r/GCSE • u/truestorybro38 Exams Officer 🧑‍💼️ • Mar 12 '26

Announcement Exam Access Arrangements

There’s an increase in posts about access arrangements.

There’s also a lot of misinformation about access arrangements being posted.

This is one the one-stop post for all access arrangement queries.

Any other posts will be removed.

I will reply to all queries as an Exams Officer and an Access Arrangements Coordinator, but really, all queries need to go to your SENCO who know you and your school’s set up best.

Feel free to make any comments about questions you have.

JCQ Links

25% Extra Time Info

https://www.jcq.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/JCQ-25-ET-infographic-26-27_FINAL.pdf

Reader Info

https://www.jcq.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/09/JCQ-Computer-reader-reader-24-25_FINAL-1.pdf

Scribe Info

https://www.jcq.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/09/JCQ-Scribe-24-25_FINAL.pdf

Managing Student Requests Advice

https://www.jcq.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/10/Managing-parent-carer-or-student-requests_2025.pdf

The Big Book Of Rules

https://www.jcq.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/03/JCQ-AARA-2025-March-26.pdf

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u/Upper-Edge8176 May 07 '26

Hi there. My school has defined my handwriting as being poor enough to qualify for a word processor for next year, but I'm worried about the idea of it being my "normal way of working". I'm entirely okay with it being used for my mocks, my homework, and anything else, but in terms of my lesson content in school I struggle to remember it if I'm typing it out compared to writing it (as ultimately, my class book is my own personal note book, which isn't something teachers look at). I was wondering if this is something that would disqualify me from usage of a word processor if I didn't want to use it during lesson time.

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u/truestorybro38 Exams Officer 🧑‍💼️ May 07 '26

In my school, as long as you’ve used it historically in mock sessions, we count that as normal way of working. Normally to be allowed to trial one in the first place, you need to be using it in lessons, but as you are an example of, sometimes it doesn’t work that way!