diff --git a/admin/tool/policy/classes/api.php b/admin/tool/policy/classes/api.php
index 39d49a6f328..fc60543ebe7 100644
--- a/admin/tool/policy/classes/api.php
+++ b/admin/tool/policy/classes/api.php
@@ -309,8 +309,8 @@ class api {
             return true;
         }
 
-        // Users have access to all the policies they have ever accepted.
-        if (static::is_user_version_accepted($userid, $policy->id)) {
+        // Users have access to all the policies they have ever accepted/declined.
+        if (static::is_user_version_accepted($userid, $policy->id) !== null) {
             return true;
         }
 
@@ -719,20 +719,22 @@ class api {
     }
 
     /**
-     * Returns version acceptance for this user.
+     * Did the user accept the given policy version?
      *
      * @param int $userid User identifier.
      * @param int $versionid Policy version identifier.
-     * @param array|null $acceptances Iist of policy version acceptances indexed by versionid.
-     * @return bool True if this user has accepted this policy version; false otherwise.
+     * @param array|null $acceptances Pre-loaded list of policy version acceptances indexed by versionid.
+     * @return bool|null True/false if this user accepted/declined the policy; null otherwise.
      */
     public static function is_user_version_accepted($userid, $versionid, $acceptances = null) {
+
         $acceptance = static::get_user_version_acceptance($userid, $versionid, $acceptances);
+
         if (!empty($acceptance)) {
-            return $acceptance->status;
+            return (bool) $acceptance->status;
         }
 
-        return false;
+        return null;
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/admin/tool/policy/tests/api_test.php b/admin/tool/policy/tests/api_test.php
index ed5f3cb6403..d91794f66c5 100644
--- a/admin/tool/policy/tests/api_test.php
+++ b/admin/tool/policy/tests/api_test.php
@@ -632,4 +632,27 @@ class tool_policy_api_testcase extends advanced_testcase {
 
         require_login(null, false, null, false, true);
     }
+
+    /**
+     * Test the three-state logic of the value returned by {@link api::is_user_version_accepted()}.
+     */
+    public function test_is_user_version_accepted() {
+
+        $preloadedacceptances = [
+            4 => (object) [
+                'policyversionid' => 4,
+                'mainuserid' => 13,
+                'status' => 1,
+            ],
+            6 => (object) [
+                'policyversionid' => 6,
+                'mainuserid' => 13,
+                'status' => 0,
+            ],
+        ];
+
+        $this->assertTrue(api::is_user_version_accepted(13, 4, $preloadedacceptances));
+        $this->assertFalse(api::is_user_version_accepted(13, 6, $preloadedacceptances));
+        $this->assertNull(api::is_user_version_accepted(13, 5, $preloadedacceptances));
+    }
 }