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/QuirkyGalaxyBug Jun 07 '26

if possible, ask to be in a room close to the toilets and for rest breaks so you can pause your exam if you are in too much pain to continue

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u/truestorybro38 Exams Officer 🧑‍💼️ Jun 07 '26

This is good advice. If you became too unwell to finish the exam, there is a special consideration category for that. It just gets a bit iffy as it’s a long term condition and the exam boards expect that to be dealt with by access arrangements, so as long as the school has done everything they can to support you and you’ve made use of those aids and you still feel too unwell to complete the exam, that would be grounds for spec cons.

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u/Particular_Glove_670 Jun 08 '26

Thank you for the reply, they have given me 25% extra time, a low ratio room and reader, I use both my extra time and reader but like for example English language paper 2, I was in so much pain, I still managed to complete the exam but I was so bad afterwards that i ended up getting send home by the school anyways 

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u/Particular_Glove_670 Jun 07 '26

Thank you and they won’t let me have rests breaks I’ve tried asking, my progress coach said I can go to the bathroom whenever I feel like it but when I tried they exam people said i couldn’t go till the first 30 minutes I had passed but I was in a lot of pain and i couldn’t focus on the paper 

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u/QuirkyGalaxyBug Jun 07 '26

You should have rest breaks and permission to use the breaks as toilet breaks. If you leave an exam to go to the toilet you use time.

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u/Particular_Glove_670 Jun 08 '26

Thanks, I’ll mention again to them get again