If you feel your disability or learning difficulty will affect your performance in examinations you may be able to apply for individual exam access arrangements.
Access arrangements vary depending on your requirements but can include:
- Additional time
- Use of a computer
- Use of a scribe, reader or prompter
- Exam papers in suitable formats (e.g. large print, coloured paper)
- Separate or individual room
- Rest breaks
The intention is that these arrangements should enable you to meet the expected learning outcomes and compensate for the restriction imposed by any disability without affecting the validity of the examination.
For Further Education Students
You will be able to apply for access arrangements at your initial support interview, which usually occurs alongside your course interview.
To start the process of applying for your access arrangements you need to provide us with documents giving evidence of your need for concessions; for example an Educational Psychologist's report, or a copy of your GCSE application for access arrangements. You need to provide these documents as soon as possible, with the deadline being 2 months before the date of your first exam.
Once we have received your documents we will contact you if you need an appointment to update your assessment.
For Higher Education Students
You will need to have completed an assessment to confirm your learning disability, which enables you to apply for Disabled Student Allowance. You will then receive a report confirming the access arrangements you need. Learning Support will then invite you for an appointment to fill in an application form for access arrangements. The deadline for completing this application form is 3 weeks before your first exam.
After the deadlines given, you will only be eligible to apply for access arrangements where disability is temporary in duration and could not have been notified previously (such as recent physical injury); a doctor's letter will be required.