What Happens If You Fail a Unit on an HND? Referrals, Resits and Getting Back on Track
You opened your feedback and the grade said referred. Your stomach dropped. You started wondering whether you have wasted a year.
Take a breath. This happens to a lot of students, including good ones. It is built into how Higher Nationals work, and in most cases it is fixed within a few weeks.
Here is exactly what it means and what to do next.
First, what does "referred" mean?
On an HND you are not given a mark out of 100. Each unit is graded Pass, Merit or Distinction. If your work does not yet meet the Pass criteria, it is marked as referred.
Referred does not mean failed. It means not yet passed.
The difference matters. A referral is an invitation to fix the work and hand it in again. It is the system telling you which criteria you have missed, so you can go and meet them.
Our guide to HND assessment and grading explains how Pass, Merit and Distinction criteria are written.
What happens next?
The normal process looks like this.
- You get feedback. It will list the specific criteria you have not met. Read it slowly. It is a checklist, not an opinion.
- You get a resubmission deadline. This is usually a few weeks away, set by your tutor and agreed internally.
- You fix the work. You do not usually start again. You address the criteria you missed and keep what already passed.
- You hand it in again. It is marked once more against the same criteria.
There is one rule that catches people out. A resubmitted assignment can normally only be awarded a Pass. Even if the rewritten work is excellent, the Merit and Distinction grades are usually off the table for that unit.
That is worth knowing, but it is not a reason to give up. A Pass is a Pass, and it keeps you moving.
How many chances do you get?
Usually one resubmission per assignment, at the tutor's discretion, within the agreed deadline.
If the resubmission still does not meet the criteria, you have not run out of options, but the route changes. You may be offered a retake, which is a new assignment brief for the same unit. Retakes sometimes carry a fee and often need to fit around the next teaching block.
If a unit cannot be passed at all, you may be able to swap it for a different optional unit, depending on the rules of your programme. Ask your tutor about this rather than assuming.
Will this stop you finishing the HND?
Usually no.
To get the full HND you need 240 credits, and each unit carries credits. One referred unit that you later pass costs you nothing on your certificate. Nobody looking at your qualification later can see that you resubmitted something.
What a referral can cost you is time. If a unit slips into a retake, it may run into the next term. That can delay your progression into year two or your start on a top-up. Our guide to how long an HND takes covers how these delays play out.
The other cost is your overall grade. Because resubmissions cap at a Pass, several referrals across the course can pull down the final grade you graduate with. That is a reason to take the first submission seriously, not a reason to panic about one.
Why do people get referred?
In our experience it is rarely because someone is not clever enough. It is almost always one of these.
The most common reason by far is not answering the criteria. The work is interesting, well written and about the right topic, but it does not do what the criterion asked. If the brief says "evaluate", describing is not enough.
Running out of time is another. The last section is thin because it was written at 2am. Markers can always tell.
Some people miss a whole task. Assignment briefs often have several parts. Miss part three and you cannot pass, no matter how good parts one and two are.
Others do not use evidence. Level 5 work needs sources and referencing. Opinion on its own does not meet the criteria. Our guide to academic writing and referencing covers this.
And sometimes something happens in your life. Illness, work, family. This one is different from the others, and it is the one where you should speak up straight away.
What to do in the next 48 hours
Do these in order. Do not sit with it for a week.
- Read the feedback properly. Write each missed criterion on a separate line.
- Email your tutor and ask for a short meeting. Ask one question: what would this criterion look like if it were met? Tutors want you to pass. They are allowed to explain the criteria.
- Confirm the resubmission deadline in writing. Put it in your calendar with a reminder a week before.
- Work out how long the fix really takes. Often it is a few hundred words and some sources, not a rewrite.
- If something is going on in your life, say so now. Most providers have a process for extenuating circumstances. It usually needs to be raised close to the time, not months later.
- Look at what else is due. If three deadlines are stacked, ask about them together rather than one at a time.
How to avoid a second referral
The fix is boring and it works. Turn the criteria into a checklist.
Before you hand anything in, put the assignment brief next to your work. Go through each criterion one at a time. Find the paragraph in your work that meets it. If you cannot point at it, the marker will not find it either.
Also watch the command words. Identify and describe are Pass level. Analyse and compare usually sit at Merit. Evaluate and justify usually sit at Distinction. Doing the wrong verb is what separates a referral from a Merit.
Frequently asked questions
Does referred mean I have failed?
No. It means your work has not met the Pass criteria yet. You normally get a chance to fix it and resubmit.
Can I still get a Merit after resubmitting?
Usually not. Resubmitted work is normally capped at a Pass. The Merit and Distinction grades are generally only available on the first attempt.
How long do I get to resubmit?
Your tutor sets the deadline, and it is often a few weeks. Confirm the exact date in writing.
What if I fail the resubmission too?
You may be offered a retake with a new assignment brief. This can carry a fee and can add time to your course. Speak to your tutor about the options.
Will a referral show on my certificate?
No. Your certificate shows the qualification and the grade, not the history of individual submissions.
What if I was ill when the deadline hit?
Tell your provider as soon as possible. There is normally an extenuating circumstances process, but it usually needs to be raised at the time.
Can one referral stop me getting onto a top-up?
One passed unit that took two attempts is very unlikely to matter. Repeated referrals that lower your overall grade can affect competitive top-up places.
Struggling with a unit right now?
If you are stuck, the worst thing you can do is go quiet. Tutors notice silence and cannot help with what they do not know about.
- Email: admissions@lckacademy.org.uk
- Phone: 020 8161 3300
Get in touch, and we will point you to the right support.