Access arrangements

Also called Exam access arrangements, Extra time, Special consideration

Adjustments to how an exam is taken so a candidate is not disadvantaged. Applied for in advance, and evidence-based.

What it is

Access arrangements are pre-examination adjustments — extra time, a reader, a scribe, a computer, rest breaks, a separate room, coloured overlays, prompts — that allow a candidate to show what they know without their disability or difficulty getting in the way.

Special consideration is different: it is applied after the exam, where something happened at or near the time such as illness or bereavement.

Where it applies

Candidates with a long-term difficulty or disability affecting access to assessment. A diagnosis alone does not qualify anyone, and the absence of one does not disqualify them.

How it works

The governing principle is "normal way of working": the arrangement must reflect how the candidate usually works in class, and there must be evidence of need, often from a specialist assessor.

The school applies to the awarding bodies, usually through the exams officer, well before the exams. Deadlines are firm.

Arrangements are not a favour and are not a reward for a diagnosis — they are how the assessment stays valid.

What you can ask for

Ask, in year 9 or 10, what the school is putting in place as normal way of working. Extra time granted for the first time in a mock in year 11 usually cannot be evidenced.

Ask who the school's specialist assessor is and whether an assessment is planned. Schools must use an appropriately qualified assessor.

If access arrangements are refused, ask for the reason against the JCQ criteria — and remember that failing to make reasonable adjustments can be a discrimination issue in its own right.

Where to get help

JCQ's Access Arrangements and Reasonable Adjustments booklet, published annually and freely available. The school's exams officer and SENCO.