Number of kids getting extra time in exams MASSIVELY overstated

[noblegiraffe]

Ofqual are withdrawing their statistics on how many children getting extra time and other accommodations in GCSEs and A-levels because they've admitted that they are completely wrong. It's something I know has been referenced quite a few times here so I thought it worth flagging.

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2025/jul/17/ofqual-admits-massively-exaggerating-number-of-students-getting-exam-assistance?

"The new analysis suggests that the actual proportion of students receiving access arrangements – including 25% extra time in exams – is now broadly in line with the proportion of students with special educational needs in the school population."

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/ofqual-withdraws-access-arrangements-statistics

And what percentage is that?
I think exam grade should somehow indicate if it was achieved with extra time or without. As an employer I would want to know!!

@catbathat that sounds a little bit like discrimination to me......and is illegal under the 2010 discrimination act.

Yes agree. It’s like winning the 400m race but actually you got extra time because you have a genetic disadvantage in running. (Short legs or not as many fast twitch muscle etc)

At my daughter’s school she said there were more children in the small rooms having extra time than in the main hall. In her friendship group she is the only one without extra time or special arrangements and they are all clever, high performing girls.

...and it's attitudes like thise we see from @catbathat and @sleepingonapineneedle that show why we still need a lot more anti-discrimination education and that anti-discrimination legislation is still very much needed.

As an employer I would want the GCSE grades in eg Maths or French of a potential employee to reflect the actual standard of their knowledge in Maths or French, and not be incorrectly lower if they take longer to write down what they know in the artificial environment of an exam room which has no bearing on the circumstances in which they would be using their knowledge of Maths or French in the workplace. I also don't want the grades of some candidates to be artificially inflated by the entirely useless (in the real world) skill of "being able to cope fine in a big exam hall" if their actual skills in the subject being examined are less than someone with an amazing level of knowledge or skill but who needs a quieter and less intimidating environment in which to thrive.

It's not like completing the 400m race with extra time. It's more like being allowed to do your driving test with your glasses on if you need glasses on to see properly. If you aren't doing a sight test, you use your glasses. It's only when the thing being tested is "ability to see without glasses" that the adjustment wouldn't be appropriate.

Why would you want to know that as an employer? So you could choose not to hire them? That sounds like discrimination to me.

What a hideous thing to write.

You'd discriminate though if you knew.

No it's not.

It's accepting that Frankie over there needs little more processing time.

Or that Sophie over there, broke her arm 2 days before her exam, so was allowed a scribe and extra time is required for the scribing to occur.

Or that Connor has dyspraxia so needs a bit more time to physically write the excellent answers that demonstrates his 9 level knowledge

Or that Emma has been diagnosed with extreme anxiety because of the pressure her family put on her to do well at school and she needs a bit of extra time to compose herself.

Oh and Tetyana is an evacuee and English is her second language and needs just a little extra time to translate the questions and answers.

Or any other valid reason.

Don't be so narrow minded.

It’s a interesting discussion. Obviously, indicating that an exam was passed by using extra time defeats the whole
point of allowing it. However, some of the problems that lead to extra exam time will also be a problem in the work place.
Exam grades indicate how will someone does under a certain amount of pressure. Coursework presents different challenges for people with SEN. (I’m great in exams, I have always enjoyed them, but really struggled with coursework at school).

That sounds like bollocks. Extra time doesn't need a small room.

At my friends school (he teaches at a fairly prestigious in area private school) 40% of kids had extra time, he thought it was ridiculous and a complete gaming of the system, none of those he believed should have it

We are going through the process for DD as she needs extra time for processing things. She has dyslexia. Its irrelevant to her Maths knowledge that she needs extra time to read that "Johnny has three apples and Sara has 4 oranges" when the question is how much fruit there is (very simplistic). If it was a test of how quickly and accurate she read something, it might be relevant.

DHs employer knows about his dyslexia as he needs a couple of adjustments at work (mainly a proof reader for formal reports)

So you want to make employability harder for disabled people?

The problem with stating you had extra time is that it’s unfair to be blunt about it. There are a few totally legit reasons why someone might need extra time and although special needs is the main one it could also be due to pregnancy (which was surprisingly common years ago, not so much now) or a temporary injury or adjustment.

I don’t doubt that the number of students needing extra time is in line with the number of students with special needs but that number is rising rapidly and I do think that needs consideration.

My understanding is that it is actually quite a process to get extra time and evidence needs to be provided. I know we are looking into it for my son and he is just going into year 9. Luckily his school and teachers are supportive and believe it is what he needs to reach his full potential

@noblegiraffe

my DD’s got extra time and were in a different room to those without, dd2 (dyslexia) was in a larger room where everyone had standard 25% extra no other mitigations, dd1 (complex situation) was in a room with just one or two others each time and sometimes alone, she had rest breaks, was allowed a drink of tea and a snack, anything to calm her down, yes complicated, still didn’t complete everything but got good results nevertheless

It sometimes does, if it’s felt that it would be disruptive to them to have most of the cohort leave when they are still working. Just depends on the school.

So many opinions from people who have no knowledge of the process to apply for extra time ie Reasonable Adjustments.
A school can't just grant it, they have to submit application and evidence to the AO who in turn can only grant extra tume according to strict JCQ guidelines.

SEND is approx 30% of whole population of pupils therefore Reasonable Adjustmanta (extra time) should be along the same %

What's MORE worrying is that the AO regulator ie Ofqual is incompetent!

Sometimes it does.

Some children will have panic attacks in big rooms. Some will be wildly distracted.

A RA may do though and extra time is 1 of the RAs.

Autistic DS, several years ago, had not just a smaller room but his own room, as he automatically thought out loud (sometimes very loud) for every question and answer.

It’s a controversial one.
But yes, some kids who have it don’t need it, and it games the system. Almost everyone would get better grades with more time. Why wouldn’t parents want that for their child? Parents will defend that in person and online. But in reality, I think that since that number is rising rapidly it would be fairest to either extend exam time for everyone or massively tighten up who is eligible. I’m sure there’s lots of kids who don’t have extra time as no diagnosis but would benefit just as much as those who do.
It’d be interesting to see studies to see how much the extra time boosts the grades of both children with a diagnosis and those without….

Well, he doesn't know everything about every pupil
, and it was the SENCO and evidence provided and the exam boards.

What are they supposed to do if there's evidence?

How can it "boost grades" when the while point of a reasonable adjustment is to ensure that child can access that exam and without the RA they would be penalised because of their SEND need which lead to the RA in the first place!