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personally i am dyslexic and have processing issues and find that an extra 25% of time gives me that extra boost. sometimes just that extra 20 minutes can give me an extra couple of marks. But id rather not have dyslexia or processing problems and and not have extra times. BUt i don't think the education system is fair as in an extra 20 mins how am i meant to know a spelling that i didn't know when i went into the exam.
No I think it is unfair as it is not always measured correctly based on the persons needs. Extra time should be allocated based on the severity of the disability and not generalised for everyone who requires extra time.
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by Martins1
How is this a dumbing down of exams? It's the exact same material, so its not being dumbed down, although giving everyone adequate time would make it easier - NOT dumbed down. And the reason we have a time limit is because otherwise in English, RS, History and Classics literature people would write an absolute tonne - which would be impossible to mark. All that is happening with extra time is that people are recieving what is essentially the same aount of time in proportion to their writing speed. Person A is no less intelligent than Person B because they broke their hand and so have a slower writing speed... The same is true of those who just naturally have slow writing speed. That's why science/maths exams are very rarely ever time pressured - because they are testing ability and knowledge, and people won't write tonnes even with extra time. In time pressured exams, it's only there for practical reasons.
But they wouldn't because although in actual time they get more, due to their disabilities, their time in proportion to their writing speed is therefore the same as yours is - and often its actually less. Imagine if you started an exam and literally after reading the five word question in a few seconds, continously write at full speed, getting everything correct. However, despite knowing exactly what more you needed to write down, you PYSICALLY could not complete the exam on account of your writing speed. Imagine how frustrating that would be and how frustrated you would be, having revised and worked hard for the exam, and knowing that you KNEW all the asnwers but your writing speed let you down. Exams should not be a test of writing speed, but genuine intelligence...
This I can understand - if you think of thinking speed as a sign of intelligence, I can understand that.

The abuse of a system does not mean it should be abolished. It means we should improve the system. You can't just give up on all people with disabilities because the system isn't working - that is not their fault...


This is not true usually Science and Maths exams can have very strict time limits, I'm sure a lot of Maths and Science students wouldn't agree with you.

You fail to understand that a lot of the time slow writing speed=slow mental speed(thats been the case for most of the disabilities talked about so far on the thread).

Some of the time I have worked out the answers not that long after leaving the exam and would have done a bit better with more time(I did complete the rest of that Computer exam after the exam and what I did was pretty good so with more time my mark would have been a lot better).

I do agree with you to some extent on Physical disabilities but if its a mental disability that certainly should be tested.I have handwriting issues when writing with speed like essays so I got to do my Geography AS on a computer with the same time limit though, I think the main issue was the hand just can't write as fast as the brain(
Original post by Abstract_Prism
If you had extra time in your exams, (for those who don't already have it) do you genuinely think you would get significantly better grades?


Yes. I never get time to check over my work - I'm always rushing by the end of the exam. If I had extra time, I'd be able to look for errors in my work and correct them to gain marks hence achieve more marks. Although I wouldn't claim for it because I would 'like' it - some people are at a disadvantage and need to be leveled out with others to make tests fair.
Original post by Martins1
How is this a dumbing down of exams? It's the exact same material, so its not being dumbed down, although giving everyone adequate time would make it easier - NOT dumbed down. And the reason we have a time limit is because otherwise in English, RS, History and Classics literature people would write an absolute tonne - which would be impossible to mark. All that is happening with extra time is that people are recieving what is essentially the same aount of time in proportion to their writing speed. Person A is no less intelligent than Person B because they broke their hand and so have a slower writing speed... The same is true of those who just naturally have slow writing speed. That's why science/maths exams are very rarely ever time pressured - because they are testing ability and knowledge, and people won't write tonnes even with extra time. In time pressured exams, it's only there for practical reasons.
But they wouldn't because although in actual time they get more, due to their disabilities, their time in proportion to their writing speed is therefore the same as yours is - and often its actually less. Imagine if you started an exam and literally after reading the five word question in a few seconds, continously write at full speed, getting everything correct. However, despite knowing exactly what more you needed to write down, you PYSICALLY could not complete the exam on account of your writing speed. Imagine how frustrating that would be and how frustrated you would be, having revised and worked hard for the exam, and knowing that you KNEW all the asnwers but your writing speed let you down. Exams should not be a test of writing speed, but genuine intelligence...
This I can understand - if you think of thinking speed as a sign of intelligence, I can understand that.

