Exam access arrangements: extra time and support

Before you start

This guide explains how extra time and other exam support work for children applying to UK independent schools and, later, sitting GCSEs and A-levels. It is general information, not legal, medical or educational-psychology advice. The rules for GCSE and A-level are set by the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) and are updated each academic year; entrance-test arrangements are set by each school or test provider. Always check the current JCQ document and each school's own policy before relying on anything here.

Last reviewed: 26 September 2026, against the JCQ document Access Arrangements and Reasonable Adjustments (updated March 2026, which JCQ says continues to apply during the 2026/27 academic year).

The short version

• Access arrangements are agreed before an exam so a candidate with a disability, learning difficulty, medical condition or temporary injury can show what they know without changing what is being assessed. Examples include 25% extra time, supervised rest breaks, a reader or computer reader, a scribe, a word processor, a separate room and modified papers.
• For GCSE and A-level, the school (the "centre") decides and applies, led by its SENCo. Evidence must show both a genuine need and that the support is the child's normal way of working in school.
• For 11+ and 13+ entrance tests, there is no single rulebook. Each school, consortium or test provider (such as ISEB for the Common Pre-Test) sets its own process, evidence requirements and deadlines.
• Start early. Evidence takes time to gather, specialist assessments can have waiting lists, and entrance-test requests usually close well before the test date.

GCSE and A-level: how JCQ access arrangements work

JCQ is the body through which the main UK exam boards (AQA, OCR, Pearson and WJEC/Eduqas among them) publish shared rules. Its annual document, Access Arrangements and Reasonable Adjustments, is the rulebook schools follow.

Who decides

The school's SENCo (special educational needs coordinator), or an equivalent member of staff, leads on access arrangements, with the head of centre responsible overall. Parents cannot apply to an exam board directly. Your role is to share information, ask questions and make sure the school knows about your child's needs early.

For many arrangements, the school processes an application through JCQ's Access Arrangements Online system and keeps the evidence on file for inspection. Under the current document, 25% extra time for learning difficulties, readers and computer readers, and scribes are processed this way. Some other arrangements are decided by the school itself where they reflect the child's normal way of working, including supervised rest breaks and the use of a word processor with the spelling and grammar check switched off.

"Normal way of working"

This phrase appears throughout the JCQ rules and matters more than any single report. An arrangement should reflect how your child already works in class, in internal tests and in mock exams. JCQ is explicit that 25% extra time must not suddenly be granted at the time of the exams. If your child needs extra time, a laptop or rest breaks, it should be in place and used well before Year 11 or Year 13.

Assessments and who can carry them out

For 25% extra time based on a learning difficulty, the school normally needs a completed Form 8 (the JCQ "profile of learning difficulties"). In outline:

• Part 1 is completed by the SENCo before the assessment and sets out the history of need and the support the child receives in school.
• Part 2 records the results of an assessment by a qualified assessor.
• Part 3 is completed by the SENCo when processing the application.

The assessor must be appointed by the head of centre, who checks their qualifications. JCQ expects evidence of a post-graduate qualification in individual specialist assessment at or equivalent to Level 7, or registration with the HCPC (for psychologists) or SASC. The assessment must be carried out no earlier than the start of Year 9 (Year 10 in Northern Ireland).

Where a child already has an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) confirming the relevant need, it can be used as evidence alongside the school's own evidence.

Private reports: the rule that surprises parents

Many families commission a private educational psychologist or specialist teacher report. Under the current JCQ rules, a privately commissioned assessment where the school has not been involved cannot be used to award access arrangements. For an external assessor's work to count, they must contact the school before assessing the child, liaise with it, be approved by the head of centre and receive the completed Part 1 of Form 8 from the SENCo.

A private report is still useful. It can help the school understand your child, shape teaching and support, and prompt the SENCo to begin gathering evidence and arrange a centre assessment. But if you are planning an assessment mainly with GCSE or A-level exams in mind, talk to the SENCo first.

The thresholds for 25% extra time

For a learning difficulty, the current JCQ document says the assessment (Part 2 of Form 8) must typically show at least:

• two below-average standardised scores of 84 or less; or
• one below-average standardised score of 84 or less and one low-average standardised score (85 to 89).

In either case, the two scores must relate to two different areas of speed of working, such as speed of reading, speed of writing and cognitive processing or fluency. Where the scores are both in the low-average range (85 to 89), the school must make a referral to the exam board with a strong justification. Scores are only part of the picture: the school must also show a history of need and that the arrangement is your child's normal way of working.

Extra time above 25%, and arrangements for sensory, physical, medical or mental-health needs, follow different evidence routes, some of which need exam-board approval. Your school's SENCo can explain which route applies.

Deadlines

JCQ sets a deadline for each exam series. For the June 2027 series, the published deadline for most access arrangements is 21 March 2027, and for modified papers (for example enlarged or braille papers) 31 January 2027. Schools generally aim to process applications much earlier: JCQ says they should be able to apply at the start of, or during, the first year of a two-year GCSE course. Late applications are allowed in limited cases, such as a temporary injury or a new diagnosis.

