Can I get help with exams?

Access arrangements

You may be able to get additional support for your exams. These are known as access arrangements. Access arrangements can include:

• Extra time.
• Taking exams at a different time of day, such as in the afternoon if you tend to have seizures in the morning.
• Taking exams in a different place, such as in a room alone, at home or in hospital.
• A computer.
• A person to read or write for you.
• Supervised rest breaks during the exam.
• Modified test materials such as large print.

Any support you receive should reflect your normal way of working. For example, if you are given extra time to do assessments in class, you are likely to be allowed extra time in exams.

For public exams such as GCSEs or A-levels, schools decide whether support is needed by looking at rules provided by the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ). In Scotland, the SQA have more information on assessment arrangements.

For other tests and exams, your parents or carers should check with your school. You should speak to your school as early as possible. There may be deadlines the school needs to meet. However, a late application can be made if your epilepsy gets worse after these.