Reasonable adjustments and special consideration for assessments
If you have any temporary or permanent condition or circumstances that might affect your ability to take an assessment, you might be eligible for a reasonable adjustment or special consideration.
Definitions
- A reasonable adjustment is an arrangement AAT or the assessment centre can put in place before an assessment to help you if you have, for example, a long-term disability like dyslexia, or a short-term impairment like a broken arm.
- Special consideration is a process that takes into account your circumstances at the time of sitting the assessment and, if appropriate, adjusts your result. For example, a temporary illness or injury, or another event outside your control, at or shortly before the assessment, which affects your ability to take it to your full ability.
Colour contrast preferences on screen
Our assessment platform has a built-in accessibility feature to address the needs of students with different visual requirements, such as dyslexia.
You can try this out in your practice assessments. Click on "Contrast" at the top of the page and choose the option that suits you best.
Electronic and technological aids
- If you have a visual impairment you can request to use screen magnifier software. The assessment software already contains the function to zoom in and out to alter the text size.
- You can also request screen-reading software like Job Access With Speech (JAWS), Windows Narrator, NVDA, or speech recognition software.
- If you have dyslexia an assessment reading pen or scanning pen may be useful, particularly if you prefer to work independently of a reader, or don't qualify for one.
- A braille keyboard may be available if you have a visual impairment.
Breaks outside the assessment room
As there's no live invigilation your assessment can't be paused, and you're expected to remain in front of your camera and not leave your assessment room throughout. This means we can't support:
- breaks, including toilet breaks, outside the room for assessments, unless the assessment contains a built-in break section
- more than one break during an assessment.
If you do leave your PC outside the built-in break section, your invigilation video will be flagged, and AAT will investigate it. This may mean your result is voided.
Interpreters
Use of an interpreter into another spoken language is not permitted as a valid reasonable adjustment for live assessments.
Special consideration eligibility
For more detailed information on the levels of adjustment, the estimated results process and the eligibility criteria, please see our Guidance on the application of reasonable adjustments and special consideration in AAT assessments (PDF).
If you're fully prepared and present for a scheduled assessment but one or more of the following is true, you might be eligible for special consideration.
- Your performance is affected by personal circumstances beyond your control, like recent personal illness, bereavement, traumatic accident, or major and unpredictable life event at or shortly before the time of assessment. Your request must be supported by valid evidence.
- Some other event outside of your control has affected your performance, like severe prolonged noise disruption or severe technical issues during the assessment.
- Any reasonable adjustments you requested and agreed in advance with the assessment centre are inappropriate or inadequate.
- Receiving the result for the assessment is time dependent, for example you need proof of the result for a job opportunity.
You won't be eligible for special consideration if:
- you don't notify the assessment centre of your circumstances before, during or at the end of your assessment
- for remotely invigilated assessments, you don't notify AAT before, during or at the end of your assessment by submitting a special consideration request form by the end of the next business day following the assessment
- you provide no, or insufficient, evidence detailing how and why you've been affected at the time of the assessment, such as a doctor’s note
- you miss any part of the assessment, or preparation for it, due to personal arrangements such as a holiday or moving house.
Reasonable adjustments
If you have requirements you believe need a reasonable adjustment you must inform your assessment centre when you enrol on your qualification with your training provider. If you're a self-studier, please request this when scheduling an assessment.
If your requirements have arisen since you enrolled, you must inform the assessment centre before you book your assessment with them.
Provide any relevant evidence to support your request. Section 11 of the Guidance on the application of reasonable adjustments and special consideration in AAT assessments (PDF) provides full details for the required supporting documentation.
It's important you agree and are comfortable with the reasonable adjustment required before any assessments take place. This decision will need to be made in agreement with your assessment centre.
AAT recommends you don't sit an assessment if you're uncomfortable with the available adjustments or the adjustments that have been applied.
The centre will then submit the application to AAT for notification or approval before the assessment is scheduled. Where applicable, if approved, the adjustment will then be applied.
Appealing decisions by assessment centres
If you believe that an assessment centre has rejected or failed to apply a reasonable adjustment, or if you feel disadvantaged compared to other students due to an insufficient adjustment, you can appeal the decision. Please refer to the Enquiries and appeals section for more information about the appeals procedure.
Where the assessment hasn't yet taken place
Follow the assessment centre's internal complaints or appeals procedure.
If it doesn't resolve your appeal once this procedure has been fully exhausted:
- escalate it to AAT: follow the procedure in the Enquiries and appeals section. If you're not satisfied with the outcome you can escalate the issue through the complaints and feedback process about the service provided by AAT
- include the details of the original request, including any relevant and valid supporting evidence
- state the nature of your appeal, including the way in which you believe the decision conflicts with the guidance on this page
- provide a full audit trail of contact with the assessment centre, showing each stage of its internal complaints or appeals procedure.
AAT will review all the details provided, and where appropriate consult with the Chief Examiner for the qualification, and/or an independent external advisor (as appropriate), or for End Point Assessments the Chief Independent Assessor, before deciding.
Where independent external advice is required, we'll get it from appropriate and relevant authorities and experts, which may include organisations that represent your disability or difficulty. If we need to seek further advice from the author of your medical evidence, such as your doctor, hospital, educational psychologist, we'll ask for your authorisation.
We'll make a decision and communicate it to you and the assessment centre within 10 business days.
If it's a reasonable adjustment request and we find in your favour:
- the centre will be instructed to apply the adjustment for you
- if you no longer want to take your assessment at the centre, you may use the correspondence from AAT to show the new assessment centre that the reasonable adjustment has been approved for that specific assessment.
Where the assessment has already taken place
Follow the procedure in the Enquiries and appeals section.
Appealing decisions by AAT
You, or your training provider or employer acting on your behalf, have the right to appeal a decision by AAT to reject a reasonable adjustment or special consideration request submitted to us by an assessment centre.
Follow the procedure in the Enquiries and appeals section.
If you're not satisfied with the outcome you can escalate the issue through the complaints and feedback process about the service provided by AAT.
