Typing in exams

[taptonaria27]

My ds is in Y7. He's bright but handwriting has always been appalling. He was checked for dyspraxia which identified a few issues although he's not dyspraxic.
I feel that he'll need to use a pc to perform to his best in exams as although his handwriting is legible is quite hard work to read it. He can write neatly but is v slow and the content is not great.
Does anyone have experience of this? I've asked school a week ago but no answer yet

If it becomes his usual way of working , in class, tests etc, the school can allow him to use a laptop in public exams as an Access Arrangement. However rules set by JCQ may change by the time he reaches y11. Have his processing skills been assessed, in case he can also have extra time?

My friend's son will have a scribe doing his writing and he also get extra time to do his exam.

A scribe, sometimes referred to as an amanuensis, is a term used to describe someone who transcribes the answers for a student in university exams. The student may be unable to write or have difficulty in producing clear text or diagrams for many different reasons.

DD1 typed for some exams, but only the ones with longer more extended answers. It helped her write more, more coherently as otherwise she needed too much brain to write.
However it was a pain for science so she didn't, and only the most dire would try to type for maths.
typing was her normal way of working from y10 though.

My DS is in y7. When he started in September the school did a test called Lucid Exact to determine some of his skill including typing and handwriting speed - I’m sure your DSs school have something similar.
DS has really poor handwriting (multiple SEN including dyslexia and dyspraxia) so he has a scribe during lessons.

School will have a laptop policy. In my school we only approve if handwriting is illegible or very slow. Lots of time between now and year 11. Will probably depend upon school resources, some secondaries will have plenty of laptops, at my school we have very few and reserve them for the students in greatest need.

It needs to become his normal way of working. Speak to SENCO and get them to start collecting evidence now.

DS in Y6 uses it regularly in class and in exams at school. This was following ed psych report recommendation. As a result he is allowed it in 11+ exams, it has been very useful for him. His handwriting is OK but the quality of his typed work is much much superior in the same allocated time.