Petition · past parliament

Require university end of year examinations to be cancelled due to COVID-19

Rejected 21 signatures

What the petition asks

University examinations to be cancelled as like A-Level and GCSE’s. To be graded according to averages, predicted grades or by means of online assignments.
University students are under more pressure and are facing additional stress due to unawareness of how and when the examinations will be. GCSE and A-Level’s have been cancelled and it will only be fair for University examinations to be too - specifically for first year students as their first year does not count towards final grade.

Why it was rejected

It asked for something that is not the responsibility of the UK Government or Parliament.

Decisions about university teaching, assessments and exams are a matter for individual universities, and decisions about university admissions are a matter for individual universities and UCAS, not the UK Government or Parliament.

If you have concerns about admissions you should raise these with UCAS, and if you have concerns about your university's arrangements for teaching and assessment you should raise these with your university or the Office for Students, which regulates the higher education sector.

We understand that the current situation is stressful for many people, including students. Student Minds, a mental health charity for students, is collating guidance and developing resources to support students experiencing stress as a result of the current situation, which you may find useful: https://www.studentminds.org.uk/coronavirus.html

You can find out more about coronavirus and how you can protect yourself and others here:

NHS website: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/
UK Government website: https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus

You can read NHS tips to help if you are worried about coronavirus here: https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters/coronavirus-covid-19-anxiety-tips

You may also be interested to know that because of the large number of petitions that have been started in relation to coronavirus, the Petitions Committee has been questioning the Government about its response to the coronavirus outbreak.

Find out more and watch the Committee put questions suggested by petitioners to Government Ministers and the Deputy Chief Medical Officer: https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/326/petitions-committee/news/145767/committee-question-deputy-chief-medical-officer-and-ministers-on-coronavirus-response/

Read letters asking further questions of Government Ministers: https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/326/petitions-committee/publications/3/correspondence/

Timeline

22 Mar 2020 Petition opened for signatures
31 Mar 2020 Rejected by the Petitions Committee

Key facts

Signatures 21
Status Rejected
Rejected 31 Mar 2020

Follow this petition

Sign in to get an email when the government responds, a debate is scheduled or held, or the petition closes.

Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.