Exam Access Arrangements: Extra Time, Scribes and How to Apply

Exam access arrangements are changes to how an exam is taken, agreed in advance, so that a student with a disability, special educational need, medical condition or temporary injury can show what they actually know. The best known is extra time, usually 25%. Others include supervised rest breaks, using a word processor instead of handwriting, a reader or a scribe, a separate room, and modified papers such as enlarged print. They do not make the exam easier or change what is being tested. They remove a barrier that has nothing to do with the subject.

For GCSEs, A levels and most other school and college qualifications in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, the decision is made by the school or college. Not by you, and not by a doctor or private assessor. The SENCo (or equivalent) and the exams officer follow rules published every year by the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ). Two things matter most: evidence of a genuine, long-term difficulty, and evidence that the arrangement is already the student's normal way of working. So start asking early. Months early, ideally.

What counts as an access arrangement

These are the arrangements families ask about most. Not every student needs one, and some need a combination.

• Extra time. Usually up to 25%. More than that is only agreed in exceptional cases with strong evidence. It is typically considered when reading, writing or processing speed is below average, or when a physical or medical condition slows a student down.
• Supervised rest breaks. The clock stops, and the student can stretch, stand or step out with an invigilator. For pain, fatigue, concentration or anxiety, this often helps more than extra time. Plenty of students granted extra time never use it, because the problem was not speed.
• A word processor. A laptop or computer with spell check and predictive text switched off. Considered when handwriting is very slow, hard to read or painful.
• A scribe. An adult writes or types exactly what the student dictates. This is a big step. Dictating an essay is a skill in its own right, and a student who has never practised it can find it harder than writing. It is usually considered when typing is not workable either.
• A reader or computer reader. Questions and text are read aloud, by a person or by software. In papers that test reading, a human reader is not normally allowed, though a computer reader may be. Ask the school what applies paper by paper.
• A separate or smaller room. For students who cannot cope in a large hall, or who need an arrangement such as a scribe that would disturb others.
• Modified papers. Enlarged print, braille, coloured paper or modified language. These have to be ordered from the exam board well ahead, so they cannot be arranged at the last minute.
• Other options. A prompter to keep a student on task, a practical assistant for practical exams, coloured overlays, or a sign language interpreter. The school will know which are available for which qualification.

Broken an arm in May?

Temporary injuries count. If your child breaks a wrist or has surgery shortly before exams, tell the school straight away. Schools can usually put arrangements such as a scribe, a word processor or rest breaks in place at short notice for this kind of situation.

This is different from special consideration, which is applied after an exam when illness, bereavement or something on the day affected a student's performance. It usually makes a fairly small adjustment to marks and is not a substitute for proper arrangements made in advance.

Who decides, and on what basis

The SENCo, or whoever the school or college appoints to lead on access arrangements, decides what is appropriate. The exams officer handles the paperwork and any applications to the exam boards. You do not apply to an exam board yourself.

Some arrangements, such as rest breaks or a separate room, the school can usually just put in place once it is satisfied they are needed. Others, including 25% extra time, need an online application by the school to the exam boards, backed by evidence held on file. Schools also have duties under the Equality Act 2010 to make reasonable adjustments for disabled students, and access arrangements are how that works in exams.

The normal way of working

This phrase will come up again and again, and it trips families up. An arrangement should reflect how the student already works in lessons, class tests and mock exams. If your child wants to type their GCSE exams, they need to be typing in class now. If they need rest breaks, the school should be seeing that in practice.

A student who suddenly asks for a laptop a few weeks before exams, having handwritten everything for two years, will struggle to get one. Ask the school to use any likely arrangements in mocks, both to build the evidence and so your child finds out whether the arrangement actually helps.

The assessment

For extra time, and for some other arrangements such as a reader or scribe in many cases, the school will usually need an assessment by an access arrangements assessor. This is a specialist teacher or psychologist with the right qualification, appointed by the school. They typically look at things like reading speed, reading comprehension, writing speed and processing speed, and compare the results with what is expected for the student's age.

For students with a physical disability, sensory impairment or medical condition, the evidence may instead come from a letter or report from an appropriate professional, alongside the school's own observations. A diagnosis on its own does not guarantee anything. What matters is the impact on how the student works in exams.

A frank word about private reports

Under the JCQ rules, a school cannot simply accept a privately commissioned assessment report. A private assessor is expected to have established a working relationship with the school before assessing, and the school must check their qualifications. Families do sometimes pay for a private report, hand it in, and find it cannot be used for the purpose they wanted. Talk to the SENCo before you book anything. They may be happy to work with a particular assessor, or they may already have one.

When to apply: a rough timeline

Exact deadlines are set by JCQ and the exam boards and change from year to year, so ask the school for theirs. As a general guide:

1. Year 9 or the start of Year 10, or the start of a college course. Raise it with the SENCo. Ask what has been noticed, what is already in place and what evidence exists.
2. Through Year 10, or early in Year 12. The school gathers evidence and arranges any assessment. Your child uses the arrangement in lessons and tests so it becomes their normal way of working.
3. Mock exams. The arrangement is used under exam conditions. If it does not help, there is still time to change it.
4. Well before the exam series. The school submits any applications and orders modified papers.

