Considerable care should be taken when choosing methods of assessment to ensure that disabled students are not being unfairly disadvantaged. 

Spelling & Grammar

If a student is to be assessed on the basis of their written work then it is important to consider whether or not it is appropriate to penalise students with dyslexia or Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLD) for any errors in spelling or grammar, unless these aspects explicitly and justifiably form part of the core assessment requirements. 

Feedback

To enable the students to gain the full value of feedback given, ideally it should be word processed or provided electronically, in a clear and consistent manner as handwritten comments are sometimes difficult for dyslexic students to read.

Here are some examples of acceptable adjustments that can be made for assessments taken under examination conditions:

• Extra time
• Extra time on-line
• Alternative venue
• Extension to candidate registration end date
• Assistive technology (speech/screen reading software)
• Voice activated software
• Early opening of externally-set assessment materials
• Enlarged, unmodified papers
• Enlarged, modified papers
• Enlarged on-screen assessment
• Assessment material in Braille
• Language modified assessment materials
• Assessment material in BSL
• Assessment material on coloured paper
• Colour naming
• Assessment material in audio format
• Use of ICT (word processors)
• Spoken responses using electronic recording equipment
• Responses in BSL
• Responses in Braille
• Reader
• Scribe
• BSL/English interpreter
• Prompter (for Certificates of Competence only)
• Practical assistant
• Transcriber/transcript

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