Extra-time, reader, scribe etc. - Is it fair?

I fully understand and am an advocate for providing extra time for those who need it, but I have recently become aware that some people at my school have payed for private psychologists to make a statement that they have a condition which entitles them to extra time when in fact they do not have this condition. They are basically paying for extra time that they are not qualified for and taking advantage of a system which is important to so many people. Extra time was put in place so that no one was put at a disadvantage regardless of conditions that one might have and to be tested purely on your ability and it is unjust that these people are exploiting it.

I have dyslexia,and I struggle with putting my ideas onto the page and most of the time in exmas I get stressed out and confused I come out of these exmas with grades of 2s and 3s, however I'm in set 2 for English and then set 1 for Maths and Science, so I am excpected to come out with grades of 6s and 7s. This is really diffcult for my beacuse when reading the English exams sources I get confused and have to read them carefully wasting time when I should be answerng questions, as well as then having to deal with trying to put my ideas on the page of what to write and also on top of that being marked down beacuse I have a learning diffuciulty that holds me back from spelling words correctly. But when I got tested and it told me I could have 25% extra time I began to get 4s and 5s. So if you think that people who are getting extra time are cheating then you need to re-think that beacuse before I had my extra time I was a great disadvantage for the rest of my year but now I might be able to hit the targets that I can get to.

I said at the beginning of my post that I think it's right that people who deserve extra time get it but I was saying that it's completely unfair that some people who don't actually have any learning difficulties pay to be diagnosed. You might think I'm just speculating but people have come out right and told me that they don't have dyslexia, dyspraxia etc they just payed to be diagnosed so they could have more time in exams. I also know that at my school the learning difficulties specialist gives out extra time even if you have failed the learning difficulties screening test.

One of my friends is very dyslexic and in his GCSE language exam he got given a laptop and they forgot to turn off autocorrect spelling!

I understand extra time and in reality I don't think time makes a huge difference tIo how well people do, but unless you have serious issues I don't really think as much help should be given out so freely.

Hi I have severe dyslexic and i have a reader, extra time and coloured paper. For my english langauage exam, no readers were aloud to read the comprehension or the questions for that part of the exam ( they can read the questions for the writing exams and read your work back to you). I have a friend with a scribe and if they want to use a full stop they have to say full stop for example so they show they can use punctuation. For computers some people have it becuase it is easier for them to understand what they have written on a computer but, there is no autocorrect or access to the internet, anyone with these requirements are in a seperate room ( either in a seperate hall with other students who have special requirements or in a private room just them and a invililator due to either mental health or they get distrated easier than others and so to minimise destraction, they are placed in a seperate room ) as its easier for the teachers to sort out who has what requirements and so people with extra time arent disturbed when the exam is finished and when everyone is leaving as, when i sat my gcses, at least 2/3 of the people had extra time. Also when your friend said 'surely if you need a scribe (not having recently damaged your arm) or reader in an English exam then you have already failed' i disagree as its not that they cant read so thats why they have reader or they cant write so they have a writer, they have a reader and/or a scribe as they struggle so much it doesnt show their full potential compaired to if they sat an exam with a reader and an exam without a reader for example. Hope this helps