Extenuating Circumstances

King's was a founding participant in the creation of an additional form for candidates from disadvantaged or disrupted educational backgrounds. Admission to King's is strictly based on academic promise. For students who have had their education disadvantaged or disrupted in some way, however, the Extenuating Circumstances Form provides additional context against which we can consider a candidate's academic record or, where appropriate, interview performance.

Circumstances covered by this form include (but are not limited to):

  • Serious, acute or chronic illness especially since the age of 14 leading to significant educational disruption

  • Significant caring responsibilities, recent bereavement or serious illness within the close family

  • Serious disruption to educational provision at school / college

  • Other circumstances where serious disruption has occurred.

This form must be submitted by the applicant's school or college. Further enquiries about the Extenuating Circumstances Form are best initiated by teachers rather than by individual applicants or parents. In rare cases where the applicant's school is unaware of the circumstances, a doctor or social worker may validate the form on the applicant's behalf.

The submission of an Extenuating Circumstances Form will in no way disadvantage an application. If in doubt, we would accordingly encourage its submission. Please find a link to our online Extenuating Circumstances Form below. 

Extenuating Circumstances that relate to a disability or long term illness

If your Extenuating Circumstances relate to a disability, Specific Learning Difficulty or long-term illness, you may receive extra time or other special arrangements to ensure that you are assessed fairly in exams at school. As long as you are able to send the appropriate documents, you will normally be entitled to equivalent arrangements if you are invited for interviews and tests at King's. If you think that this is relevant to you, please read the relevant pages below.

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Advice for applicants with a disability, Specific Learning Difficulty or long-term illness.
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Not all applicants have access to clear or accurate advice about applying to Cambridge - find out about how we can help.
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Thinking of applying to King's? See here for a breakdown of the process, from submitting your UCAS application to receiving your offer.
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King's participates in a number of schemes to make studying in Cambridge a realistic possibility for students from under-represented backgrounds.

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