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

Extra time is not automatic for autistic candidates. There are different criteria and a different process for those with conditions such as autism compared to those with learning difficulties without an EHCP, but it is not automatic.

For autistic candidates, the centre still has to apply, confirm the candidate’s disability with evidence, consider supervised rest breaks instead and complete a Form 9 to show normal way of working and how difficulties impact on teaching and learning and exams.

@OldMcDonaldHadABigMac
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.

Which is why no jobs of this nature are awarded solely on the basis of public exam results. All employers are required to nake reasonable adjustments for disability but if a specific role requires a fast processing speed it's not discriminatory to exclude someone with a slow processing speed from the candidate pool, and is not a "reasonable adjustment" to waive that requirement. However there are some roles where meticulous attention to detail is much more important than processing speed and if we are going to have universal qualifications like GCSEs then it's not within the scope of that qualification to also assess the person's suitability for a specific role. It sounds to me like a lot of people want GCSE results to do a whole lot of extra work that should properly be assessed entirely separately from public exam results.

If extra time isn't giving any sort of advantage then why not make the exams unlimited time for everyone? Say, there is an exit point after 2 hours but if you want to stay for a further 30 mins or 60 mins then you can.

Not the poster you replied to but I remember her earlier comment, I think it was that she's observed that not all the children who have been allocated extra time actually use it, is all.

Just wanted to say on your other comment about reading in Maths, it's tricky because children with low reading ages actually struggle the most in Maths and Science as a result. They actually tend to have more complex vocabulary in the questions.

I'm a teacher and gave feedback to an exam board in person a few years ago as I was working in a school with above average proportion of students with SEND, PP etc and said some of the language in questions relies on existing cultural capital. For example, students didn't know that "you have lost an article" didn't refer to a newspaper article, but to an item.

I say tricky as there's been changes to the exams in my subject to improve accessibility of questions but you can't eradicate disadvantage that way. For example, students with SEND, EAL etc still have to sit speaking exams; students that have been abroad or had families that read to them, took them to museums or abroad will find many subjects easier because of existing knowledge outside of school. That last point isn't relevant to SEND but just to the idea of trying to level the playing field and there being a limit.

When it does become tricky is when someone has a 4 in English lang. An employer would assume that they can read and write at a basic but functional level. If they got that 4 with a reader and scribe that isn’ t the case and the grade doesn’t reflect their ability in that subject. It is misleading and imo not fair for employers.

she's observed that not all the children who have been allocated extra time actually use it

You can't say this from observation. The child may have needed the first chunk of time to settle down and stop processing the exam room itself, the irritation from a sleeve, the fly on the window, whatever, before then being able to tackle the questions. Or they may have been thinking before writing. (I know children aren't dogs -- but our dog trainer asks that we arrived 15 minutes before a lesson so that the animals can "settle into the space" and be ready to work.)

On the other hand, it could just be a lazy child with a coincidentally useful diagnosis.

I don't think needing extra time is a issue at all.
I was always the one gone just before lockdown and always passed.
I never thought anything of others needing the full time.
Would those being negative of someone needing longer be happy with the same attitude towards them from the quickies?

Wow. As a SENDCo and somebody with diagnosed ADHD myself, I’m really shocked at what some people on this thread are saying. Also- it’s hard to get extra time and other considerations put in place… it’s not like we are dishing it out to everyone. Absolutely appalling attitudes.

A reader is not allowed for the sections of English Language testing reading. A computer reader can be used though.

A candidate who requires just extra time won’t need to be in a separate room (those in themselves are like hens teeth during exam season). If they are it’s likely they have additional reasonable adjustments made for example, a scribe.

Agree with pp that the hoops schools jump through to have these adjustments mean they aren’t granted easily

I thought you were a teacher? Of course it isn’t made up. There is no reason for ET candidates to be in the main exam room if they can be accommodated elsewhere. Also the poster you are replying to has no idea of the exam concessions of each student, perhaps they have additional requirements eg rest breaks, reading aloud, scribes etc.
my school has the facilities and funding to accommodate all students as best they can. If yours cant, that’s not a blanket rule, that’s just sad for your students.

I worked in three tough high schools in Northern towns and personally assessed every student who was likely to need extra time. Parents had nothing to do with it. Parents don’t need to sign the consent form.

It’s also very difficult to get a scribe - laptop use is more usual.

Yes maybe we should tell employers when pupils wore glasses.... that's how ridiculous this sounds!

Logistics and safeguarding. In secondary schools we need to know which kids are where and when. Also, timetabling. Some kids would sit staring at an exam for hours not really doing anything but unable to bring themselves to hand it in, when we need to be setting up for the next exam.

If they can be accommodated elsewhere.

The poster was suggesting that all extra time candidates were in separate rooms and that they outnumbered the remaining students, which is extremely unbelievable.

It's not about giving an advantage.

It's about levelling the playing field.

It would be like asking all students who wear glasses to leave them in their bags outside the room because they get an 'advantage'. Nope, they just get to see in line with non-glasses wearing peers.

To get the extra time you need to be diagnosed and often parents need to pay for the educational psychologist to perform the tests and write the reports, the schools have to apply for the extra time. It is not simple as many make out

The extra room is so that the children are not disturbed by the other children leaving the hall which can be noisy and distracting (which it was like for me when I took my tests).

the extra time is for processing. Someone with learning need is not thick and often can see things differently to someone who is neurotypical but our education system and the way we treat them is we expect them to be good at all things.

And yes, the word problems in maths can be a real issue.

DD is good at maths, but struggles with the word questions.

A question said 'Three men walked for 4 miles...', she read as 'The men walked for 4 miles...' and with that simple error she lost all the marks for nothing to do with her mathematical ability.

It is actually pretty hard to get access arrangements and extra time in place - it's needs based not diagnosis based and has to be backed up by scores that put you in the bottom centiles.

DD's qualifying scores are 7th centile - against VR and NVR scores at 98th centile. It's a serious disability, not just that she'd like a bit of extra time to write more. Her results won't begin to reflect her actual capabilities even with extra time.

The schools have to do the tests themselves - they don't just take them off the Ed Psych report.

I've just had to ask school to send over all the access arrangement tests and scores, plus the Form 8 and copies of the Assessor's L7 certification for her new college.

They already have her Ed Psych reports and test scores, but they are not seen as replacing the Access Arrangement scores.

It's actually really difficult to get RA in exams. My autistic child didn't qualify and then had a screaming meltdown in the middle of one of his GCSE'S. I was diagnosed with dyslexia aged 20 so i got help for my last 2 years at university. I got 4 C's and 4 D's at GCSE, 2 C's in my a levels and then a 2:1 in my degree.

To get the extra time you need to be diagnosed

No, you don’t.

Is that the case in all schools? It wasn't when I was at school

Well then, you probably could have done with extra time...and you'd probably get it these days.

That is a rubbish analogy.