[make it snappy]

Do you think giving some people in exams extra time is fair on everyone else?
I mean, an exam is to show how much you know about a subject and how cleaver you are.
Is it fair when 2 people get the same grade when one had longer in the exam?

I new 3 people who always got extra time, they were the ones that always got A's or A*'s.. strange?

what are you're thoughts on this?

[joker12345]

(Original post by make it snappy)
Do you think giving some people in exams extra time is fair on everyone else?
I mean, an exam is to show how much you know about a subject and how cleaver you are.
Is it fair when 2 people get the same grade when one had longer in the exam?

I new 3 people who always got extra time, they were the ones that always got A's or A*'s.. strange?

what are you're thoughts on this?

The argument is that people with extra time simply get given the appropriate amount of time so they can write down what they know to the same standard as other people, but they need longer because it takes longer to process the questions etc.
I don't believe in it because there's no extra time in life - your employer isn't going to allow you to do less work because it takes you longer to do it.

[NightBear]

Unless when it's an obvious scenario (i.e. you have a broken arm or something) then, yes, it seems reasonable. Otherwise, quite unfair, imo. As mentioned above, you don't get extra time irl, and a lot of people take advantage of the system. I know a girl who used to get extra time because she claimed English was her second language. Well, screw it but English is my third language and I seem to be managing quite well without extra time! Keep in mind she's been living in England for longer than I have, ffs.

Also people who claim to have dyslexia (just using it as an example, seeing as it's quite a 'popular choice' in my school) Wtf. Not to sound harsh, but no one's going to give you such consideration once you get out of school.

[Scatach]

Most of the people given extra time at my school don't actually use it, but rather just end up sitting in the exam hall for longer doing nothing.

[Fuzzpig]

Yes I do.

An exam is to show how clever you are, that's right. It just takes me a little longer to write things out and to read things as they confuse themselves in my mind and come out back to front. (I'm dyspraxic, this has been shown to have a neurological basis).

However I'm not stupid. I get consistently high marks at university at essays and other assignments, and I perform as well as everyone else in areas of the working world and I excel at my areas of interest and talent.

In the real world, I'm well used to reading instructions as many as 7 or 8 times so that they stick in my mind. It's just what I have to do. I have to re-read numbers I've written down many more times than that so that I can understand what I'm seeing. In a timed exam this disadvantages me. In the real world it does not.

I really can't begin to explain to you how it feels to read something, attempt to copy it, and then come out with something entirely different. I know that this happens to me so I know that I must re-read everything of that sort of nature. I know this really does make me sound very dumb and stupid, but that's truly the one thing hinders me. The panic in exams that this causes just further blacks things out for me. In real-life it's not even that bad!

[make it snappy]

Interesting comments, I didn’t think there would be any comments against extra time but I guess more people share my view than I expected.
The problem is theres just way to many people taking advantage of the system. Maybe they just need to be more strict on the people they give it to.
''your employer isn't going to allow you to do less work because it takes you longer to do it'' I thought that was a good comment until i read the last post

[meatsix]

(Original post by NightBear)
she claimed English was her second language.

really :O why didn't I think of that?!? (it is my 2nd language)

but when I applied for sixth form last year, there was a section on the application that you had to fill in if you was given any "special consideration" in the exams you sat but for most of my exams I have time left over anyways.

[Data]

(Original post by meatsix)
really :O why didn't I think of that?!? (it is my 2nd language)

but when I applied for sixth form last year, there was a section on the application that you had to fill in if you was given any "special consideration" in the exams you sat but for most of my exams I have time left over anyways.

You can have extra time for English being your second language only if you have lived in this country for less than 2 years and you were not educated in English in your previous country.

[twinlensreflex]

I get 50% extra time and rest breaks, I rarely use either. Yes, I do tend to get A*/As.

However, I'm visually impaired, several conditions you might not know - nystagmus which means my eyes are constantly moving and ocular albinism which makes me incredibly light sensitive. I'm also a hopeless insomniac. When I'm tired it takes me a lot longer to read because my eyes move more, and if it's too bright in the room that I'm in it takes longer as well. My eyes tire easily, sometimes to the point that I can't see clearly anymore.

Add on the fact that I have various anxiety related things and you get a tired, anxious mess sitting her exams, the only thing preventing a serious panic attack being the knowledge that I have my extra time to fall back on if it all goes tits up.

So, no. I don't think it's at all unreasonable. I don't need extra time because I'm stupid, I need it because it's possible that I'll read or write slower than everyone else.

[Unkempt_One]

The main problem is that you don't get enough time on exams in general in the first place. I think its ridiculous for instance that essay based exams tend to be timed exactly the amount that you need to physically write everything down. There should be at least an hour extra for polishing, because otherwise it does not at all reflect real work situations.

[tdkr]

(Original post by twinlensreflex)
When I'm tired it takes me a lot longer to read because my eyes move more, and if it's too bright in the room that I'm in it takes longer as well. My eyes tire easily, sometimes to the point that I can't see clearly anymore.

Add on the fact that I have various anxiety related things and you get a tired, anxious mess sitting her exams, the only thing preventing a serious panic attack being the knowledge that I have my extra time to fall back on if it all goes tits up.

So, no. I don't think it's at all unreasonable. I don't need extra time because I'm stupid, I need it because it's possible that I'll read or write slower than everyone else.

are you serious ? this can be applied to ANYONE on tsr as most people get shaky and nervous in exams. in fact i feel exactly the way you do IN exams but i don't complain, i haven't even been tested and i'm sure most people on here haven't also. such bull****, your employers in the future aren't gonna give you special attention just because you happen to get all jittery in critical business situations etc

[swiftylol]

Wow, just realised that 50% extra time in a 2hour exam is 1 whole extra hour. Don't know if it can be justified or not as i have no idea what the conditions are but it seems like quite a lot.

[manchesterunited15]

(Original post by twinlensreflex)
I get 50% extra time and rest breaks, I rarely use either. Yes, I do tend to get A*/As.

However, I'm visually impaired, several conditions you might not know - nystagmus which means my eyes are constantly moving and ocular albinism which makes me incredibly light sensitive. I'm also a hopeless insomniac. When I'm tired it takes me a lot longer to read because my eyes move more, and if it's too bright in the room that I'm in it takes longer as well. My eyes tire easily, sometimes to the point that I can't see clearly anymore.

Add on the fact that I have various anxiety related things and you get a tired, anxious mess sitting her exams, the only thing preventing a serious panic attack being the knowledge that I have my extra time to fall back on if it all goes tits up.

So, no. I don't think it's at all unreasonable. I don't need extra time because I'm stupid, I need it because it's possible that I'll read or write slower than everyone else.

And you think an employer is going to give you 50% extra time to do the same amount of work, along with rest breaks when you want them?