News story

Access arrangements for GCSEs and A Levels

Differences between independent and state sectors

The special arrangements that are made for students with disabilities are crucial for fair access to qualifications. Analysis of data reveals patterns that suggest that some schools make more requests than others. Indeed some schools have surprisingly few requests, others have many. We continue to work with the exam boards to ensure that the right students get the right support.

Ofqual has been looking at this issue for some time and following the release of more granular data is continuing its work. Activities include an audit of exam board systems, talking to stakeholders to understand their views on current practice, working with JCQ to consider whether their processes are as good as they can be, and better data analysis.

The access arrangements data for 2015-2016 was published in December 2016.

Published 10 February 2017