Extra time
Extra working time or time for rest breaks may be available for your exam
Depending on your circumstances, we can allow you extra time to do the examination. This could mean either extra working time or rest breaks, or possibly both.
Please tell us on the Request form for examination arrangement if you think you'll need extra time and indicate how much time you think you’ll need — you don't have to be exact. Staff from your regional or national centre will assess your examination requirements as a whole, and may want to discuss them with you before agreeing how much extra time is appropriate.
Extra working time
You’ll be allowed extra working time if
- you are slowed down by the format of your question paper or by a difficulty finding your way around the paper and taking in the questions
- your method of answering is more time-consuming than writing by hand
- you can write, type or speak only slowly.
Requirements vary widely, but extra working time allowed for a three-hour examination is usually somewhere between ten minutes and two hours.
Rest breaks
You can be allowed rest breaks if
- you suffer from pain or fatigue (extreme, persistent tiredness)
- you need to stand up, stretch or move around to ease aching joints.
You can choose to take regular rest breaks of equal length, or to pause at the end of each section of the examination. Or you might prefer to be allowed an amount of time you can use for breaks when you need them.
More than three hours of extra time
If you need more than three hours of extra time, your examination may be split over more than one day. We will take account of the structure of the question paper and your individual circumstances. The examination paper will be split as evenly and fairly as possible, although some question papers are structured in a way that makes them difficult to divide.
You might also have to think about the timing of medication, or at what times of the day your concentration is strongest. Examination staff at your regional or national centre will probably contact you to discuss this.
Information for all students:
Information about:
Use the request form for examination arrangements to tell us about any time of day you cannot sit an examination, perhaps because of your medical requirements.
You can request a printed version from your regional or national centre, or download the request form for examination arrangements (PDF).
For DSA, examination arrangements, and some other financial or equipment schemes you will need to provide written evidence of additional needs. This evidence is usually a diagnostic assessment or medical report but will depend on the individual situation. As this can take a considerable period of time to arrange it is advisable to think about this well in advance.
Download a copy of our booklet Meeting your assessment needs (PDF, 397KB) to help you consider what alternative arrangements you will require for your exam.
