Monica Bolocan, psiholog

What are access arrangementsin tests and examinations?

8 min read

An examination is meant to measure what a candidate knows about a subject. If a pupil's reading speed, handwriting or attention gets in the way of showing that knowledge, the measurement is inaccurate. Access arrangements (the term used across the British system; you may also hear “reasonable adjustments”) exist to correct that inaccuracy.

This is worth saying plainly, because many parents privately worry the arrangement is a form of cheating, or that their child will be seen as needing help they do not deserve. It is neither! Extra time given to a pupil whose processing speed sits at the 4th percentile is not an advantage. It is the removal of a disadvantage the other candidates never had.

What arrangements exist?

01Extra timeUsually 25%. It is granted where standardised testing shows slow processing, slow reading or slow writing. More than 25% requires substantially stronger evidence.
02A reader or reading softwareFor pupils whose decoding (turning letters into sounds and words) is significantly impaired. Not permitted in the reading-assessment components of English papers.
03A scribe or speech recognitionWhere handwriting or written expression is severely affected, or a physical difficulty limits writing.
04Word processingTyping instead of handwriting. Often the single most effective adjustment for a dyslexic or dysgraphic pupil.
05Rest breaksSupervised pauses that do not count against exam time. Useful for ADHD, anxiety, fatigue and some medical conditions.
06Separate room, prompter, modified papersFor pupils who cannot work in a hall, who lose track of the task, or who need enlarged or coloured papers.

What does an application have to show?

The first condition is evidence of need: a report from an appropriately qualified assessor showing a persistent and significant impairment, with standardised scores. Awarding bodies expect this to follow current JCQ and SASC guidance, and they expect the testing to be recent (generally within the pupil's secondary schooling).

The second condition is normal way of working. The school must be able to show the arrangement is already how your child works day to day (typing in class, using extra time in internal tests, taking rest breaks). An arrangement that appears for the first time in the examination hall will not be approved, and would not help your child anyway. This is why applying in the term before the examination is too late: normal way of working takes time to establish.

Who does what?

The application is made by the school's examinations officer, together with the SEN coordinator, through the awarding body's system. Parents cannot apply directly, but your part is decisive. Here is what you can do: obtain the assessment report early, give it to the SENCo, and ask in writing for the arrangements to be put in place for internal assessments straight away. Most arrangements at IB, IGCSE and A-level are handled entirely within the school; a few require the awarding body's approval, which takes time.

Checklist · questions to ask the school
  • —Which arrangements are already in place for my child in internal tests, and since when?
  • —What further evidence do you need from me, and in what format?
  • —What is your internal deadline for access-arrangement applications this academic year?
  • —Which of the arrangements we are seeking need awarding-body approval rather than school-level approval?
  • —How will “normal way of working” be recorded, and who records it?
  • —Who is my point of contact if the application is refused, and what is the appeal route?

Print this page and take it to your next meeting with the SEN coordinator.

Remember

Access arrangements correct a measurement error, not the exam. Get the evidence early, and make the adjustment an ordinary part of class long before the exam hall. Everything in its own time!