Examination outcomes
Use your formal outcome letter to identify the decision, required work and deadline. The six-/twelve-month periods run from formal notification, not the viva. Regulation D6.9 applies them equally to full-time and part-time students.
Standard first examination
| Outcome | What it means | Maximum normal time |
|---|---|---|
| Pass | Award recommended unconditionally | Appendices allow one week for occasional typographical corrections; follow the letter |
| Conditional pass — minor | Limited corrections/additions/presentation changes | Six months |
| Conditional pass — major | Substantial reworking, new interpretative material, reanalysis or restructuring; not new research | Six months |
| Fail Resubmit | Substantial revision, potentially further research, and re-examination | Twelve months; second viva for doctoral students |
| Fail, no resubmission | At first standard submission this is tied to academic-misconduct procedures; confirmation follows the investigation | No ordinary resubmission right |
Numerous small corrections do not collectively become “major” just because they are numerous. Outcomes should reflect substance and quality, not an examiner’s estimate of the time needed.
Route exceptions: PhD by Published Works does not offer Fail Resubmit or a lower award. MRes and LLMRes are normally thesis-only; D6.6 expressly exempts both from an automatic second oral exam.
After an amended thesis or resubmission
Possible outcomes are pass, conditional pass with further minor corrections (up to six months), or fail with no further submission. Major corrections and another Fail Resubmit are unavailable at this stage. After the next submission of minor amendments, only pass or fail remains. Do not assume unlimited rounds.
If examiners cannot agree, the EPC manages referral to the RDEB; the student does not negotiate directly with examiners. See Completing corrections for responding to feedback and Extending a corrections deadline if circumstances interfere.
Sources: Framework §§7.11–7.14 and Appendices 6–7, pp. 81–84, 109–116; D6.6–D6.11. Framework · Regulations.