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Alternative Arrangements for Assessments

Disabilities and long term medical conditions
Adjustments to examination arrangements can be made if you have a long-term medical condition or disability and can show medical evidence or a needs assessment report. Common adjustments include extra time in which to complete exams, allowance for rest breaks during examinations, sitting exams in a distraction free environment, use of a PC, but each case is considered carefully to ensure that appropriate adjustments are made so that you are not disadvantaged in your exams.

You should contact the Student Support Unit (SSU) in the first instance, who will carry out an assessment of your requirements so that appropriate adjustments can be put in place. You should contact the SSU as early as possible in the academic year, and certainly no later than the end of week 5 of the autumn term. You must engage in this process early in the year so that there is time to assess what adjustments are required and feed those into the examination timetabling.

If you have a disability and feel that you are substantially disadvantaged by the existing mode of assessment for a course you should contact the SSU by the end of the Autumn term. The SSU will make an initial judgement as to whether there is a reasonable basis for the request and if so will initiate a process to consider possible alternative modes of assessment.

Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLD)
If you have or think you have a specific learning difficulty (such as dyslexia, dyspraxia, dysgraphia, ADD/ADHD) you should arrange to have an assessment of your difficulty with the Student Support Unit (SSU). Adjustments to your examinations require a written recommendation from the SSU. You must engage in this process early in the year so that there is time to assess what adjustments are required and feed those into the examination timetabling.

Ill Health
During examination periods, the University provides separate accommodation for those students who, on medical recommendation, need to sit their papers outside the main examination centre. Students who believe they need this facility should first see a Student Life Advisor in the Student Life Centre, and, at the same time, inform the Student Progress and Assessment Office.

Notification of Arrangements
The Student Progress and Assessment Office will email you to confirm your assessment arrangements. Please note that the generic information for each assessment will be shown in your Sussex Direct study pages (including timetable information), but the details given in your email supersede the generic information.