Access Arrangements for the Common Pre-Tests

We are proud that our newly upgraded Common Pre-Tests assessments have been designed by the assessment industry’s leading academics and experts. 

Whilst we are confident of the robust research and assessment design that underpins our new tests, we will strive to continually evolve them to ensure that we continue to be a leading provider of current research-based assessments now and in the future. Pupil assessment is evolving, and ISEB is committed to providing schools, teachers, parents and pupils with the best research, assessment designs, access arrangement guidance and inclusive features to support all children. When redesigning our assessments, we commissioned research from leading neuroscientists, who specialise in fair and equitable assessment for SEND and neurodiverse children. 

The research underpins this document and means we can confidently provide schools and parents with guidelines to help ensure that access arrangement decisions are fair to all. ISEB’s core values are to accept, transform and inspire. These values inform everything we do and create.

Read the Access Arrangements Guide for the Common Pre-Tests.

Read through the SEND FAQ.

Click here to download the report template to request SEND information from the current school.

View our webinar for further information and answers to the frequently asked questions about SEND and EAL.

Explore further articles:

How do I know a pupil has registered with SEND?

Who is responsible for approving SEND requests?

How do I appeal SEND status?

What is the difference between requesting 25% Extra Time and Other Adjustments?

Reasonable adjustments should be provided to any candidate who is considered disabled for the purposes of the Equality Act 2010.

The JCQ guidelines are specific to a range of examinations and not the Common Pre-Test. Allowing extra time in this assessment will not give automatic rights to the candidate to have extra time for their GCSE examinations. For schools which would like to make this position clear to parents we have suggested the use of a signed pro-forma which is shared with senior schools and kept on the candidate's file.

Restricting access to extra time for candidates who have appropriate professional evidence indicating that they require additional time to access the assessment could place them at a substantial disadvantage. Schools should therefore consider each request carefully and, where supported by evidence and consistent with the candidate’s normal way of working, provide reasonable adjustments. Failure to do so may amount to discrimination under the Equality Act 2010, as independent schools must not disadvantage a person in the arrangements they make for deciding who is offered admission.