Learning Support / Exam Access Arrangements
What are special access arrangements?
Exam Access Arrangements (EAAs) are the reasonable adjustments that can be made for a candidate to access an assessment. This might include things like extra time to complete an exam paper, permission to use assistive technology, provision of rest breaks and so on.
Arrangements are generally applied on an individual basis.
Who can get special access arrangements?
Access arrangements can be applied for candidates with specific needs such as special educational needs, disabilities, temporary injuries/illnesses.
Access arrangements can only be granted if they are a candidate’s ‘normal way of working’ and the candidate has a history of need. Any arrangements made must reflect the support that the candidate has had in the past few years, and evidence of the need must be provided.
What support can be provided?
There are a range of access arrangements which can be applied, an example of the most common access arrangement is 25% extra time. Other examples include permission to use assistive technology, or provision of rest breaks.
Access arrangements must be agreed before an assessment, we aim to respond to requests and put the appropriate measures in place as soon as we are made aware (the more notice we are given the better).
Evidence
To enable National Energy Action to apply special access arrangements or considerations we must ask for evidence of need, this will vary depending on the disability and the access arrangement(s) being applied for.
The evidence required will depend on the access arrangements being requested. Below are examples of formal documents that could be used to support an application (this list is not exhaustive):
- Education, Health, and Care Plan (EHCP)
- Individual Development Plan (IDP)
- Letter from a hospital consultant or a psychiatrist
- Letter from a Speech and Language Therapist
- Statement of Special Educational Needs,
- Educational Psychologist’s report
(All evidence must be dated, be from when the candidate was at least 12 years old, include details of the author (e.g. name, position), it must be relevant and must specify the candidate’s disability.)
Further details on access arrangements from the qualification awarding bodies (City & Guilds and NCFE) and the Joint Council for Qualifications can be found via the links below:
Joint Council for Qualifications
As outlined above, National Energy Action will require a copy of the evidence of need. We appreciate that not all candidates will have formal evidence of need and will work with the applicant to look at informal types of evidence, an example of this could be validation from your line manager that what you are requesting is aligned to your usual ways of working.
All arrangements are applied on an individual basis.
How to apply
To help us identify the support required and the necessary / appropriate measures that can be made, please e-mail gill.fox@nea.org.uk indicating ‘special access arrangements’ in the e-mail heading.
For further details, please contact:
Gill Fox, Qualifications and Quality Assurance Manager
E-mail: gill.fox@nea.org.uk