Exam and coursework support for disabled students

Arrangements for exams and assessment

If you have a disability, temporary medical condition, or injury that will adversely affect your performance in examinations, please contact Student Wellbeing and Inclusivity Service (SWIS)Student Wellbeing and Inclusivity Service (SWIS)Student Wellbeing and Inclusivity Service (SWIS) for individual exam arrangements.

Arrangements vary depending on your requirements and supporting evidence but can include things like extra time for writing or rest breaks, advising the marker of your specific learning difficulties or autistic spectrum condition, using a computer, having someone to write/read for you and having exam papers in suitable format (eg braille, large print).

If individual exam arrangements are recommended to meet your disability related needs and there is any delay in when these will be in place for you, a named Adviser in SWIS will provide further advice and guidance to you.  This might be, for example, if your exam arrangements are agreed close to an examination or main examination period.

Individual exam arrangements are brought forward automatically each year unless you have a change of registration number.  If you start a new course or progress from undergraduate to postgraduate study please contact SWISplease contact SWISplease contact SWIS so we can ensure your exam arrangements are brought forward

Alternative assessment

Methods of assessment vary, although most courses are assessed on written course work such as essays, as well as examinations. Some subjects also require practical, fieldwork or study abroad. If you wish to discuss access to assessment, please contact us.

Marking guidance on FASER

If you have registered your Specific Learning Difference, e.g. dyslexia or another neurodiverse condition or autistic spectrum condition (ASC), and provided evidence and consent to share this information to the Student Wellbeing and Inclusivity Service (SWIS), your marker will be automatically alerted (through FASER) to guidance on the difficulties you may experience with written work. You do not need to take any further action. If, for any reason, you prefer your marker not to be alerted to the guidance then you can ‘untick’ the pre-populated box on FASER.

The alert provides guidance to the marker about the type of difficulties you may experience in your written expression so that you are not penalised on simple issues with style. Markers may continue to provide feedback on structure, spelling and grammar so that you are aware of these and can give consideration to study skills strategies that may help address these. You will not receive extra marks as a result of this guidance and where learning outcomes are being assessed you will still be required to demonstrate you have met these.

If you have any problems with the system or any queries about support for your studies, please contact us.