The abuse of a system does not mean it should be abolished. It means we should improve the system. You can't just give up on all people with disabilities because the system isn't working - that is not their fault...


Making an exam easier is dumbing it down, I think most people who are of reasonable intelligence(especially when it comes down to University when most people are pretty clever) could get most of the test right if you give them enough time to see the trick to the question, if they haven't revised maybe not though.At University I think speed is the main skill that discriminates the best from the worst, often the homework questions were much harder than the exam questions and I really struggled but I generally eventually always got there which kinda of proves my point.

Also, The Programming exam is the perfect example I have little doubt in my mind my two friends who scored 20% and 32% on the exam respectively would have got around 80% on the exam with sufficient time(thats the kind of score they got for their coursework).I completed the rest of the exam after I had to submit as the exam had finished at my University accommodation its clear I would have probably had 80 or 90% rather than the 60% I got getting everything right but only completing 60% of the exam.

I have been talking about Maths/Science exams so far and its clear that this is utterly false(the friend I had who didn't end up completing quite a few questions was a Science student) and I often find these exams are rushed to the end its not always the case some of my Maths exams I finished reasonably early but quite a few my exams(2+Computer exam) this year in Maths/Physics I didn't finish and other exams I was rushed to the end(happened very often with A2 Mathematics exams too) and this also obviously meant no time for checking, something which extra time makes a lot easier to do.

So far most of the main disabilities that have been mentioned refer to slower brain processing rather than some physical disability.People with Mental disabilities shouldn't be given extra time for it if that is whats being assessed on the paper, which often they are and strict time limits illustrate this.I do have sympathy for physical illnesses like if dyslexia was some sight problem I'd be more sympathetic but research shows it is a problem with areas of the brain responsible for language processes/reading.

On the subject of writing speed vs brain speed I often find my brain speed is much faster than my writing speed as it simply isn't possible to write as fast as my brain can think(especially on essays my brain is usually miles ahead) and this often means terrible handwriting with my hand trying to catch up, for my Geography AS I was given a laptop instead to account for this but the same time limit, this is a reasonable adjustment to me.I didn't get some answers down in time on the exam either that were in my brain so thats pretty common I think.
Yes,although some people do cheat the system.
Original post by Martins1
Well yes, that sounds like cheating the system to me. At the same time, I'd be very surprised if they aren't getting any external diagnosis. Either way, just because people cheat, doesn't mean we can give up on people who NEED this help and extra time - it just means we need to fix the system - so that schools such as yours can not get away with that and so that everyone needs external diagnosis. Just to say, that although there is no "extra time" in life, there are also no exams. How many times have you EVER heard of an employer ask their employee to sit down without the aid of the internet and complete as much as they can in an hour? Never, assignments are typically given much more time and much more freedom to carry out how and when you like.
In my school I referenced one person with extra time - he has extremely slow handwriting - I've seen it in exams and man do I feel sorry for him. The two people I know who have supervised rest breaks; well one has frequent panic attacks and the other has a rare heart condition. The latter is in my English set and before the English speaking and listening I witnessed him having a panic attack. It was truly terrifying and there was no way he could complete his speaking and listening - our teacher moved it back a week for him. As he became stressed he started putting his head in his hands, lashing out violently at anyone who tried to help and breathing heavily. That 100% deserves supervised rest breaks in order to stop that happening.

