Guidance On Exams, Sensitive Marking & Other Assessment Arrangements

Guidance On Exams, Sensitive Marking & Other Assessment Arrangements – Summary For Students



The following summarises the main points of the Policy, Procedures and Guidance on Assessment Arrangements for Disabled Students and is intended to ensure disabled students know how to apply for alternative assessment arrangements should they need to. To access the full document please go to http://www.worc.ac.uk/aqu/

1. Procedure for Disabled students to access alternative assessment arrangements

1.1 If you require alternative assessment arrangements for disability related reasons you should discuss your needs with the Disability Co-ordinator/Assistant Disability Co-ordinator (hereafter collectively referred to as the Disability Co-ordinator). To arrange this please contact the Disability and Dyslexia Service reception in Woodbury room 162 (telephone 01905 85 5531 disability@worc.ac.uk ). A range of possible alternatives are set out in Annexe 1 below.

1.2 You will need to produce documentary evidence (medical or specialist) to support your request. This evidence should normally be no more than two years old at the time of your initial request, and relate to an assessment conducted when you were 16 years or older.  

1.3 You must apply for alternative assessment arrangements at least four weeks before the date of the assessment. Late applications will not normally be considered unless the delay is directly related to your disability. However, due consideration will be given to individual circumstances. 

1.4 The Disability Co-ordinator will arrange for details of any approved alternative arrangements to be made available to your module leaders so they can support you appropriately. You will also be given a letter setting out these arrangements (Form DDS1) in case you need to refer to your entitlements in future. The Disability Co-ordinator will ensure that the Examinations Officer is made aware of your alternative arrangements.

2. Examination and test arrangements

2.1 You must circulate Form DDS1 to module leaders in respect of class tests in good time, and normally at least three weeks before the date of the class test.

2.2 Where an allocation of extra time for University examinations is agreed, this will normally be 15 minutes per hour (or 25%) unless, in individual circumstances, a different amount is deemed necessary on the basis of independent evidence.

3. Marking student assessments

3.1 This section applies if you have a specific learning difficulty (eg dyslexia or dyspraxia) or are pre-linguistically deaf or visually impaired.

3.2 If a disability causes you difficulties presenting information in a written format you have the option of using a Sensitive Marking Request form (see Annexe 2 below) which may be attached to any examination or coursework assessment. You have an academic responsibility to only use the Sensitive Marking Request form if this has been agreed by the Disability Co-ordinator. 

3.3 If you are entitled to use a Sensitive Marking Request form it will automatically be available to you on your SOLE page.

3.4 Sensitive marking refers to the way in which marking tutors appraise your work, with full knowledge that it has been completed by a disabled student. It is designed to ensure feedback on the assessment is sensitive to your disability. Sensitive marking does not refer to the judgement about the grade to be awarded for your work; as for all student work this should be in accordance with the learning outcomes and assessment criteria. 

3.5 When you attach a Sensitive Marking Request form to your work this alerts the marker to apply the University’s Good Practice Guidelines with Respect to Marking the Work of Disabled Students. These guidelines are summarised in the Sensitive Marking Request form although more details can be found in the Policy, Procedures and Guidance on Assessment Arrangements for Disabled Students (full version).