Special Exam Arrangements - How It Works
Special Exam Arrangements: How It Works
Students with a disability, specific learning difficulty, long term medical or mental health condition must arrange a meeting with a Disability/Dyslexia Adviser to discuss their support needs for exams.
The Adviser’s role is to review the evidence presented and discuss any recommendations with the student. Medical evidence will usually be a letter from the student’s doctor (or appropriate health professional) and must include information about the disability, long term medical or mental health condition and how this will affect the student in an academic setting.
For students with specific learning difficulties (e.g. dyslexia or dyspraxia) the evidence will be a psychological assessment from an education psychologist or specialist teacher. Students who have applied for Disabled Students Allowances (DSAs) will also have a Needs Assessment report outlining recommendations for exams.
For International students for whom DSAs do not apply, the recommendations are taken directly from the evidence as outlined above.
The Adviser completes an Exams Form with the recommendations and sends this to the Director of Learning and Quality (DLQ) in the School. A provisional entry is made on the University Banner admin system, which is confirmed once the DLQ returns the signed/stamped Exams Form. One copy of the form is sent to the student, another is kept in their D&D file and a further copy is kept in the exams file.
A deadline for requesting special exam arrangements is set before each exam period and advertised on the University website. This is to ensure that students requiring special arrangements for their exams can be seen by an Adviser, allowing time for administration and for the School and D&D Administrators to implement the arrangements. Students may view their exams provision at any time in their Student Profile, via the Portal. An email will be sent to students advising them of this new feature.
Prior to each exam period the D&D Administrators run a report from Banner for the Exams Officer in each School showing the students who have special arrangements, listed by exam code. The School then makes arrangements for extra time, use of computers andseparate rooms (individual or with others). The D&D Team book readers and scribes and make arrangements for the ergonomic chairs to be moved to the appropriate exam rooms.
What To Do Next
If you have a disability or specific learning difficulty that may entitle you to special exam arrangements, you should make an appointment to see a disability/dyslexia adviser before the advertised deadline. The adviser will need to see evidence (medical or diagnostic) of your need for adjustments and you should bring this with you to the meeting.
If your have already had a meeting with an adviser you can check that your adjustments are in place on your profile in Bannerweb.
To make an appointment or if you have any questions regarding special arrangements for exams, please contact the Disability and Dyslexia Team.