Exam Support

There are certain adjustments that schools won’t need to apply to the JCQ for in advance, but they must notify the Standard Testing Agency about their use once all tests have been taken.  These adjustments typically include things like supervised rest breaks, and for other types, such as extra time, they must make an application by the published deadline.

You will need to discuss what adjustments your child might need with school staff (such as the class teacher and SENCO).  You can read our information about Reasonable Adjustments

These are some of the kinds of extra support that school or college can give:-

• rest breaks – these are always supervised
• extra time to take the exam
• a computer reader or an adult to read the questions
• being able to read aloud and/or use an exam reading pen
• having an adult to write things down for you or use speech recognition technology or a laptop
• a sign language interpreter
• practical assistant
• taking the exams somewhere else other than school
• Braille, enlarged or coloured exam papers
• making transcripts – where a child’s answers are written out neatly by an adult and both copies are sent to the exam board
• written or oral translations – these are for children without English as a first language who have been in the UK for less than two years
• the use of prompts – this is for children who find it hard to focus well without help

Your child is unlikely to need all of these! The kind of support your child might get will depend on their specific needs. For example, if your child has autism, they may need rest breaks and extra time or to take the exam somewhere other than where everyone else is taking it. Whereas if your child has a specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia, they may need to use a word processor to write with, a computer reader or a coloured copy of the exam paper.

A pupil does not need to have a diagnostic assessment (such as a formal Dyslexia assessment or medical diagnosis) in order to receive access arrangements.  Each year the Joint Council for Qualifications produces new regulations about these access arrangements and reasonable adjustments.

Access arrangements are about making ‘reasonable adjustments’ to exam conditions so that a child or young person with special educational needs is not at a disadvantage compared with others. 

Having a disability or special educational need doesn’t automatically entitle you to access arrangements—each application is reviewed individually.

If you believe your child may need extra help for exams:-

1. Talk to the school as soon as possible (before the course starts), this will usually be with the SENCO or the examinations lead.
2. Share your views and your child or young person's views on what support is needed
3. Consider whether you have any school, specialist or medical reports that might help to evidence any adjustments.

We would encourage you to do this well in advance of the exam, preferably in the autumn term. Many arrangements which need to be
formally requested will have deadlines in the spring term before the exam. 

You might like to prepare bullet point notes of what your child finds most difficult and which you think may put them at a substantial disadvantage in an exam. 

The school should apply before the pupil begins the exam course. JCQ Key dates and timetables

Key Points to consider:-

• Not all children with SEND will qualify. Decisions are based on the need/s of the child and their normal way of working.
• Access arrangements should be considered at the start of a course.
• Settings can decide on some adjustments, such as supervised rest breaks, and for other types, such as extra time, they must make an application by the published deadline.
• Settings must evidence there is a need for the adjustment, and that this is the normal way of working for the child
• Decisions should be on a subject-by-subject basis, there are some examples in the JCQ guidance.

'The purpose of an access arrangement/reasonable adjustment is to ensure, where possible, that barriers to assessment are removed for a disabled candidate preventing him/her from being placed at a substantial disadvantage due to persistent and significant difficulties'.  4.21 of the JCQ Access Arrangements 2023 to 2024

Sometimes the assessor is someone within setting, for example the SENCO (SEN Co-ordinator) or it could be an outsourced independent assessor. The JCQ guidance explains the requirements of this role further.

If a school identifies that a pupil or student may need access arrangements, the SENCO will gather the necessary evidence from the class teacher or subject teachers and will gain the parent and pupil's views.  The school may need to carry out school based assessments tests (for example of reading, spelling, comprehension, writing or processing speed). 

If a pupil has an Education, Health & Care Plan or a report from an Educational Psychologist, this information will be supportive but will not automatically entitle a pupil to access arrangements.  Supportive evidence of 'normal way of working' will need to provided by the school. 

All assessors must:

• have a thorough understanding of the current edition of the JCQ publication Access Arrangements and Reasonable Adjustments and the principles, procedures and accountabilities involved;
• be familiar with the  Equality Act 2010 (although it is not their role to determine what is a “reasonable adjustment”, but rather to help identify access arrangements that might assist the candidate);
• hold an appropriate qualification to teach and make recommendations for secondary aged or adult learners who have learning difficulties.’

(7.3.4 of the JCQ Access Arrangements 2023 to 2024

When applying for access arrangements (e.g. extra time, a reader, a scribe), the school needs to demonstrate evidence of the 'learning difficulty' outlined in assessment completed by a qualified assessor. The focus of evidence is on test scores meeting the threshold for specialist arrangements rather than any diagnoses. Schools also need to demonstrate that there is a history of need, including evidence of the support provided and evidence of persistent difficulty over time.

Access arrangements fall into two different categories.

Some can be decided by the school or college based on their assessment of a pupil’s needs and their normal way of working in class but they must notify the Standard Testing Agency about their use once all tests have been taken. These adjustments typically include things like supervised rest breaks, and for other types, such as extra time, they must make an application by the published deadline.

You will need to discuss what adjustments your child might need with school staff (such as the class teacher and SENCO).  You can read our information about Reasonable Adjustments

Other arrangements will need advance approval from the Joint Council for Qualifications for exams. Each application is looked at individually & the evidence required will depend on the pupil’s needs and the arrangement required. JCQ Access Arrangements

A Special Consideration is different from an Access Arrangement.

It happens after an exam has taken place.  It is an adjustment to a candidate's mark or grade to reflect temporary injury such as
a broken arm, an illness or another indisposition which the pupil was suffering from at the time of the examination or assessment

For your child to get extra support for these exams, the SENCO at your child’s school or college usually needs to apply for it before the exams start. The deadlines vary each year, but it’s usually around January or February for summer exams and tests.    

The SENCO will need to show evidence that your child needs the extra support. As with SATS, the support your child gets is usually like the support they get in the classroom, and the way they normally work. Ideally the SENCO will collect this information from year 7, including anything that has been passed on from previous schools. 

The final decision to apply for the support in exams is usually made at the end of year 9 or beginning of year 10, based on your child’s needs then. Once they have been agreed, then exam support arrangements will apply for up to 26 months.

For certain subjects some arrangements are not allowed, for example if the exam is testing reading then a reader may not be allowed. Some types of support may not work well for some subjects, so for example, using a word processor may not be helpful for a maths exam. Your child would still be able to use these types of support in other exams if they need to.

If your child has an injury, has a disability diagnosed or develops a learning difficulty after the deadline for applying for extra support has passed, they may still get support. The SENCO can make a late application and whether extra support can be given is decided for each young person, based on their individual needs.

If the SENCO disagrees with your request for extra support for your child with exams or refuses to assess for support, you will need to put your request in writing to the school governors.  Ipsea have provided a template letter for making this request Asking for help in exams

If the governors will not take action you could make a formal complaint under the school's complaints procedure or consider a claim of Disability Discrimination against the school for failure to make Reasonable Adjustments

Find out more on Making a Formal Complaint

Any support your child needs to undertake courses such as GCE's or A Levels, will need to be specified in Section F of an EHC plan.

An EHC plan or report from a professional such as an Educational Psychologist may be supportive but will not automatically entitle a child to access arrangements.  It is the awarding body, such as JCQ that has the power to make an access arrangement and not the Local Authority.