Pupils who have learning difficulties and disabilities may be able to get help (sometimes called access arrangements) in public exams.

The Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) describes why these arrangements exist:

They allow [pupils and students] with specific needs, such as special educational needs, disabilities […] to access the assessment and show what they know and can do without changing the demands of the assessment.

The most common arrangements are for:

• extra time, or
• provision of a computer, or a person to read or write for the pupil (except for exams that specifically test these skills, such as English).

There is a range of other possible arrangements for pupils with visual or hearing impairments, or other difficulties.

Also, when a pupil is ‘disabled’ under the Equality Act:

• the responsible body of a school (so the board of governors, or the proprietor in the case of an Academy) has a duty not to discriminate against that pupil (and in some cases non-disabled pupils)
• as does the examination board, including a duty to make reasonable adjustments to accommodate for that pupil’s disability.

How will the school or college decide who qualifies for help?

The school decides whether this support is needed. It does this by looking at the rules laid down by the JCQ on behalf of the exam boards, overseen by Ofqual. For Key Stage 1 and 2 assessments, the Standards and Testing Agency (STA) oversees access arrangements.

For each type of access arrangement, there are particular evidence requirements the JCQ/STA sets which must be met for the pupil to qualify. The JCQ/STA inspects schools to check that the evidence requirements are strictly followed.

The JCQ/STA rules are detailed and are updated every year. For full information, the rules can be accessed on the JCQ website and STA website.

When a school or college is aware that a pupil or student may need access arrangements, it should gather the necessary evidence of need from class teachers and others (such as parents, the pupil and any other staff and external professionals involved). The school may need to carry out assessment tests (for example of reading, spelling, comprehension, writing or processing speed).

Documents such as an education, health and care (EHC) plan or a report from a professional such as an educational psychologist may be supportive but do not automatically entitle a pupil to access arrangements without additional supportive evidence from the school.

Applying for permission – JCQ deadlines

The school should apply for permission to put the access arrangements in place for all assessed parts of the course (not just the final exam).

It is best if the school applies before the pupil begins the exam course. 

You can find more information in the 2025/26 JCQ guidance.

The guidance also explains that for candidates with an impairment other than a learning difficulty who are seeking 25% extra time, the SENCO must have trialled and exhausted the option of supervised rest breaks through timed internal tests and/or mock examinations before making an application for 25% extra time. The guidance considers that for candidates who experience anxiety or attention difficulties as well as candidates with medical conditions or mental health needs, supervised rest breaks may allow them to step away from the exam setting, use structured self-regulation strategies and return when they are calm and better able to focus. This is detailed further in the guidance. 

The first step

The first step is to speak to the class teacher and SENCO. If you have already done this, approach the head teacher or other relevant member of the senior management team for a meeting about the kind and amount of help which you believe is necessary.

Be prepared to show evidence that the help is needed. The best evidence will be the fact that your child has, or as a young person you have, needed and received help of this kind in the past. For example, previously receiving help reading exam papers, or extra time for independently reading exam papers, in internal exams.

If you have any other evidence from reports that set out your child’s difficulties, or your own challenges as a young person (for example with reading, spelling or writing) and the requirement for help in class or with tests, this is important supporting evidence.

Having an EHC plan may strengthen your request, but it doesn’t create a legal obligation on the school to arrange this extra help with exams. However, if the EHC plan specifies help with reading texts (for example, in the form of support from a teaching assistant) then this will be important evidence that this is how your child normally works or how you, as a young person, usually work, and the same kind of support is going to be needed in order to do their best in public exams.

It may be that there is not enough evidence that an access arrangement is your child’s ‘normal way of working’, perhaps because they have only recently arrived at the school, or because this need has only recently become apparent. But if your child’s experience (or your experience) is that they are, or you are, only able to show full potential when given the necessary support, you should insist that the school carries out the relevant assessment tests so that they can make an application for the access arrangement.

Exam access arrangements and Key Stage 2 SATS

There is different guidance for adjustments for the Key Stage 1 and 2 SATS.  

The 2026 STAS will take place in May 2026. Schools need to read the guidance for adjustments once published carefully and, where required, organise any adjustments that are needed with the STA.

Schools need to apply for certain adjustments in advance by submitting an application form - the school SENCO should be able to explain this process to you. The deadline for

• applications for early opening of test papers, and
• for additional time and compensatory marks has not been announced yet and we will update this page once it is.

In addition, there are certain other adjustments that schools won’t need to apply for in advance, but they must notify the STA about their use once all tests have been taken. These adjustments typically include things like the use of a scribe, making a transcript of the child's work and using word processors or other electronic aids. 

You will need to discuss what adjustments your child might need with school staff (such as the class teacher and SENCO).

If that doesn’t work

If the head refuses to agree to arrange support for your child, or you as a young person, with public exams or assessments, or even to agree to assess for support, then you will need to put your request in writing and send it to the school governors. You can use our template letter as a template for making this request.

Your aim is for the school to agree to put the arrangements in place (or make the necessary assessments and application for permission). However, if the governors will not take action then you could make a formal complaint under the school’s complaints policy or consider a claim of disability discrimination against them for the failure to make ‘reasonable adjustments’. You can find out more about this on our page about taking action when things go wrong - nursery, school or college.

Study leave

The Working together to improve school attendance guidance makes clear that study leave should be used sparingly and only granted to enable pupils to study for public examinations. Provision should still be made available for those pupils who want to continue to come into school to revise, and as study leave is unsupervised it must be recorded as authorised absence (paragraphs 329 and 331).  

If your child’s school says they must take study leave it is likely to be failing in its duty to do all that it can to secure special educational provision for your child.

Additionally, children and young people with EHC plans must continue to receive the special educational provision set out in their EHC plan. It is the LA’s duty to secure this, even during study leave periods.

Exam access arrangements for pupils not attending a school/college

Children and young people who are home educated and wanting to take exams such as GCSEs or A-Levels may choose to do correspondence courses (such as IGCSEs) or enrol at a college or adult education centre.  Any adjustments would need to be discussed with the exam centre or tutor/course provider.

Children or young people who receive education otherwise than in school or college through an EHC plan (EOTIS, sometimes known as 'EOTAS') may have similar arrangements.  

Access arrangements and EHC plans

Although the access arrangements themselves aren’t special educational provision that can be secured through an EHC plan (because it’s the awarding body that has the power to make an access arrangement and not the LA) the usual way someone needs to be supported to work, or being able to undertake courses such as GCSEs or A-Levels (if someone is receiving EOTIS), may be things that need to be thought about when specifying special educational needs and provision in an EHC plan.

 

If you haven’t been able to find the answer to your question on this page, see our FAQs.

Template letter 13: Asking for help in exams