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How To Ask For Extra Time In Exams?
BillieTheBot
Posts: 8,721 Bot
I have an eye condition that makes reading quite difficult and sometimes I will have to read something several times before actually taking it in. Because of what I have wrong with me (Nystagmus) I read slowly as well.
I have 4 exams in June, 3 of which are written and tend to have questions which are quite long. (GCSE Science Resit)
I've never needed this extra time but lately reading has become quite difficult.
Who do I ask for extra time? Is it the special educational needs (SEN) department or is it whoever organises the exams?
I posted this on another board and someone told me that I need a doctor's note - how would I get one even though I don't go to the doctors or eye infermary (sp) about this? I only go to the opticians to get my eyes tested.
I have 4 exams in June, 3 of which are written and tend to have questions which are quite long. (GCSE Science Resit)
I've never needed this extra time but lately reading has become quite difficult.
Who do I ask for extra time? Is it the special educational needs (SEN) department or is it whoever organises the exams?
I posted this on another board and someone told me that I need a doctor's note - how would I get one even though I don't go to the doctors or eye infermary (sp) about this? I only go to the opticians to get my eyes tested.
Beep boop. I'm a bot.
Post edited by JustV on
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Comments
Basically, when you need extra time in your exams, you need to apply to the LEA and they need proof of what additional needs you have. This is done through the school / college. This also needs to happen now. The school that I work in are slowly getting all these things organised for the May exams.
I assume that SENCo or the SEN department are aware of your condition?
Anyhoos, I just went to the doctor (as I'd gone to him for just over a year about several mental health issues) so he wrote me a doctors note along with dates and stuff. I was told that this was necessary so tbh, I'd get down to your doctor now although it might look a bit suspicious.
Is there not someone at your school/college that deals with this sorta thing? Also, get down to your doctor now and explain your circumstances. He might be understanding and write you a doctors note.
Hope you get it sorted
I just freaked out big time last year. It was a hard exam that I'd spent ages revising for. Law students are awful for going "OMG, I did 'x' amount of hours revision", "Have you learnt this?" etc so yanno. Also, I'm not good in rooms full of lots of people. Its the fact I'm not allowed out of there either that bugs me. I really can't explain it.
It was on my medical record for about a year but I never asked for help. I was always quite stubborn that I could get by like a normal student but the last exam I did (with my own room and extra time) was such a better experience than my others.
Definately ask for help though, its the best thing I did regarding exams :thumb:
Hmm, your teachers should have at least mentioned this to the SENCo - I know I would have if I had a student who had an obvious problem I wasn't previously aware of.
Go talk to your SENCo as someone else has already mentioned, state your problem and say you're worried about the exams.
When I was at Uni I had a serious issue with RSI and as a consequence couldn't write or type for any length of time - I told my tutor and I had a scribe arranged for me so I could dictate my answers. Most schools/unis etc will be very accomodating - every child matters and all that
Best of luck
79
First thing to do would be to make the school aware of it. I know your teachers have some sort of inkling, but if you go and actually tell the SEN dept then you have more chance of getting extra time / a reader etc.
Quite often, in cases like this, you would get somebody to read the questions to you as well as possible extra time. However, you won't get any of this unless you take it up with the school as they are the ones that can actually apply on your behalf.
Good luck
I don't think she's mentioned it.
Does anyone know how I find out who the SENco is? Or would I just have to pop down to the room (there's a SEN room mainly for people who are in wheelchairs and the SEN team are down there most of the time) and talk to someone about it?
Failing that ask reception or yeah pop down to the room and talk to one of the SEN staff - they should be able to point you in the right direction.
The sooner they are aware and are aware you're worried about it - the sooner they can start making arrangements to help you.
79
Go to the room and ask there. At least there they will be able to point you in the right direction.
I am confused, though. If you have a problem with your eyesight, then why are the school not aware of it?
You need to get your act together though, as the exam boards need to be told well in advance about on going conditions, so hunt them down on Monday morning.
Yup, you don't want to miss out on time you're entitled to just because of pride.
When I was doing A-levels I was given 25% extra time in exams. I have hemiplegia, but I think any exam troubles were more a matter of nerves/problems with essay timing. Basically my teachers told me they wanted me to get extra time, as I wouldn't do myself justice wiithout it, and I had to go to the doctors and have him cobble something together on a note. I was a bit pissed off at the time, but on reflection I probably wouldn't have got the grades I did without it, and nerves probably are a valid problem if they affected my ability to do essays that much [i.e. only beoing able to do 3.5 instead of the 4 essay answers or whatever].
I didn't get any extra time at uni, out of pride and wanting to do the exams on the same terms as everybody else, and that meant I fucked up on at least two history exams, scraping me a low 2.1 for those modules instead of the mmid-/high 2.1 I should have been capable of. I don't think it would have made any difference to my final grade. On the one hand I was proud that my final grades were achieved without extra time (and I did do ok in some of my exams), but I still wonder if I did the right thing by not getting help.
Anyway, good luck
Go to the exams officer - explain to them. If they can see that you have a difficulty (as she could with me, my hand was blistered and bandaged lol) then she can, at her discretion, give you up to 25% off. Otherwise she will need some supporting evidence, but it's not as hard as you think, my friend who has dyslexia was given 25% extra time and he only found out he had it when he was 17, so it's not like it had majorly affected him before.
Even though my hand was scorched, I still finished in less than the normal time though, it all depends what exams you're doing. They offered to have someone scribe for me, but I thought fuck no, in Maths writing is part of the mental process.