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

My son has hyper mobility and it is quite bad in his hands. He can’t hold a pen properly as his finger and thumb joints collapse under the force of holding a pen. He finds writing painful and has to stop for breaks frequently. He cannot write at the speed other people can write at.

However he is extremely bright. 6A* and 6A at GCSE, and all AB’s at A level. On a computer he is phenomenal. Can type well over a 100 words a minute, pushing 120.

What benefit would there be letting his employer know about his extra time? Is he somehow less deserving of the job? Would there be room for context?

They might need it they might not, but it is there if they do. That would help for instance those who gave an undiagnosed special need, but no sharp elbowed parent.

Isn’t he entitled to a laptop @SoppySalad ? Sounds painful

No, it isn't. It's like allowing students with hearing difficulties to use hearing aids so that they can actually access lessons, and providing reading materials in extra large font for those with visual difficulties. It simply gives everyone an equal chance to show their abilities.

Isn't the point that white extra time is provided for exams, it isn't at work.

We have various tests candidates need to do to pass the first stage of interviews. All get the same amount of time and those who score best for accuracy and completeness get to the next stage.

Our test is realistic to the task and employee will need to do. So by default someone who has slow processing is likely to score worse than someone who doesn't.

Totally agree. I think not all people (with or without SEND) are suitable for all jobs. And I'm very pro reasonable adjustments, but the emphasis has to be on reasonable.

Heard a funny anecdote from a friend's mum, she emailed a company she was dealing with with some questions. Had an email back with no words, just the logo of the company (no email signature either, the logo was placed into the body of the email). She rang up asking what to make of it and the lad working there said he couldn't "read" her email as he was dyslexic, but wanted her to know he'd seen it ...

So many questions on that! I have dyslexic friends with masters degrees and how he managed to navigate all the actions involved in sending the rest of the email. But I do think why have that person in that job then.

On a separate note I do think it's good to move away from funnelling children towards university and a white-collar job (rise of AI a whole separate issue) when not everyone is suited for it. If my child decided to learn a trade and was good at it, they'd probably end up out-earning what some arts graduates end up on

Was your friend a qualified educational psychologist with full access to the medical and other records of each of the pupils concerned? If not, his opinion is worthless.

SEND is approx 30% of whole population of pupils

The most recent statistics show 14.2% are recorded at SEN Support level and a further 5.3% have EHCPs, so 19.5%, no where near 30%.

JCQ may pick up incorrect procedures e.g. if JCQ Centre Inspection Service, which operates on behalf of the Awarding Bodies, inspects the exam centre. Although not all inspections look at EAA.

The perception that numbers are rising rapidly is a false one, as the announcement by Ofqual explains. There is enough prejudice against pupils with SEN without this sort of misinformation being spread around.

Extra time doesn’t mean they get all the time they want. It’s a very limited amount. And in the real world they would get accommodations

for example if someone broke their arm the week prior they would need a scribe. This would take longer. But what possible world would it be fair that they didn’t get this? In the real world accommodations would be made for the broken arm.

if someone has dyspraxia they can get use of a computer. In the real world they wouldn’t be using a pen 🫤. They would be using a keyboard.

Someone with dyslexia is slower at reading wordy chemistry questions. In real life they wont be reading long questions to answer them. They would be applying their knowledge to complex procedures and using technology to communicate them. Not writing an answer to a series of questions in 2.5 hours or their breakthroughs won’t count

the time isn’t boosting knowledge. It is helping with the structural aspects of an exam that are not testing ability in that subject

When I was doing my final exams for my degree, I had a massive anxiety attack and was escorted out the main hall. Then without telling me the decided I wasn’t allowed back in and had to accept a “pass” for the work I had completed. But I didn’t find out if it was a pass or fail on what I had completed until results day.

I found this totally unfair as I wasn’t diagnosed or think I would ever have an anxiety attack but a few days before my exam I had to rush my best friend to hospital so they can pump her body of the pills she’d taken to k** herself.

I was 21 dealing with all that alone but even after begging to be let back into the hall I was refused.

I accepted my “pass” as I had no choice.

This was in 2000, I still wish I was allowed back in or given some kind of special circumstance reason to complete my exam. Now I’m reading students are allowed a cup of tea and cookies in between their exam. I hope you can understand the thoughts crossing my mind right now.

