Outlined below are the types of access arrangements which may be appropriate for specific groups of individuals along with any specific exam conditions which may apply. They are examples for illustrative purposes only and not intended to be exhaustive.
The following access arrangements may be appropriate for students falling into the following categories of need:
(e.g. general and/or specific learning difficulties (such as dyscalculia and dyslexia).
Candidates with learning difficulties may require, for example:
(e.g. Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN))
Candidates with communication and interaction difficulties may require, for example:
(e.g. Hearing Impairment (HI), Multi-Sensory Impairment (MSI), Physical Disability (PD), Vision Impairment (VI))
Candidates with sensory and physical needs may require, for example:
(e.g. Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Mental Health Conditions)
Candidates with social, mental and emotional needs may require, for example:
Students should note that the following types of evidence are required to support any application for additional support:
Applied knowledge Exams | ||
Accountant in Business Management Accounting Financial Accounting | Where no other viable access arrangements are available a paper exam alternative may be provided twice a year in June and December. Students must make an application to be considered for these at least 19 weeks prior to the exam or within 5 days of receiving results from the previous exam session. | |
Applied Skills Exams | ||
Corporate & Business Law | Where no other viable access arrangements are available, a paper exam alternative may be provided twice a year in June and December. Students must make an application to be considered for these at least 19 weeks prior to the exam or within 5 days of receiving results from the previous exam session. | |
Performance Management Tax Financial Reporting Audit & Assurance Financial Management | Paper exam alternatives will be available up to and including December 2019. After this date, paper exams will no longer be available. | |
Strategic Professional Exams | ||
Strategic Business Leader Strategic Business Reporting Advanced Financial Management Advanced Performance Management Advanced Taxation Advanced Audit and Assurance | Paper exam alternatives will be available until the syllabus changes in September 2021. | |
Foundation in Accountancy Exams | ||
Recording Financial Transactions Management Information Maintaining Financial Records Managing Costs and Finance Accountant in Business Financial Accounting Management Accounting | Where no other viable access arrangements are available a paper exam alternative may be provided twice a year in June and December. Students must make an application to be considered for these at least 19 weeks prior to the exam or within 5 days of receiving results from the previous exam session. | |
Foundation in Accountancy Options | ||
Foundations in Audit Foundations in Financial Management | No specific conditions apply until the syllabus changes in December 2019. | |
Foundations in Taxation | No specific conditions apply until the syllabus changes in December 2020. | |
Other | ||
DipIFR | No specific conditions apply until the syllabus changes in December 2020.. | |
Trailblazer L4 Endpoint Assessment | No specific conditions apply until the syllabus changes in December 2020 . | |
A reasonable adjustment is an adjustment that can be made at reasonable cost or within a reasonable timeframe that will enable a student access to the content of an exam, without compromising the security or integrity of the exam. For example, a Braille exam would be a reasonable adjustment for a vision impaired candidate who could read Braille.
An adjustment may be considered unreasonable if it involves unreasonable costs, timeframes or affects the security or integrity of the examination. In most cases it will not be reasonable for adjustments to be made to assessment criteria within an exam (the learning outcomes we wish to assess) as to do so would undermine its integrity and effectiveness in providing a reliable indication of the knowledge, skills and understanding of the student. An example of an adjustment which may be considered unreasonable would be the provision of a paper based exam in place of an exam which is computer-based as a result of a requirement for students to demonstrate skills in the use of technology. To make this provision would mean changing the assessment criteria within the exam and would, therefore, undermine its integrity.
Most Applied Skills and Strategic Professional exams include assessment criteria (or Learning Outcomes we wish to assess) which relate to the use of technology within the exam and which, therefore, can only reasonably be assessed via computer. Offering an alternative form of assessment via a paper exam would mean changing these assessment criteria. This would compromise the integrity of the exam as the student would not be able to demonstrate that they had met the requirements of the exam and achieved the desired Learning Outcomes.
Some of ACCA’s computer-based exams do not contain assessment criteria (or learning outcomes we wish to assess) which relate to the use of technology. For these exams, offering a paper based alternative does not compromise the integrity of the exam as students will still be able to demonstrate that they have achieved the learning outcomes we wish to assess via this format.
For exams which include assessment criteria which relate to the use of technology within the exam, offering a paper alternative would mean changing these assessment criteria. This would compromise the integrity of the exam as the student would not be able to demonstrate that they had been able to meet the requirements.
Assessment criteria are descriptive statements that describe the qualities, characteristics and aspects of a given learning task that students are required to have achieved within an assessment. They provide learners, tutors and markers with transparent information about what is expected of students within an exam and allow instructors to evaluate learners' work openly, consistently and objectively.