I've never witnessed schools 'coaching' kids for extra time - but that is plain wrong. I'm not sure how anyone can fake the test that you had - surely it seizes up or it doesn't? On a more personal note I would drop the subject of extra time with your friend because it's not worth losing a friendship over extra time in exams - friendship is far more important than any grades :smile:
YES YES YES and YES! So very true - the fact is exams do not equal intelligence and sadly school life is now solely focused on getting grades when it should be about expanding your horizons, forming your own opinions on world views and the important questions in life, getting morals (which would stop people cheating on tests out of moral conscience) and most importantly forming interests - so that people know where they want to go and feel impassioned by what they do so that they can have an enjoyable life. BTEC's stigma is another thing which needs to be fixed - this is why I created the thread about educational reform, so please do comment on there as I guess we are sidetracking a lot...
Sadly people believe only in equality nowadays - the fact is equality is not fair - equality in OPPORTUNITY is what is fair and we should be moving towards that, rather than just out and out equality.
I would even say try not to be bitter towards the system - just try to help reform the system nicely, its more likely to get done then - and you are completely right - just because a system is flawed, doesn't mean you give up on it and scrap it - no you work and improve it!

Either way, its a good idea to get diagnosed to see what the genuine situation is rather than wondering around blindly in the dark.


I think you might be getting it here if you were to make everything equal then everyone would get the same on the exam(even motivation and determination to work hard are affected by genes/environmental factors).

I do think part of this extra time idea is that if people work hard and they are not getting good grades then they must have some sort of disability and this isn't fair, this really just a manipulative argument to try and manipulate people to become capitalist/right wing believers that rich people got all their money through hard work.

Most of the success a person will achieve will be down to their intelligence/talents and not due to their hard work, if I didn't work I would have still probably got decent grades(probably As and Bs instead of A*s and As, as I think in most cases hard work will only get you maybe a grade or two).This can also be illustrated how usually clever people do well throughout school even when they were too young too work hard.I did start working hard probably about Y6 but before that I still did well and this can also be seen when a teacher introduces a new topic and some people fly away and understand it completely and most people struggle.For example when the class was introduced to factorising quadratics the teacher had to reteach it all again and hold back the class delaying the exam until a later exam period as everyone couldn't do it apart from me because as she said I could do it in my head.

If we were to create a fully equal system we would have to create penalities for advantages people have(calling them abilities or antidisabilities).
Original post by Martins1
Well yes, that sounds like cheating the system to me. At the same time, I'd be very surprised if they aren't getting any external diagnosis. Either way, just because people cheat, doesn't mean we can give up on people who NEED this help and extra time - it just means we need to fix the system - so that schools such as yours can not get away with that and so that everyone needs external diagnosis. Just to say, that although there is no "extra time" in life, there are also no exams. How many times have you EVER heard of an employer ask their employee to sit down without the aid of the internet and complete as much as they can in an hour? Never, assignments are typically given much more time and much more freedom to carry out how and when you like.
In my school I referenced one person with extra time - he has extremely slow handwriting - I've seen it in exams and man do I feel sorry for him. The two people I know who have supervised rest breaks; well one has frequent panic attacks and the other has a rare heart condition. The latter is in my English set and before the English speaking and listening I witnessed him having a panic attack. It was truly terrifying and there was no way he could complete his speaking and listening - our teacher moved it back a week for him. As he became stressed he started putting his head in his hands, lashing out violently at anyone who tried to help and breathing heavily. That 100% deserves supervised rest breaks in order to stop that happening.

Here are five examples, Lidl require an online exam, as do the army, but in person, and the same for the navy and air force. The Civil service fast stream also require an exam, as does public service in many countries.

Also, I meant that in life those with "disabilities" do not get advantages in any other case, it is is silly to give it to them when they are children. Ironically it is a childish thought.I also think that everybody should be subject to the same conditions, learning disability or not. If exams were purely a test of knowledge, then we would all be allowed to use computers, and the time constraints wouldn't exist.
Original post by Martins1
How many times have you EVER heard of an employer ask their employee to sit down without the aid of the internet and complete as much as they can in an hour? Never,


I accept you can normally get access to the internet whilst working but completing as much as you can in an hour happens all the time. The ability to process a lot of information rapidly and make decisions based on it is a vital skill in many jobs.
Original post by Compost
I accept you can normally get access to the internet whilst working but completing as much as you can in an hour happens all the time. The ability to process a lot of information rapidly and make decisions based on it is a vital skill in many jobs.


Very few jobs ask you to do that - time constraints are in most jobs much longer and in the few which do have such short constraints, people who are unable to work in these environments don't go into these work places anyway. It is not necessary to be able to do this, although it is useful in many jobs.
Original post by V ugvg jhi
Here are five examples, Lidl require an online exam, as do the army, but in person, and the same for the navy and air force. The Civil service fast stream also require an exam, as does public service in many countries.

