MSc Mathematical Sciences Exam Conventions 2025-26
8. Penalties for Late Submission of Coursework
The Examination Regulations stipulate specific dates for submission of coursework to the examiners, this includes the OMMS dissertations, mini-projects and any coursework to be completed for a course taught by another department. Rules governing late submission and any consequent penalties are set out in full in the Examination Regulations (Regulations for the Conduct of University Examinations, Part 14).
If you will be prevented by illness or other urgent cause from submitting your coursework on time you should contact your college office or college tutor as soon as possible. Your college is able to submit an application for an extension of time to the Proctors on your behalf. Students can also apply directly for an extension of 7 calendar days via Student Self Service. Applying for an extension via self-certification does not require the provision of independent evidence. Further information is available at https://www.ox.ac.uk/students/academic/exams/problems-completing-your-assessment.
The scale of penalties agreed by the board of examiners in relation to late submissions of assessed coursework, where permission to submit late has not been granted by the Proctors, is set out in the table below. Details of the circumstances in which such penalties might apply can be found in the Examination Regulations (Regulations for the Conduct of University Examinations, Part 14).
| Lateness | Penalty, % point reduction |
| Up to 4 hours | 1% |
| 4-24 hours | 10% |
| 24-48 hours | 20% |
| 48-72 hours | 30% |
| 72 hours - 14 days | 35% |
| More than 14 days late | Fail |
Note: The penalty will be a percentage reduction of the maximum total mark available for the work. For example, if a 10% penalty is applied to an assessment given a USM out of 100 then 10 marks would be deducted. The final mark awarded after application of the penalty cannot be below 0.
Students must inform their college of any mitigating circumstances as soon as possible, so that the college can make an application to the Proctors if appropriate.
Failure to submit a required element of assessment, without an accepted reason, will result in the failure of that assessment and a mark of 0. In this case, the mark for any resit of the assessment will be capped at 50 and will only be available to candidates who initially fail the whole MSc course.
Making changes to your coursework after submission
It is your responsibility to submit the correct piece of work to the correct location by the deadline. If you have submitted an incorrect file, you have one opportunity withdraw this submission and submit the correct version. The correct version must be emailed to the course administrator no later than 30 minutes following the deadline. You will need to share a completed declaration of authorship alongside this resubmission. Further information and the declaration of authorship form is available at https://www.ox.ac.uk/students/academic/exams/submission.