Assessment Accessibility - Reasonable Adjustments and Special Consideration

Below is a summary of the key areas of AAT’s guidance on the application of Reasonable Adjustment and Special Consideration.

For more detailed information on these areas, as well as further information about eligibility criteria, the types of Reasonable Adjustment that can and can’t be applied, responsibilities of the student and assessment centre, timescales for submitting forms, supporting evidence requirements and appeals, please see our Guidance on the Application of Reasonable Adjustments and Special Consideration in AAT assessments (PDF).

What are Reasonable Adjustments?

A Reasonable Adjustment is an arrangement that can be put in place by AAT or the assessment centre prior to an assessment to help students with a long-term disability such as dyslexia, or who are temporarily impaired, such as a student who has broken their arm, to do their best. For example, applying extra time for dyslexic students, or the use of a Scribe for a student with a broken arm.

What is Special Consideration?

Special Consideration is a process which takes into account the student’s circumstances. For example, a temporary illness or injury, or some other event outside of the student’s control, at or shortly before the time of assessment, which has or is likely to have had an effect on the student’s ability to take the assessment, in light of the result that has been/will be issued.

What do you need to do?

It is your responsibility to inform your assessment centre of any:

  • existing Reasonable Adjustment requirements upon enrolment to your course of study
  • Reasonable Adjustment requirements before your assessment is scheduled
  • personal circumstances that may affect, or have affected, your performance within the assessment (this must be notified before, during or immediately after the assessment)
  • provide your assessment centre with any relevant evidence to support your request.

What next?

For Reasonable Adjustment requests, it is important to first agree, and be comfortable with, the type and level of Reasonable Adjustment required before any assessments take place. This decision will need to be made in agreement with your assessment centre.

AAT does not recommend that an assessment takes place if you are uncomfortable with the Reasonable Adjustment, or lack of, being applied.

For Special Consideration requests made immediately before the assessment has started, it may be more appropriate to take the assessment at a later date.

The assessment centre will then submit the necessary form and your supporting evidence to AAT for approval. For reasonable adjustments, this will be prior to the assessment being scheduled. For special consideration requests, this will be within one working day of the assessment being sat.

Your assessment

Any approved Reasonable Adjustment request will be applied when scheduling your assessment (for example, extra time) or to your sitting (for example, the use of the Scribe) by AAT or your assessment centre.

For approved Special Consideration requests, your assessment performance will be reviewed in the light of available evidence and may result in a small, post-assessment adjustment to the assessment mark.

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