I accept there are more Sen kids but personally I think there are too many snowflakes. Their parents rush them to the GP to get diagnosed with “something” so they can apply for extra time.

I have kids and I’ve seen the snowflakes with my own eyes. Not everyone, but there are some that will do anything to get an advantage - that’s the parents not the kids.

At the time, he was entitled to a laptop in lessons, but they opted to give him the extra time for exams and told me he couldn’t have both.
I’d have preferred him to have the laptop, but they gave him the extra time instead and I never really got a satisfactory reason why, but that’s what happened.

And require all schools to increase the budget for invigilator costs, the space for room usage and all other resources by 25% (or probably 50% because some SEN students qualify for 50% extra and it would be senseless and arbitrary to give all pupiks the 25% extra and still have to 50% group treated separately). Where's the money for that coming from? And what a waste for no benefit! And force 100% of kids without SEN to have to sit still and quiet for an extra 45 minutes after they finished writing everything down that they knew? Do you know how much detrimental impact this would have on the kids without SEN?

Someone who struggles with processing will probably avoid jobs that require quick processing skills.
Unlike exams which they have to take.
Some workplaces do use online fast response style tests to weed out disabled people when it bears no reference to the job which is abhorrent.

The trouble is that false perceptions like @UsernameCreateded's have been fed by the false statistics that Ofqual has been putting out for far too long. It was believed that this happened far more in independent schools, but it has been demonstrated that that too is incorrect, which rather gives the lie to the allegation that it's all down to rich parents throwing money at gaming the system.

It's clearly going to take a long time to undo the damage that Ofqual's failures have caused.

I do agree in terms of exam accessibility but I think for future employers, there is a difference between something like a hearing aid and someone who will take longer to do all tasks. And I do wholly support extra time for eg autism where students get overwhelmed because of the exam conditions and anxiety.

I've seen colleagues work with adjustments for visual impairment, dyslexia, mobility, anyone working with them wouldn't notice a difference in their productivity at all. Obviously certain jobs are rules out depending on need and ability. @SoppySalad's son sounds amazing and like he'll have a bright future, especially as so many jobs are carried out on computers nowadays.

I also think there is an argument for listing adjustments made on exam certificates. If they're minor adjustments, I wouldn't think employers would care - "used a laptop", "coloured paper". On the other hand, I worked in a school where a GCSE student was functionally illiterate and had to have someone read him all the exam questions and write down his answers for him. So if an employer sees that said child achieved a 5 in GCSE English language, that's not really representative of his ability.

Yes, but it would all be very clear in interviews and any forms they had to fill in in the day... And they're very unlikely to be applying for jobs that require a lot of writing/reports/use guides etc

That's ridiculous! Why couldn't he just use a laptop, poor thing. 25% is minimal considering how that would affect his hand, sorry that happened.

I think numbers of students with SEN are rising rapidly. I’m not trying to be argumentative for the sake of it but that isn’t misinformation.

As an exam invigilator you know everything about the learning and medical difficulties of all the candidates sitting in front of you? How does that happen, then?

And that's fine, as the job involves quick processing.

But if you need someone who has expertise in X subject, they're wouldn't be out through the weeding out tasks.

So you think you were treated badly in your exams, but think the kid today that gets a return break and a cup of tea is... what? Having something that would have actually probably helped you in your situation?

Have you taken in the fact that Ofqual have admitted that previous statistics about students having extra time were massively exaggerated? It's really disheartening that people are so entrenched in their prejudices that they cannot compute facts that disprove them.

I have a question regarding extra time. In a workplace, I understand that there are reasonable adjustments made if necessary and possible. However if someone is nurse/doctor, they're not going to get longer consultation time per appointment with patients be because they have an additional need. They're not going to get more hours in the day to teach because they have additional needs. They're not going to get more time to attend to a call if they're a paramedic. So what purpose does additional time serve in an exam? I understand that it can help them achieve the grade they need to to get into these courses. But there won't be additional time given in jobs. Genuine question, it's something that I've never quite understood.

Kathleen Stock recently wrote a column where she said the number of students who insisted they needed to sit exams in a separate room (when she was teaching at Sussex Uni) meant they had to hire a local sports hall.

So it clearly is happening. And the end result is that a bunch of people who have no business going to university end up there.