Adjustment

Additional writing time to complete an exam.

Usually, 25% extra time is recommended. Therefore where the standard time for an exam is two hours, a student with 25% extra time will have two hours and 30 minutes to complete the exam.

On occasions more time is recommended.

Additional writing time usually relates to written exams, typed exams, multiple choice and online tests. It may be relevant for practical tests too. Extra time is not generally granted for the practical OSCE examinations which form part of medical related degrees.

Why?

Certain disabilities may mean that people take longer to process or physically create responses to exam questions. The extra time is designed to adjust for this and not to give any advantage.

Examples

• Students with specific learning differences such as dyslexia and dyspraxia may take longer to read and absorb questions and longer to process their answers. Recommendations are always based on written evidence from an Educational Psychologist or Specialist Teacher with a PATOSS registration.(Professional Association of Teachers of Students with Specific Learning Differences) and a practising certificate. Reports must be written after the student has reached the age of 16.
• Conditions such as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or Depression can have an impact on concentration levels and clarity of thought.
• For some people a physical disability will mean that they write or type more slowly than a student without a disability.
• Some medications, for example for epilepsy, anxiety or psychosis, affect speed and clarity of thought.
• Some students may require a scribe or reader for exams and extra time may be allocated for this process.