How do I get exam access arrangements for my dyslexic child?

Ask your child's school SENCo to start the process - only the exam centre can apply to the JCQ, not parents. A specialist assessment in school must evidence the support is already your child's normal way of working.

The steps, in order

The SENCo (the school's Special Educational Needs Coordinator) acts as the Access Arrangements Coordinator and is the person who applies. The Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) is the body that sets the rules for GCSE and A-level exams. The route looks like this:

1. Email the SENCo and ask them to start an in-school assessment of need for exam access arrangements (such as 25% extra time, a reader, a scribe, or a word processor).
2. A qualified specialist assessor tests your child in school and, where the evidence supports it, completes the JCQ's Form 8 (the Profile of Learning Difficulties).
3. The school gathers teacher evidence that the arrangement is already how your child works day to day, in lessons and in mocks.
4. The SENCo submits the application through the JCQ's online portal for the school to use.

Why a diagnosis alone is not enough

This is the part most parents are not told. A dyslexia diagnosis, or a private diagnostic report, does not on its own secure access arrangements, and you cannot apply yourself. The arrangement only goes through if the school can evidence it is your child's normal way of working, meaning the way they already work in class and in mock exams. As the British Dyslexia Association puts it, the school is responsible for applying and for evidencing eligibility, and eligibility is based on evidenced need rather than a label. Access arrangements are reasonable adjustments under the Equality Act 2010 (section 20), so they turn on individual disadvantage, not on a diagnosis.

The timeline, and the higher evidence bar

Because the evidence has to be built up over time, the work starts early. Aim to raise it in Year 9 or early Year 10 so the assessment and the in-class evidence are in place well before the JCQ application window, which falls around February of the exam year. For applications processed from 1 September 2025 onwards (reinforced in the March 2026 JCQ update), the bar is higher: Form 8 must include teacher feedback showing the candidate's normal way of working, and subject-staff comments on why the extra time is needed and how it is used now form part of the formal evidence JCQ can inspect (JCQ AARA, March 2026). Quality of evidence matters more than quantity.

If the school stalls

If the SENCo is vague or slow, put your request in writing and ask for a date when the assessment will happen. If the school will not act, you can ask to see its SEN provision in writing, raise it through the school's complaints procedure, or contact your local SENDIASS (the free, impartial SEND advice service for parents) for support. If you do not yet have a clear picture of your child's needs, it can help to read how do I get my child assessed for dyslexia?

This page is general information, not clinical or legal advice.