Stepson won’t find out whether he has failed 2nd year until the next academic year has begun - is this normal?

[Newmumadvice]

Hi there! I am based in the UK. My stepson is studying architecture at a non-Russel Group university. He is currently re-taking 2nd year because he failed first time round. He’s just submitted his final work but he’s told us he won’t find out whether he has failed/passed until the next academic year begins and, thus, he’s already paid for the next academic year. Therefore, he could be retaking 2nd year for the 3rd time, or completing his degree. If he has filed again, he might drop out and travel/ get life experience and not finding out earlier will prevent him from doing this (or it will cost him!). Is this normal? It seems absolutely shocking to me!
thanks for any insight in advance

That was never the case when I was at uni no and my friends all went to different uni’s and none of us ever had this? We always got our grades back in July because you can then decide whether to resit in August

Is this work for an assessment sat for the first time for this go-round for his second year, or is it a resit, or has he had an extension? Is the university still in session?

DS1 was ill during his final year and had to defer sitting his finals until the 'resit round' after the end of the summer term- he then got his results round about the 12th of September, which I assume was at the same time as those who had been doing resits at the same time. At his university, though, that was about ten days before the start of the new term.

However, the actual official start of the academic year may well be 1st September, whenever teaching actually starts? Therefore two things could be true at the same time - your DS won't know his results until after the de jure start of the year, but at the same time, he will know before teaching starts, whether or not he will be progressing into his final year.

If he is getting the student loan, having to repeat a year for a second time (if this is permitted- has he definitely been told that if necessary, he would be able to?), then he will have to finance one year himself, as he will have used up his 'grace year' on the first repeated year.