In the most recent series of GCSE and A-level exams, 18.4 per cent of all students were awarded 25 per cent extra time.
Requests for extra time have soared in recent years and Ofqual said that it is concerned by the rise.
Access arrangements are the provisions made for students, agreed before they take an assessment, to ensure that they can be validly assessed and are not unfairly disadvantaged due to a disability, temporary illness or injury or if their first language is not English. Any student with a disability (as defined by the Equality Act 2010 – ie has a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long-term negative effect on their ability to do normal daily activities) is legally entitled to reasonable adjustments, which are a form of access arrangement.
Any students taking GCSE, AS or A level exams or non-exam assessments who meet the exam boards’ eligibility criteria can have an access arrangement.
Schools can apply to the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) to request extra time for a student on a variety on grounds. These include learning difficulties, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or a mental health condition .
Figures from Ofqual show that 25 per cent extra time is the most popular form of special dispensation for exams, and has increased by 43 per cent over the past five years. Other forms of access arrangement can include having a reader, scribe, an exam printed on coloured paper, or computer assistance.