Increase in exam special arrangements, Ofqual finds

According to new data from Ofqual, nearly a third of students (30.1 per cent) asked for 25 per cent extra time to complete exams, up from 28 per cent.

In independent centres - mainly private schools - 41.8 per cent of candidates were granted 25 per cent extra time in their exams in 2023-24, compared with 35 per cent in sixth-form and further education colleges and 26.5 per cent in non-selective state schools.

There were 69,095 requests granted for modified papers in summer 2024, up 10 per cent on summer 2023.

The number of approved requests for access arrangements rose to nearly 625,000 - 12.3 per cent up on last year, (556,000).

Pepe Di’Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said it was not surprising that requests for access arrangements had risen, as the number of students with special educational needs and mental health issues was also rising.

“At least some of the wellbeing issues are directly linked to the exam system itself, where the sheer quantity of assessment in a short period of time is excessive and the stakes are too high,” he said.