Extra time in exams

Scroll to see replies

So your school cant offer you extra time without the exam board knowing.?

I think its unfair for the op.

The school should still give her/ him extr time even if the exam board is unaware?

It is not the schools who give permission for extra time but the exam boards. For the school to allow it without permission is malpractice.

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 21

08graya

Thanks for the responses! I guess I'll give in the letter and see what school say they can do... I know it's not the GP who organises it, I just wish that she had told me she could provide a letter sooner! And my friend who got 25% extra time didn't need it - that was the point - she deliberately wrote slowly in the test and then was super smug about it afterwards because as she said she 'cheated the system to her advantage'

Reply 22

blackdiamond97

Original post by Midgeymoo17

We and choose the time it stops. And at A level and GCSE you can decide how long stop for. However I know at Uni the Universities will often cap at 15 minutes per hour, but that is still quite a lot. (personally that is about what I take)

Original post by Compost

You can only have rest breaks for GCSE and A level if it is your normal way of working in school (or for a temporary issue- e.g. broken hand) and your SENCo should have told you how long a rest break you are allowed to have (e.g. up to 5 minutes,)

Reply 23

Compost

Original post by blackdiamond97

I have given the rules - they tightened up on it this year with the SENCo now having to decide before the exams how long a rest break would be appropriate for each candidate, given his condition. Midgymoo17 may be telling you what happens in her school as they may not be complying with the current regulations.

Reply 24

Blackstarr

Original post by CheetahCurtis

You exam board must know or you've essentially cheated (used more time than you're allowed). You and your school would be punished if found out, I don't know whether their school would want to risk being punished just to give that person an extra 15-20 minutes in the exam.

Ok but how will they will find out, it's not like the invigilators know who is entitled to extra time apart from the teachers?

Reply 25

Blackstarr

Original post by Compost

It is not the schools who give permission for extra time but the exam boards. For the school to allow it without permission is malpractice.

So, then, an exam board can reject an applicants extra time?

Reply 26

Compost

Original post by Blackstarr

So, then, an exam board can reject an applicants extra time?

Yes. It would be a ridiculous system if every application was automatically accepted. Applications have to fulfill certain criteria to be accepted.

Reply 27

username1357713

Original post by Blackstarr

Ok but how will they will find out, it's not like the invigilators know who is entitled to extra time apart from the teachers?

If a school is inspected they can be asked to give reasons why people get extra time, rest breaks, etc. as well as show permission from exam boards - they can be caught out that way. Sometimes teachers/staff will tell exam boards, I'm sure they don't want to lose their jobs. Invigilators can ask for further investigation if they suspect someone is not entitled to what they are getting (although it would be something stupid like a student saying they shouldn't get the extra time, they wouldn't do it for no reason as you can't always see why people get extra time). Other students (not the ones getting extra time) can tell people thinking nothing will happen, but it doesn't always stay quiet.

It's not as though nobody will ever discover that you get extra time, and if you aren't entitled to it people could learn that too.

Reply 28

Midgeymoo17

Original post by Compost

A word of advice- before claiming someone is not following the Regulations I recommend you read them again at no point does it say the SENCO has to decide how long a rest break should be. What it actually states has a very different meaning altogether- as such our SENCO advises on what is acceptable maximum per hour and what is taking the piss but you still choose with in those constraints when and how long each break is. And by the way all my access arrangements have actually been double checked by Edexcel and AQA not just JCQ due to the percentage extra time I receive. Edit: JCQ actually checked my Invigilator records about two weeks ago when inspecting our colleges access arrangements provision.

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 29

Midgeymoo17

Original post by blackdiamond97

Sorry, the confusion was partly how I wrote my response. The SENCO will often advise on what is a reasonable maximum based on your normal way of working. However the length of each break and when you take a break is with in your autonomy.

Reply 30

Sandtrooper

Volunteer Team

Original post by 08graya

Hey

My GP has written me a letter to give to school requesting that I get extra time in my exams and sit them in a small room - I have severe exam anxiety (that in my mocks prevented me from even looking at the question papers) as well as other mental health issues that have affected me throughout the year. However, she has only given me the letter today and my first exam is on Wednesday!!!! Does anyone know how long it usually takes to hear back from exam boards about extra time? Especially as I am on half term so won't get a chance to discuss with my teacher until Monday!

Thanks!

I believe it takes a few months, as you have to get approval from the examination boards.

Reply 31

Midgeymoo17

Original post by Compost

Yes. It would be a ridiculous system if every application was automatically accepted. Applications have to fulfill certain criteria to be accepted.

