Extra time in exams

[owabno]

Does anyone know of this is recorded and carried along with results?

DD came home yesterday and said the HOY had a chat with her yesterday about the exam set up. The plan all along was to have her use a laptop or suchlike as handwriting is a barrier, but they also offered her extra time, naturally she said yes. The thing is, she doesn't actually need extra time, being able to type rather then write eliminates the need for more time. I don't mind her having the time, but only if she comes out with a fair result. I wouldn't want to read that she got an A but needed extra time to get it.

[Astronotus]

Owabno. The school should be contacting you regarding this if it is eventually for external exams. They will need evidence to get her extra time. No, laptop use and extra time is not recorded on the exam certificate.

I suspect they are offering her these arrangements for in-schools exam for the moment, unless she is year 11.

[Traalaa]

You didn't say which year your DD's in? I'm no expert, but you can't just have extra time because you fancy it. Anyone offered it has to have been assessed and have a specific learning issue. Sounds like you need to have a sensible discussion with the school - they must have a reason for offering it. Apart from anything else, you don't want her to get used to having extra time, then that be taken away from her for GCSE's if she doesn't qualify.

btw, I was told anyone can choose to do type - all the school needs to prove is that it's the child's normal way of working. So that's totally different to having extra time, as that's an assessed need to level the playing field.

[Lonecatwithkitten]

Usually there is considerable assessment DD had her access arrangements assessed at the end of year 9. First she did three screening tests and then those results suggested children who needed further assessment and she took another two tests. Including the processing speed assessment which had her home in tears as she did 'so badly' until I explained that this was the one test it is good to do badly in.
She was assessed as needing 25% extra time and use of a laptop. In her year 9 exams and then this year the year 10 exams in the summer and then in mocks she changes colour pen ( colour type) at the end of the normal exam to illustrate that she needs the extra time. This will then form the evidence that is submitted to the exam boards for access arrangements.

[ClothOnASloth]

She would need to be assessed first.

My DS' handwriting is very difficult to read. Half the time he can't even read it himself. It's also quite a slow process. He has a diagnosis of ASD.

He had to have an assessment before any official exams. He was assessed as needing a laptop for some of his exams but not all. There was no extra time awarded.

[Astronotus]

lonecatwithkitten. re your child's change of colour pen for the extra time. This may well be what the school does but GCSE external exams will not require a change of colour pen. Black is the best colour for external exams. Other colours (green definitely) do not show up on the computer screen for invigilators who are marking scripts on a pc.

[owabno]

The school should be contacting you regarding this if it is eventually for external exams.

We have always been on regular contact with school.

They will need evidence to get her extra time.

This has been approved.

No, laptop use and extra time is not recorded on the exam certificate.

Thank you, that's what I actually wanted to know.

suspect they are offering her these arrangements for in-schools exam for the moment, unless she is year 11.

No. It's for her exams. Not year 11 because in Scotland. S4.

You didn't say which year your DD's in?

Mainly because which year she is in doesn't change the question.

I'm no expert, but you can't just have extra time because you fancy it.

Yes. I know. How rude odd of you to take my question to mean we just 'fancy' her having extra time!


Anyone offered it has to have been assessed and have a specific learning issue.

Again, I know.

Sounds like you need to have a sensible discussion with the school

We have. Always. For years. Lots of contact.

- they must have a reason for offering it.

They do. DD is autistic. Just to clarify this is not a drip feed, as it's irrelevant in terms of my actual question.

Apart from anything else, you don't want her to get used to having extra time, then that be taken away from her for GCSE's if she doesn't qualify.

She will be sitting Scottish National 5 exams. She does qualify. That's why I posted the question regarding whether that stays with her result.


lone and cloth

I actually can't address both of your posts. I have tired myself out with frustration already (see above) I do appreciate your advice, but none of it actually answered my question. The assumption all the way through that we have just decided she needs time and a laptop for the fun of it is ridiculous.

But thank you all for the time.

[Traalaa]

Blimey, sorry if I caused offence, but I honestly didn't mean to. I only used the wording 'if you fancy it', because you said that the school asked your DD if she wanted it or not.

It's great that you have good contact with the school. I (like others I suspect), took it from your first post that you'd been kept out of the loop with the school. Nobody meant to vex you. Surely you can see that we were all just genuinely trying to help!

[cakesandtea]

My DS is also on the spectrum. Exam arrangements are not recorded on exam certificates, they don't devalue the result. However, realistically DC would benefit from disclosing disability in university application in order to get support at university, to get extra time and other help there as well.

[cakesandtea]

Does anyone know whether speech to text software is a recognised form of exam arrangement?

[ShalomJackie]

Answer to op - It is not recorded on any certification nor does it need to be declared on UCAS, job applications etc that extra time, rest breaks, wp, scribe, reader or any other considerations were needed.

Cakesandtea - if that is the candidates usual mode of working the school will be able to requeat this of the exam board/jcq.

[owabno]

Exam arrangements are not recorded on exam certificates, they don't devalue the result

Thank you. That was my concern.


However, realistically DC would benefit from disclosing disability in university application in order to get support at university, to get extra time and other help there as well.

