Access Arrangements for Public Examinations

As specified in the Joint Council for qualifications regulations: ‘The purpose of an access arrangement is to ensure, where possible, that barriers to assessment are removed for a disabled candidate preventing him/her from being placed at a substantial disadvantage due to persistent and significant difficulties. The integrity of the assessment is maintained, whilst at the same time providing access to assessments for a disabled candidate.’

Students have to be assessed to qualify for the following Access Arrangements and depending on their needs the most appropriate arrangement will be awarded.

Access Arrangements can include:

• supervised rest breaks
• extra time
• a computer reader or a reader 
• read aloud or an examination reading pen 
• a scribe 
• a word processor
• a prompter 

NB: A candidate with English as an Additional Language is not automatically entitled to Access Arrangements. JCQ clearly stipulates that: ‘the candidate must have an impairment in their first language which has a substantial and long term adverse effect. A candidate does not have a learning difficulty simply because their first language is not English, Irish or Welsh.’

The deadlines for the Application for Access Arrangements are as follows:

For the November 2023 Exam Series: Friday, 20th October 2023

For the June 2024 Exam Series: Friday, 9th February 2024

After these dates it will not be possible to test or apply for Access Arrangements.