Exam access arrangements are adjustments that let students with additional needs sit exams on a fair footing, without making the exam any easier. Extra time, rest breaks, a reader or a word processor can make the difference between a student showing what they know and being held back by the format. This guide explains what exam access arrangements are, who can have them and how schools in Dubai apply for them.
What Are Exam Access Arrangements?
Access arrangements are adjustments agreed before an exam, based on evidence of need and the student’s normal way of working. They remove barriers caused by special educational needs, a disability or a temporary injury, but they do not change what the exam is testing.
They apply to external exams such as IGCSE and A Level. Some can be put in place by the school, while others need approval from the exam board before the exam series begins.
Students who often use access arrangements include those with learning difficulties such as dyslexia, attention or processing difficulties, visual or hearing impairments, physical disabilities, medical conditions or significant anxiety. Every case is decided on individual evidence, so two students with the same diagnosis may need quite different support.
Access Arrangements vs Special Consideration
The two are often confused, but they work at different times:
| Access arrangements | Special consideration | |
|---|---|---|
| When | Agreed before the exam | Applied after the exam |
| Who it is for | Students with a known, longer term need or injury | Students affected by illness, injury or a difficult event at exam time |
| Example | 25% extra time for a student with slow processing speed | A small adjustment to marks after a student was unwell on the day |
| Who applies | The school, with supporting evidence | The school, soon after the exam |
If something happens close to the exam that the school could not plan for, special consideration is usually the right route. For needs that are known in advance, access arrangements come first.
Common Types of Exam Access Arrangements
| Arrangement | What it means | Often used for |
|---|---|---|
| 25% extra time | A quarter more time on each paper | Slow processing, reading or writing speed |
| Supervised rest breaks | Short breaks with the clock stopped | Concentration, anxiety or medical needs |
| Reader or computer reader | Questions read aloud by a person or software | Reading difficulties |
| Scribe or speech recognition | The student dictates answers | Injury or severe writing difficulties |
| Word processor | Typing instead of handwriting | Slow or illegible handwriting |
| Separate room | Sitting the exam away from the main hall | Anxiety, or when a reader or scribe is used |
| Modified papers | Enlarged print or coloured paper | Visual needs |
| Coloured overlays | A tinted sheet placed over the text | Visual stress when reading |
Extra time is by far the most common. In England, 25% extra time made up about two thirds of all approved access arrangements in the 2023 to 2024 academic year.
Some arrangements are not allowed where they would change what is being tested. A human reader, for example, is not permitted in language exams where reading itself is assessed.
Who Qualifies?
Eligibility depends on evidence, not on a label alone. Exam boards usually look for:
- a history of need known to the school, such as learning support records
- specialist assessment results where the arrangement requires them, for example for extra time or a reader
- teacher observations of how the student works in lessons
- proof of normal way of working, meaning the student already uses the arrangement in class tests and mock exams
Temporary needs are covered too. A student who breaks a wrist shortly before exams may be able to use a scribe or a word processor.
How Schools Apply
The school, not the parent, applies to the exam board. With Cambridge International, there are two routes:
- Centre delegated arrangements, such as 25% extra time, a word processor, supervised rest breaks or a separate room, which the school can approve itself once the evidence is in place
- Arrangements needing Cambridge approval, such as a reader, a scribe or more than 25% extra time, which the school must request in advance
Approval does not carry over from one series to the next, so schools apply again for each exam series. Pearson Edexcel has its own application process, and both boards set deadlines well before the exams begin.
A Typical Timeline
| Stage | What happens |
|---|---|
| Years 7 to 9 | Needs are identified through screening, assessments and teacher or parent referrals |
| Years 9 and 10 | The arrangement is trialled in class tests and internal exams |
| Before exam entries | The school gathers evidence and applies to the exam board |
| Mock exams | The arrangement is used as the student’s normal way of working |
| Exam series | The approved arrangement is applied in the final exams |
How Parents Can Help
- Share reports early: give the school any specialist or medical reports as soon as you have them.
- Report new needs straight away: an injury or a new diagnosis close to exams still needs time to arrange.
- Encourage your child to use the support in lessons, class tests and mocks, so it becomes their normal way of working.
- Ask what is planned: check which arrangements the school intends to request and when the application goes in.
- Practise together: a student given extra time needs to learn how to use it well, for example by checking answers at the end.
Exam Access Arrangements at Dubai Scholars
Dubai Scholars applies to the exam boards for access arrangements for students sitting board exams, based on each student’s individual learning needs and subject to the board’s approval. This work sits with the school’s Inclusion Support team.
In school assessments, selected students already receive support such as one to one reading help or 15 to 30 minutes of extra time, depending on their needs. This builds the normal way of working that exam boards look for.
Support follows a three level approach, from quality first teaching in every class to individual programmes for students with the most significant needs, with learning support at Dubai Scholars working alongside teachers and families. To see the school for yourself, book a school tour.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who decides if my child gets extra time in exams?
The school gathers the evidence and decides or applies. Some arrangements, such as 25% extra time with Cambridge, can be approved by the school, while others need approval from the exam board.
Does my child need a diagnosis to get access arrangements?
Not always. Exam boards look for evidence of need and the student’s normal way of working, and some arrangements also require a specialist assessment.
Will access arrangements appear on my child’s certificate?
No. Access arrangements are not shown on certificates or results slips.
Should my child use access arrangements in mock exams?
Yes. Using the same support in class tests and mocks shows it is the normal way of working and helps your child get used to it.
Can my child get access arrangements for a temporary injury?
Yes. A student with a broken arm or wrist, for example, may be able to use a scribe or a word processor. Tell the school as soon as the injury happens.
What is the difference between access arrangements and special consideration?
Access arrangements are agreed before the exam for known needs. Special consideration is applied after the exam for illness or events that affected the student at the time.