The last sentence is not entirely accurate advice. Applications do not have to fulfil certain criteria to be accepted. There is criteria set out for automatic acceptance. But failure to meet the criteria exactly does not automatically mean rejection. Where the standard criteria set out by the JCQ are not fulfilled for the Access Arrangement requested the request will be forwarded to the special considerations panel at the relevant awarding body who will consider the application as a whole. If the standard criteria set out by JCQ are no fulfilled the chances of rejection are higher- but you are not guaranteed rejection.

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 32

Midgeymoo17

Original post by libidothief

Sorry, you have a good reason. I'm on about the people who just write slowly without any actual joint problems. Also anxiety can be a chemical imbalance in the brain - unstoppable.

Yeah sorry I was just being picky about the use of always. I know how angry you are as I hate people who milk the system as well.

Reply 33

Compost

Original post by Midgeymoo17

A word of advice- before claiming someone is not following the Regulations I recommend you read them again at no point does it say the SENCO has to decide how long a rest break should be

The regulations http://www.jcq.org.uk/exams-office/access-arrangements-and-special-consideration/regulations-and-guidance/access-arrangements-and-reasonable-adjustments-2015-2016 state:
The duration of the supervised rest break should be determined by the SENCobefore the start of the examination series.
which seems pretty clear to me.

Reply 34

Compost

Original post by Midgeymoo17

Applications do have to fulfil certain criteria to be accepted otherwise how can any application be assessed, whether by the online algorithm or a real person? You appear to be fixated on the mechanics of this and not on the principles involved.

Reply 35

Midgeymoo17

Original post by Compost

Fixated on you use of the word "fulfilled" yes because it does not accurately represent the process. You do not have to fulfil the critera, you are assessed against it, hence to find the best match where match may not be fulfilment (example below).

For start I refer to p24 of the regulation you linked. A standard score of 85 or less almost (with evidential support) almost guarantees 25 % extra time but scores in the region of 85-89 may also in exceptional circumstances.

This also to other arrangements. This is true for all other percentages of extra time and I know this from experience as the percentage extra time I receive changes between 25 and 50 percent depending on the demands of the paper. I do not actually quite meet the JCQ requirement for 50 percent- hence not granted on all papers. However I am one standard score point above the JCQ requirement. Since this was very close to the JCQ requirement and I had other learning Difficulties which alone would each meet the criteria for 25% extra time under those regulations the SENCO made an application that referred to the awarding body. The awarding body granted the 50 % on the requested papers (about 1/3 of my exams) due to the nature of the exam papers and my specific profile of difficulties (both SpLD and
physical) better matching the criteria for 50%. As pointed out the overall consideration could not be performed by an algorithm that gives a simple pass/fail. Now if you really feel you know better than one of the Exam Boards specialist assessing teams who are paid to uphold the JCQ Regulations feel free to argue this is unfair but official approval was sought for it.

Reply 36

Midgeymoo17

Original post by Compost

well that does not fit the example you gave either. However I do apologise I probably remembering the previous regulations as this is my 6th Year of public examinations. If you read my earlier posts my SENCo has actually issued advisory on the length of rest allowed per unit time with variations depending on the problem. She has not however not said that my 15 mins per/hr must be taken as a one 15 minute break or 3 5minutes. As that would be unsuitable to the nature of my disability the effects of which will change based on length and number of exams taken. Hence what I was trying to say it that the length of each break and when they are taken is upto me- but not exceeding the allowance deemed reasonable by my SENCO.

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 37

08graya

why should someone with anxiety not get extra time? I have a number of mental illnesses and am actually eligible according to the exam board guidelines. The fact that I have a chemical imbalance in my brain is not my fault and so therefore I am at a disadvantage compared to other candidates, yes everyone gets anxious about exams but not to the point where they didn't go in to school, skipped most of their lessons, and repeated a year... I have huge panic attacks before any exam and spend a majority of the time trying to calm myself down and to focus on the paper. I personally think it's quite reasonable....

Reply 38

08graya

I can see your point - especially in my experience because I have friends who have cheated the system etc etc :/ I think my GP requested it more because of having severe panic attacks and uncontrollably crying, I get so worked up that I become quite sick etc and have been put on antipsychotics because it got so bad rather than handwriting per say, also I've spent the last year battling other mental illnesses which have affected cognitive ability - I guess I was more to do with that, and anxiety doesn't help it (kind of the icing on the cake) - sorry for coming off as blunt earlier, I'd just come home from the most horrendous exam!