Access arrangements are not special consideration

Access arrangements are agreed in advance. Special consideration is a separate, post-exam process in which the exam board may make a small adjustment to a mark because a candidate was affected by something at the time of the exam, such as illness, injury or bereavement. It cannot make up for missing evidence of a long-term need.

Entrance tests: 11+, 13+ and the ISEB Common Pre-Test

Independent-school entrance tests are not JCQ exams, so JCQ's rules do not apply to them. Each school, consortium or test provider sets its own policy. That means the evidence you need, and the deadline for asking, can differ from one school to the next.

The ISEB Common Pre-Test

Many independent schools use the ISEB Common Pre-Test, an online adaptive test, as part of 11+ and 13+ entry. ISEB publishes SEND guidance and a step-by-step SEND process for families on its Common Pre-Tests page for families, and questions go through its support portal. Read the guidance for the current session before your child sits the test, and allow time for the evidence to be checked.

Schools' own papers and interviews

For a school's own 11+ or 13+ papers, consortium tests and interviews, ask each school directly. Common points:

• Evidence. Schools usually ask for a recent report from an educational psychologist or a suitably qualified specialist assessor, and sometimes a letter from your child's current school describing the support they receive. Ask how recent the report must be.
• Deadlines. Requests normally need to be made when you register or by a set date before the test. Arrangements requested on the day are rarely possible.
• What is offered. Extra time, rest breaks, a separate room, enlarged papers, coloured overlays or paper, and use of a laptop are all possible, but provision varies by school and by test format.
• Consistency. If your child has arrangements at their current school, share them. Schools will look for evidence that the support reflects how your child normally works.

The law

Independent schools must not discriminate against disabled pupils in admissions and must make reasonable adjustments. The Department for Education's Equality Act 2010: advice for schools explains the duties in general terms. A school can still set an academic standard for entry; the adjustment is to how the test is taken, not to the standard itself. If you believe a school has not made a reasonable adjustment, raise it with the school in writing first and consider taking specialist advice.

A timeline for parents

• Years 3 to 5 (ages 7 to 10): notice and record. If you or teachers notice slow reading, laboured handwriting, difficulty finishing work or anxiety about timed tasks, raise it with the school. Keep copies of reports, teacher comments and any support plans.
• Year 5: assess if needed. If your child is heading for 11+ entry and may need arrangements, consider a specialist assessment in good time. Waiting lists can be long.
• Year 5 summer to Year 6 autumn: request entrance-test arrangements. Check each school's and ISEB's process when you register. Submit evidence before the stated deadline, which is often well before the test.
• Years 7 and 8: build the normal way of working. Make sure any support used in exams is also used in lessons and internal tests.
• Year 9: JCQ assessments can begin. Assessments for GCSE arrangements can be carried out from the start of Year 9. Talk to the SENCo about timing.
• Year 10: applications processed. Schools should be able to process GCSE applications at the start of, or during, the first year of the course. Check arrangements are used in internal exams.
• Year 11 mocks and exams: confirm. Check your child knows what they are entitled to and has practised using it.
• Year 12: review for A-level. Under current rules an existing Form 8 can, in some cases, be rolled forward from GCSE to A-level using JCQ's Form 8RF, with fresh evidence of need. Ask the sixth form (especially if your child is changing school) what it will need.

Parent checklist

• Ask each school for its written policy on entrance-test access arrangements and the deadline for requests.
• Check the ISEB guidance if a school uses the Common Pre-Test.
• Gather evidence: specialist reports, current school's support plan, teacher comments, any EHCP.
• Confirm how recent a report must be and whether a specific type of assessor is required.
• Tell your child's current school what you are applying for, so their evidence is consistent.
• For GCSE and A-level, speak to the SENCo before commissioning any private assessment.
• Make sure any exam support is used in lessons, tests and mocks, not just in final exams.
• Keep copies of every application, approval and email.
• Re-check the current JCQ document each year, because the rules are updated.

Questions to ask schools

• What access arrangements do you offer in your entrance tests and interviews, and what evidence do you need?
• What is the deadline for requesting arrangements, and how will you confirm them?
• Do arrangements in the entrance test affect how you assess the result or the decision?
• Who is your SENCo, how many pupils currently have exam access arrangements, and how do you assess for them?
• Who carries out your JCQ assessments, and when in Year 9 or 10 do you usually assess?
• How do you build a pupil's normal way of working, and how is it used in internal exams and mocks?
• If we already have a private report, how will you use it?
• How do you support pupils who use a laptop, reader or scribe in lessons as well as in exams?

Sources

• JCQ, Access Arrangements and Reasonable Adjustments (updated March 2026; applies during 2026/27), including Form 8 and the deadlines for each series.
• ISEB, Common Pre-Tests: information for families, including its SEND guidance.
• Department for Education, Equality Act 2010: advice for schools.

This guide is general information, not legal, medical or educational advice. Rules change; check the current JCQ document and each school's policy, and speak to your child's SENCo or a qualified professional about individual needs.