
 Penalty 7: No longer eligible for full
examination.
award  -  Mark of zero to be awarded
for the module with no resubmission or
Band C – Severe Offence 
reassessment permitted and the
Maximum Suggested Penalty: 
Penalty 9 
student may complete currently
Coursework: 
enrolled credits for an exit award only;


The majority of the work submitted by the student is not original or
Penalty 8: Required to withdraw
has not been referenced properly, either where the student has
immediately and no longer eligible for
made no attempt to acknowledge the source material, or where the
full award -  A mark of zero to be
student would reasonably be expected to have a full understanding
awarded for the module no
of the academic conventions.
resubmission or reassessment
 The student has submitted work that has been written or created by
permitted and the Examination Board
a third party, either wholly or in part.
to be invited to consider the student
only for an exit award on the basis of
Examination: 
credits already achieved;
 The student is found to have contravened the rules of the
 Penalty 9 -  Required to withdraw
examination by introducing and/or attempting to access a significant
immediately with no qualification
amount of material to aid their attempt at the examination.
awarded: A mark of zero to be
 The student is found to have accessed the internet, or
awarded for the module no
communicated with someone other than an invigilator during an
resubmission or reassessment
examination, about the content of the module.
permitted and the Examination Board
 The student has arranged for the examination to be attempted by a
to be invited to ratify credits that have
third party on their behalf.
already been achieved for recording
purposes.

Academic Integrity Tutorials 
In addition to a penalty, a student who is found to have committed an Academic Offence may be required to 
complete an Academic Integrity Tutorial.  
Failure to attend the Academic Integrity Tutorial will  be noted should the student commit any subsequent 
offences and shall not be considered as a valid claim of mitigation, unless exceptional extenuating 
circumstances have prevented the student from attending.  
Subsequent Offences 
Escalation of Penalties 
A subsequent academic offence will generally result in a more severe penalty, particularly when the student 
has made little or no attempt to understand the University’s academic conventions since the first or previous 
offence. 

Where a student is found to have committed successive offences at Band A, or where one of the
offences is Band B, it would normally be appropriate for Penalty 4 to be considered the minimum
available penalty;

Where the student has been found to have committed successive offences at Band B or higher, or
where one of the offences is Band C, it would normally be appropriate for Penalty 7 to be considered
the minimum available penalty;
Exceptions 
The only occasions when the penalty need not necessarily be escalated (or escalated so severely) are 
where the Adjudicator has deemed that: 

The academic offence is of a different nature
AND/OR

there was no intent to deceive in either offence;
AND/OR

the student has made a suitable effort to resolve all and any concern(s) that arose following their
previous academic offence(s)
AND/OR

there are exceptional extenuating circumstances in the latest academic offence.
Further information: 
Academic offences and academic integrity  
Code of Student Conduct 
The Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education (OIA)