If your child changes school or moves to a sixth form or college, do not assume arrangements carry over. Ask the new setting early whether the existing evidence can be used.

Practical things you can do this term

• Ask for a meeting with the SENCo. Go with a short list of what you see at home: homework that takes hours, hands that ache, unfinished tests, meltdowns after school.
• Gather evidence. Teacher comments, school reports, any reports from health professionals, an EHCP or SEN support plan, and samples of written work, especially work done against the clock.
• Time a practice paper at home. Sit a past paper in exam conditions and note where it falls apart. Running out of time, pain, losing focus or messy writing towards the end are all useful information.
• Practise the arrangement itself. Typing speed, dictating answers aloud, using a rest break well rather than staring at the wall. If keyboard skills are the gap, our guide to touch typing for children with handwriting difficulties explains how to build them.
• Talk to your child. Some teenagers refuse a laptop or a separate room because they do not want to look different. That is worth taking seriously. A conversation about which arrangement they would actually use is better than one forced on them.

College, university and Scotland

University exams sit outside the JCQ system. Each university has a disability or student support service that agrees exam arrangements, which can include extra time, rest breaks, use of a computer or a separate room. Register with them as early as possible, ideally before the course starts. They will ask for evidence, and for a specific learning difficulty they may want a full diagnostic report. A school access arrangements assessment may not be enough on its own, so check what they need.

Separately, Disabled Students' Allowance can help with study-related costs such as equipment, software and support. Our guide to Disabled Students' Allowance and the needs assessment explains how it works. Further education colleges taking JCQ qualifications follow the same rules as schools.

In Scotland, SQA qualifications use what are called assessment arrangements. The school or college decides what a student needs and requests it from SQA, with the focus on evidence of need, so ask the school how they handle it.

Where an occupational therapist fits

To be honest about it: an occupational therapist does not grant access arrangements. The school does. Most evidence for extra time comes from the school's access arrangements assessor, not from health professionals.

An occupational therapist becomes useful when the difficulty is physical, motor or sensory. That might be slow or painful handwriting linked to dyspraxia or dysgraphia, hypermobility, cerebral palsy, a hand injury, a condition that causes fatigue, or sensory processing differences that make a busy exam hall overwhelming. An occupational therapist can:

• Assess hand function, fine motor control, posture, handwriting, fatigue and sensory needs, and explain in a written report how these affect writing and sitting exams. A school may use this as part of its picture of the student.
• Recommend practical support that can become the normal way of working, such as a writing slope, pencil grips, better seating, keyboard use or a plan for rest breaks.
• Work on the underlying skills long before exams, so a student is as comfortable as possible however they end up working.

Share any report with the SENCo, and ideally check with them before the assessment what would be most useful. A private occupational therapist can offer functional assessments and reports, but a report written without the school in the loop is less likely to be used.

Other professionals lead on other needs. An educational psychologist or specialist teacher assesses reading, writing and processing. An optometrist or eye clinic looks at vision, and an audiologist at hearing. A speech and language therapist helps with language difficulties. For anxiety that is severe or getting worse, start with your GP, who can refer to mental health services if needed.

Frequently asked questions

How much extra time can you get in exams?

Usually up to 25%. More than that is only agreed in exceptional circumstances, with strong evidence that the student's difficulties are severe. Rest breaks can be given alongside extra time or instead of it.

Does my child need a diagnosis to get access arrangements?

Not always. The school looks at evidence of a genuine, long-term difficulty and its impact on how the student works. A diagnosis can help, but it does not guarantee an arrangement, and some students without a formal diagnosis still qualify.

Does an EHCP mean my child automatically gets extra time?

No. An EHCP or SEN support plan is useful evidence, and the school should take it into account, but the exam rules still apply. The school must still be satisfied that the arrangement is needed and is the student's normal way of working.

Can my child get access arrangements for anxiety?

Possibly. Rest breaks or a separate room are sometimes agreed for students with significant mental health difficulties, where the school has evidence of the need. Talk to the SENCo, and if the anxiety is affecting daily life, see your GP as well.

Can we pay for a private assessment for extra time?

You can, but speak to the SENCo first. Under the JCQ rules, a school cannot simply accept a privately commissioned report, and the assessor needs to have an established relationship with the school before assessing. Otherwise you may pay for a report that cannot be used.

What if the school says no?

Ask for the reasons and the evidence they considered, and ask to see their access arrangements policy. If you still disagree, use the school's complaints procedure. Independent advice is available from charities supporting families with special educational needs.

Next steps

If handwriting, hand pain, motor or sensory difficulties are part of the picture, see our children's occupational therapy page, or current guide prices, and choose your area below.