We are not trying to hide her disability. It will also be on the table at application time.

[owabno]

It is not recorded on any certification nor does it need to be declared on UCAS, job applications etc that extra time, rest breaks, wp, scribe, reader or any other considerations were needed.

Thank you.

[owabno]

Blimey, sorry if I caused offence, but I honestly didn't mean to. I only used the wording 'if you fancy it', because you said that the school asked your DD if she wanted it or not.

Yes. Our concern has always be regarding typing not time, however as a result of this the time has been offered to her.

It's great that you have good contact with the school. I (like others I suspect), took it from your first post that you'd been kept out of the loop with the school.

I'm not sure how, I was only asking about the result situation. I had no reason or intention to imply we were not involved with school.

Nobody meant to vex you. Surely you can see that we were all just genuinely trying to help!

I am also autistic. When people throw something else into the mix it does confuse me. I often find when you ask a question on here you get dragged into explaining yourself and almost having to justify a load of irrelevant stuff just to get to the crux. My autism makes it difficult for me to filter through the unexpected.

Again thank you to everyone who took the tome to reply

[Lonecatwithkitten]

@owabno I am sorry it just seemed from your post that you weren't certain how the decision to award extra time was reached. As others have said it is not recorded on the certificate.
@Astronotus I am aware that this not the case in the exam as I did not include the final exam in my list, but is their method of creating the evidence to justify the extra time.

[PiperPublickOccurrences]

We're in the same boat with my son. His handwriting is really, really bad and we've spent 10 years trying to improve it. I think he's probably dyspraxic but although we've had him assessed - twice - he doesn't qualify for a formal diagnosis. He's clever, and masks.

We had the discussion last week about exams and computers. He's doing the "wordy" ones - English and History - on computer. He'll handwrite Science, maths and so on, but after the prelims in January they'll reassess that too.

I had exactly the same worries - would the exam certificates say "B with extra time" or something on them. I was reassured that not. It wouldn't have to be declared to UCAS. School did say that once he had and accepted a Uni offer, at that point we'd have another discussion about what information we wanted passed on. I'm not sure that will be as much of an issue at Uni as he's planning on doing something science related and assignments can be typed.

[PiperPublickOccurrences]

Owabno - my DS is in S4 too.

[Traalaa]

owabnu, thanks for replying. I'm glad you got the answers you were looking for and apologies again for making assumptions!

[Derekmorganwasinmybed]

My ds had a reader,scribe and extra time,it is not recorded on his results

[Astronotus]

owabno. Hilarious. You ask a question and we all post, trying to help. Now posters are apologising to you. Well, not me. Don't bother posting if you don't want the replies.

[owabno]

Hilarious. You ask a question and we all post, trying to help. Now posters are apologising to you. Well, not me. Don't bother posting if you don't want the replies.

Oh I did want the replies. But I asked a question and some replies, yours included, didn't address the question, let alone answer it.

I asked....

does the extra time get recorded against exam results?

You replied....

The school should be contacting you regarding this if it is eventually for external exams. They will need evidence to get her extra time. No, laptop use and extra time is not recorded on the exam certificate.

suspect they are offering her these arrangements for in-schools exam for the moment, unless she is year 11.

Can you not see how this might frustrate?

Not only did you not answer the actual question, but you made assumptions that I had no idea what I was talking about. But yes, my replies are hilarious!

[Astronotus]

owabno.

I posted: "No, laptop use and extra time is not recorded on the exam certificate."

You then posted "Thank you, that's what I actually wanted to know."

I think you'll find that I not only answered your question but that you actually thanked me too.

Please stop wasting everyone's time. I know you'll post again now as you seem to want to have the last word. Well, you are welcome to. Glad I don't know you in RL.

[owabno]

Apologies for completely missing that. Like I explained earlier, Autism makes it difficult to filter out the unnecessary.

I don't think you needed to have a go at all, but there we have it.

I wasn't wasting anyone's time, quite the opposite actually, if you consider how much other stuff has been posted for me to go through.

[owabno]

know you'll post again now as you seem to want to have the last word.

I actually missed this on your post. Again that filter thing. Perhaps had I read it I would not have wasted my time replying.

Well, you are welcome to. Glad I don't know you in RL

Likewise. Things are hard enough without people like you.

Thanks again to everyone for replying. I really appreciate it.

[Cauliflowersqueeze]

Although you say that having extra time is not really her issue if she can type as she can type fast, if she has been assessed as being allowed this then this is her entitlement and she should practise how best to use it. The school will definitely organise for her to have it (in public exams at least) because failure to do so would remove her entitlement and would be unfair.

[GlamGiraffe]

It may be different in Scotland to England. In Englad extra time or laptop or scribe are not recorded on GCSE certs. Horribly dyslexic son just did his.
For anyonewonderinh thee Ed Psych had to determine if you are allowed a pc or scribe because of poor writing skill (ie inability to form letters correctly) as in some types of dyslexia and extra time based on slower processing speed (related perhsps to different aspects of dyslexia.or other conditions). You can have one without the other. You can have extra time and/or a laptop depending on your circumstances.