Accessibility in assessment

Candidates with particular requirements
The QCA Code of Practice requires awarding bodies to consider the needs of all candidates, including those with particular requirements, when preparing assessment tasks, question papers and mark schemes. Candidates may have particular requirements for a number of reasons, including:

• permanent or long-term disability or medical condition
• temporary or short-term disability or medical condition
• illness, indisposition or unforeseen incident at the time of assessment
• first language other than English, Welsh or Irish (Gaeilge).

Principles of access arrangements
If a candidate with a particular requirement is unable to access fair assessment and/or to demonstrate their attainment in a particular specification, the candidate's school or college can apply to the awarding body for access arrangements that will allow the candidate to demonstrate their true achievement. Such arrangements should not invalidate the assessment requirements in the specification or give the candidate an unfair advantage in the assessment. They should allow the candidate to show what they have achieved and to be assessed alongside all other candidates for the specification. Examiners mark work produced under special arrangements in exactly the same way, applying the same mark scheme or marking criteria, as any other work.

Types of access arrangement
Arrangements that can be made to facilitate access arrangements include:

• granting up to 25% extra time for candidates to complete an assessment
• providing question papers in Braille
• providing question papers in enlarged print
• providing question papers printed on coloured paper
• providing question papers with simplified carrier language
• allowing candidates the use of a reader and/or scribe (also known as an amanuensis).

Special Consideration
In certain exceptional cases a candidate is prevented from demonstrating their true attainment by unfortunate circumstances.  The candidate may miss part of the assessment altogether, or may miss part of it, or may take it but be disadvantaged by something that happens before or during the assessment.  In such cases the candidate's school or college can apply to the awarding body for special consideration for the candidate concerned. 

Exceptional circumstances
Exceptional circumstances may include:

• illness on the day of the examination 
• injury or accident shortly before the examination 
• traumatic events such as bereavement
• emergency during the examination.

In all such cases candidates are required to have evidence of having completed at least a  specified proportion of the assessment - the minimum assessment requirements for the specification. Their school or college is required to provide evidence of the adverse circumstance e.g. a doctor's note.

Allowing special consideration

Special consideration is applied by adjusting the marks of the affected candidate. If the candidate has taken a particular assessment but their attainment in the assessment has been affected, their mark may be increased according to an agreed formula. If the candidate has missed a complete component, they will be given an estimated mark for that component, based on their performance in the remaining components of the specification.

Monitoring access arrangements and special consideration
Awarding bodies are required to monitor the numbers and categories of cases of access arrangements and special considerations processed each year and to report annually to the regulatory authorities on these arrangements. Awarding bodies are also required to monitor schools and colleges regarding the implementation of special arrangements.