This guide explains the rules for exam support, known as Access Arrangements, for students with conditions like ADHD, autism, and dyslexia among other Special Educational Needs. These adjustments are a requirement under the Equality Act 2010, where exam boards have to make 'reasonable adjustments' to ensure fairness.
What Are Access Arrangements?
Access arrangements are adjustments made in exams to help students with a disability, learning difficulty, or long-term medical condition, ensuring they are not at a major disadvantage. The goal is to provide fair access to the exam, rather than to make it easier for a student with access arrangements to attain a higher grade than their peers. A crucial point is that an adjustment cannot alter the skills being tested. For example, a student cannot have a reader for an exam that assesses reading.
Common examples of access arrangements include:
- 25% Extra time: For students who work significantly slower than their peers.
- Separate/smaller room: To reduce anxiety and minimise distractions.
- Word processor (laptop): For students with slow or illegible handwriting. Spell/grammar check is disabled.
- Supervised rest breaks: Allows the student to pause the exam clock for a break.
- A 'prompter': An adult who can use a discreet gesture or phrase to refocus a student who is distracted.
- Reader/computer reader: A person or a computer program that reads the exam questions aloud.
- Scribe: An adult who writes down the student's dictated answers.
- Coloured Overlays/Paper: To help with visual stress.
- Reading Pen: A pen that can scan and read out single words.
Two Core Principles
There are two core ideas that are used to determine suitable access arrangements:
1. Normal Way of Working
This is the most important idea. Arrangements are only approved if they reflect the support your child uses in their everyday school life. For example, a student cannot be given a laptop for their final exams if they have always written their classwork and mock exams by hand.
2. Paint a Picture of Need
The school must show a clear and consistent history of need. A single report or diagnosis is not enough. This is built from multiple sources, including teacher notes, school records, your feedback, and the student's comments.
Using More Technology
Official regulations strongly encourage schools to use technology (like laptops and computer readers) instead of human support (like readers and scribes). The goal is to help students become independent, preparing them for university and/or work. Computer readers are also the only reading support allowed in exams that test reading comprehension, like GCSE English Language.
The Process is Led by the School
The school is solely responsible for applying for and awarding Access Arrangements.
- The SENCo leads: The Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCo) identifies the students, gathers all the evidence, and makes the final judgement.
- The school should begin identifying needs and gathering evidence a year or more ahead of the exams. This is to prove the 'normal way of working'.
- The final deadline for most applications is usually late March of the exam year. However, requests for modified papers (e.g., Braille) are needed much earlier, usually in January.
Who are the JCQ?
The Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) is the organisation that represents the most important UK exam boards (like AQA, Pearson Edexcel, and OCR). They write the rules for Access Arrangements that all schools must follow.
How You Can Help
You will find things easier if you are informed in the process and understand the school's options.
- Talk to the SENCo ASAP; don't wait until the exam year.
- Share all your private reports from educational psychologists or medical specialists with the SENCo.
- Keep the school informed about your child's challenges.
- Once an arrangement is approved, make sure your child practices using it during mock exams and other tests.
The Role of Private Assessments
Many parents seek private assessments. But be careful - the rules state that a school can’t grant an arrangement based solely on a private report. A private report can be very valuable evidence for the SENCo to consider as part of the overall 'picture of need', and can help guide the school's assessment. Qualified educational psychologists are registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC)
How Arrangements Are Decided according to Different Needs
The evidence required depends on your child's specific struggle.
- For dyslexia (and other learning difficulties), the focus is performance. The school must show that the student works much more slowly than others. This usually involves the school's specialist assessor conducting tests (e.g., reading or writing speed). Being diagnosed is not enough; the school needs specific test scores to apply for extra time. It is also worth noting that in subjects where marks are given for spelling, punctuation, and grammar (SPaG), a student using a human scribe may not be awarded those marks. Using a word processor avoids this problem.
- For autism (ASD) and ADHD the process is based on diagnosis, not performance on speed tests. The required evidence is:
- A formal diagnosis - A letter or report from a specialist like a paediatrician, psychiatrist, or CAMHS confirming the diagnosis.
- School evidence - The SENCo explains how the condition affects your child in school (e.g., anxiety, sensory overload, poor concentration, executive function challenges) and confirms the support needed is their 'normal way of working'.
What if We Disagree with the School's Decision?
The SENCo's decision is final. Parents and students cannot appeal directly to the exam boards. If you disagree with a decision, you can discuss it with the school. Any formal appeal must be made by the school.
Key Takeaways for Parents
- The school is in charge, and the SENCo makes the decision.
- Support in exams must be your child's 'normal way of working' at school.
- The school needs to paint a 'picture of need' over time.
- Start early. Don't wait until Year 11 or 13.
- Share reports and observations with your school to help build evidence.
- A private assessment is useful evidence, but it does not guarantee a specific outcome.
- Technology-based support is often preferred over human readers and scribes.
Checklist: Securing Exam Access Arrangements
This is a step-by-step plan for parents based on the article above, or use this printable version:
1 - Preparation
Schedule a meeting with the school's SENCo
Ideally, begin this process in Year 9 or at the start of Year 10 for GCSEs, and at the start of Year 12 for A-Levels.
Why: The SENCo is in charge of the entire process. Building a relationship with them from the outset is an important first step.
Gather and share existing professional reports
Collect documents such as reports from educational psychologists, paediatricians, or CAMHS that confirm a diagnosis or describe your needs.
Why: While these reports can’t grant an arrangement, they are important pieces of evidence that the school needs to take into account.
2 - Building the Case
Keep a log of your child's difficulties at home
Record where your child struggles, especially with school. For example, "My child took 2 hours to complete a 30-minute maths worksheet".
Why: This provides evidence of your child's challenges outside the classroom.
Email your observations to the SENCo
Send short emails with your observations - "Just to let you know, we spent three hours completing history homework last night that was meant to take one".
Why: This helps the school build the 'picture of need' and demonstrates that the challenges are long-term.
Discuss and understand your child's 'normal way of working'
Ask the SENCo at your school what support your child receives in class and for tests.
Why: Any arrangement for exams has to be based on the support they regularly use in school. You need to know what support they get.
3 - The Formalities
Understand the specific evidence your child needs.
For Dyslexia/Learning Difficulties: The school will need its own tests to determine performance scores (e.g., reading speed). A diagnosis is not enough on its own.
For ADHD/Autism: A formal medical diagnosis is the most important piece of evidence. Performance tests are not required.
Allow the school to lead the application.
The SENCo will complete the official forms and submit them to the JCQ (the exam boards' organisation).
Why: The system is designed to be school-led. Your role is to provide supporting evidence.
4 - After Approval
Ensure your child practises using their arrangements.
Practice using the extra time, laptop, or other adjustments in all mock exams and internal school tests.
Why: This brings comfort with using the assigned support. You want to know that the support will be genuinely helpful in the final exams.
If You Disagree with a Decision
Book a meeting to discuss your concerns directly with the SENCo. Parents cannot appeal to the exam boards; any formal appeal must be made by the school, so resolving the issue with the SENCo is the only path.
Being informed and proactive is the most effective way to secure the support your child needs to succeed in their exams.
