A guide for parents · Before the mocks
Extra time and other access arrangements
Extra time, usually 25%, and other help in exams such as rest breaks, a reader, a scribe or a word processor are called access arrangements. The school applies to the exam board for them, normally through its special educational needs coordinator (SENCo), and it must show both a need and that this is how the student normally works in class and tests.
Who decides
The rules are set by JCQ, the body the exam boards share, in its access arrangements guidance. The school’s SENCo, or a specialist assessor the school uses, collects the evidence and applies online, and the school has to apply before the exams, with a deadline in the spring for the summer series.
For 25% extra time the evidence is usually an assessment showing below-average speed of reading, writing or processing, or a diagnosed condition such as a hearing impairment, with a history of needing the time. A diagnosis alone is not always enough, and no diagnosis is not always a bar.
Why it needs to start early
An arrangement has to be the student’s normal way of working, so a school that is going to apply wants to see it used in class and in mocks first. If you think your child needs extra time or other help, raise it with the SENCo in Year 10 or Year 12, not in the spring of the exam year.
When practising a past paper in cookie, the timer can add extra time as a percentage, so practice runs in the same conditions as the exam will.
Where to check
Checked against these on . The rules change from year to year, so the pages above are the ones to trust if anything here disagrees with them.
Common questions
How much extra time can a student get?
Usually 25%. More, up to 50% or beyond, is possible where the evidence shows the need, and it has to be approved by the board.
Can we pay for a private assessment?
JCQ expects the assessor to have a working relationship with the school, and the school has to accept the report, so ask the SENCo before booking one.
Does extra time show on the certificate?
No. Access arrangements are not shown on certificates or results slips.
What about illness on the day?
That is special consideration, which is different: the school applies after the exam, and it can add a small number of marks. It is covered in the same JCQ guidance.