Be aware of what is available for additional help in public examinations – check what you think your students need for your subjects – but remember that all the available strategies need practise to be an effective aid for students.

 We can give – ask for:-

• Additional time
• Breaks between questions
• A reader
• A writer
• A transcription
• Use of a word processor
• Modified papers for those with poor sight
• Working alone

• And more or less anything else recommended by an Educational Psychologist – however we may not always get it allowed by the board – but we can try!

• Ask for assistance from the Learning Support Department for this sort of help for in-class assessments

• The greatest consideration to bear in mind is that you are testing knowledge and not literacy skills

• Allow tests/exams to be taken in a quiet room, alone, with no distraction, with a teacher available if needed.

• Allow a reader or taped version of exams where possible.

• Allow the exam to be taken orally, or by using a word processor.

• Provide detailed guidelines for revision.

• An accommodation often offered is more time for taking tests.  However this is not always appropriate for some students who rather need a chance to retake a test, to take it in a quiet room with no distractions, or to take it at a different time of day.

• Accept typed or word-processed assignments.

• Give open book tests.

• Allow revision cards to be used during testing.

• Vary the format of tests: true/false, matching questions to answers or words to definitions, multiple choice, labelling diagrams, sentence completion, title-paragraph match, table/grid completion.

• Give parts of the test in more than one sitting.

• Give more frequent, short quizzes and fewer long tests.

• Make sure you are testing knowledge and not attention span.

• Use continuous portfolio assessment in preference to tests, and include non-print based assessment.

• Test orally whenever possible.

• Recognize that test grades may be well below potential.

• Frequent quizzes rather than or in addition to 1 or 2 big exams.

• Provide study questions for exams that show the format that will be used as well as the content.

• Make sure that the student has a complete set of notes prior to any test or examination.