Exams Access Arrangements: Evaluating Extra Time and New Adjustments for 2024-2025

Written By Barry Wheller – Barry is an experienced EAA assessor who balances his time between his part-time role at an outstanding FE college in the Northwest and managing his successful nationwide exam access arrangements company. His company specialises in providing expert exam access arrangements and SEND support services to schools and colleges across the country: www.examsaccessarrangements.com

The start of September marks an important time for all exam access arrangements assessors. It is like our Christmas Day! The release of the new JCQ guidelines for Exam Access Arrangements (EAAs) and the start of the access arrangements updated training by various providers. This year, I was more than pleasantly surprised by some other changes to the exam access arrangements. However, there are still some areas that are confusing for students and parent – especially the golden egg of extra time. In this article, I want to look at the awarding of extra time and changes that we could make as assessors to enable students to access the exams. I will also discuss some of the changes that have been made to EAAs for the 2024-2025 academic year. Some of these changes I am very pleased about as they will make a massive difference to some students. They also made me rip up my original plan for this blog and start all over again.

EAAs play a considerable role in supporting students with their exams. The most common EAA is giving students 25% extra time. It is worth questioning why this specific figure is used and exploring changes that may be useful in the future. There is very little research to support why students need 25% extra time specifically. Assuming someone picked 25% out of habit rather than because of solid evidence. So, why 25%? Why not 10%, 20%, or even 30%? The lack of research backing this figure makes you wonder if it meets the needs of all students who require extra time (Harrison et al., 2015).

I have a deadline for this blog. Unfortunately, I cannot ask for 25% extra time. Even though, as I have already explained, I have had to rip up my draft for this blog for good reasons. Fortunately, through years of teaching experience and working to deadlines, I can draw upon various strategies to help me complete this on time. Unfortunately, we often give students 25% extra time with no plan to support them in the classroom, exams, or future careers. This can mean that students are given 25% extra time in isolation, and some don’t know what to do with it.

This brings me to the EAA rest breaks. Rest breaks during exams are underused but highly effective reasonable adjustments, especially for neurodiverse students. While extra time is often the default, rest breaks offer a more personalised solution that can better address the needs of students with ADHD, autism, anxiety, and similar conditions.

Rest breaks give students the chance to manage their focus and energy levels during exams. Unlike the fixed nature of extra time, rest breaks let students pause and regroup when they feel overwhelmed or tired (Kirby et al., 2008). This can improve concentration and overall performance, making rest breaks particularly valuable for neurodiverse learners.

However, most schools still prefer extra time over rest breaks, likely because it is more straightforward and more familiar. But this one-size-fits-all approach does not work for everyone. As schools aim to be more inclusive, it is crucial to recognise the benefits of rest breaks and start using them more widely.

Looking ahead, it is crucial that EAAs better reflect the kinds of adjustments students will encounter in the workplace. The current focus on extra time doesn’t always prepare students for real-world scenarios. Instead, EAAs should mirror workplace adjustments, like flexible work hours, assistive technology, or regular breaks for managing stress and fatigue (Schall & McDonough, 2010).

By aligning exam accommodations with what students might experience in their careers, we can help them transition more smoothly into the workforce. This approach not only addresses their immediate academic needs but also sets them up for long-term success and inclusion in their professional lives.

Extra time should always be a reasonable adjustment we offer to students. While the 25% extra time rule has been a convenient standard, the future lies in more flexible, evidence-based approaches. As education continues to change, it is important to make sure all students get the right support to show what they are truly capable of.

This brings us nicely to the changes in EAAs for the 2024-2025 academic year. As I mentioned earlier, I was pleasantly surprised by the updates, both in terms of reducing administrative workload and enhancing support for students. A major shift this year is the streamlined process for completing Forms 8 and 9. There is no longer a need for separate forms when a student requires extra time, a reader, or a scribe in addition to supervised rest break – everything can now be documented on Part 1 of Form 8.

One significant update addresses the ongoing issue of long waiting lists for diagnoses of conditions such as ASD and ADHD. The Access Arrangements and Reasonable Adjustments handbook now confirms that a referral to CAMHS or an NHS Trust for screening or a likely diagnosis is sufficient evidence for Form 9. However, it is still clear that the SENDCo must determine the appropriate exam arrangements for the student, not a specialist. There is a stronger emphasis on SENDCos using their professional judgement and gathering evidence from all staff involved in the student’s EAAs. The message from JCQ is clear: if you have evidence that a reasonable adjustment reflects the student’s Normal Way of Working, then go ahead and apply for it. Schools and colleges are best positioned to understand their students’ needs – don’t feel the need to constantly check back with the exam board or JCQ.

Although there is limited empirical research on students’ ability to read analogue clocks, anecdotal evidence suggests that most 16-19-year-olds rely on digital time, often displayed on their phones. This can be a disadvantage since digital time only shows the present moment. Analogue clocks, on the other hand, allow students to visualise time in the past and future, providing a broader sense of time management. A strategy I frequently recommend for students who struggle with planning and time in exams is the use of visual timers. The inclusion of timers as a centre-delegated reasonable adjustment is a welcome change, allowing more students to benefit from this simple yet effective too – something increasingly noted in ADHD diagnosis recommendations.

Another notable addition is the option to listen to music as a reasonable adjustment. This is now explicitly listed on Form 9, which is fantastic for students who find that music helps them focus, especially those with ASD, ADHD, or anxiety. Similarly, non-electronic headphones are now centre delegated, ensuring that students who use these regularly in class won’t face disadvantages during exams.

Supervised rest breaks have also received clarification this year. They should not exceed 30 minutes except in exceptional circumstances and breaks within the first 10 minutes of the exam should not be the norm. However, if a student genuinely needs a brief break to ground themselves, this should be permitted.

I am particularly pleased with these changes because they reflect the kinds of reasonable adjustments students are likely to encounter in the workplace. These updates not only meet the immediate academic needs of students but also set them up for long-term success and inclusion in their future careers.

If you are an exams professional join the EODS online workshop where you can discuss these changes and how they impact on you the people on the ground running the exams. Booking information can be found HERE.