Online exam. Not written. And for that matter, I'm not sure that it's gonna be the most challenging exam ever, considering it is testing basic mathematical functions. The army one is also online - I did it and it was not in any way hard.

Also, I meant that in life those with "disabilities" do not get advantages in any other case, it is is silly to give it to them when they are children. Ironically it is a childish thought.I also think that everybody should be subject to the same conditions, learning disability or not. If exams were purely a test of knowledge, then we would all be allowed to use computers, and the time constraints wouldn't exist.


There is the British Equality act which helps people with disabilities in getting equal rights and fair working environment...
Original post by Dalek1099


So far most of the main disabilities that have been mentioned refer to slower brain processing rather than some physical disability.People with Mental disabilities shouldn't be given extra time for it if that is whats being assessed on the paper, which often they are and strict time limits illustrate this.I do have sympathy for physical illnesses like if dyslexia was some sight problem I'd be more sympathetic but research shows it is a problem with areas of the brain responsible for language processes/reading, you will often find people trying to claim its caused by something else or its like glasses for a person with bad sight and that is just lies to try and get away from the fact dyslexia is dumbness at reading.


The disabilities you're talking about, have nothing to do with slower brain processing. You really are showing your ignorance here. Maybe you should read up on what Autism and Dyslexia really are. Dyslexia isn't dumbness. I've met some quite intelligent people who are intelligent who have Dyslexia.

People with Autism, our brains work differently. We don't process things slower than you. We process things differently.
Original post by Revision120
No everyone is equal


People with disabilities that can effect them in exams are not equal.
Original post by salty670
it should only be allowed for people with severe disabilities i.e. downs syndrome, severe autism etc. Even then it should show on the grade certificate and perhaps limit the highest grade you can get or maybe reduce it by 10%


How is that right?
Just my experiences with access arrangements:
I have severe anxiety/panic disorder and I often have panic attacks during tests & examinations. Because I am not supposed to leave the room, CAMHS has persuaded the school to allow me extra time so I can have the panic attack, deal with the aftermath, and continue with the exam. When I have the attacks, my hands shake so much that I cannot write, and I feel as if I cannot breathe. I need the extra time so I know that even if I have an attack, I will still be okay. I also have a quieter room, with only 22 people - and if I feel I need it, I can go to a room with only 6 people instead.
Although I sometimes don't need the extra time, there are often occasions when I do, and if I didn't have it, I would almost certainly fail :redface:
I have mild autism and also work slowly, but I was not allowed extra time just because apparently I "don't actually have a disability which would affect my ability to take tests. I do get rest breaks, but these are useless to me as I'm not getting stressed or needing to stop for any reason. All I want is enough time to finish my exams!
Reply 536
Original post by UnidentifiedBody
I have mild autism and also work slowly, but I was not allowed extra time just because apparently I "don't actually have a disability which would affect my ability to take tests. I do get rest breaks, but these are useless to me as I'm not getting stressed or needing to stop for any reason. All I want is enough time to finish my exams!


I have high functioning Autism and also ADHD and get 25% extra time so I can say for a fact Autism is a valid reason. I write slowly, can get distracted and also take time to understand what the question is asking me and my school told me told those are valid reasons.
Original post by UnidentifiedBody
I have mild autism and also work slowly, but I was not allowed extra time just because apparently I "don't actually have a disability which would affect my ability to take tests. I do get rest breaks, but these are useless to me as I'm not getting stressed or needing to stop for any reason. All I want is enough time to finish my exams!


They will only give it to you if you need it. Not having enough time won't be enough. Else you'd have a load of people without a disability trying to claim for it.
Original post by Tiger Rag
They will only give it to you if you need it. Not having enough time won't be enough. Else you'd have a load of people without a disability trying to claim for it.


I only posted this because other people in this thread were saying that they got extra time just because they worked slowly, without any mention of disability at all.
Depends, a really smart boy at my school punched a wall (drunk) and broke three of his knuckles so had a scribe. According to him it made it much harder as he had to spell out words so he refused it after our first essay exam.

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