How do I get extra time in exams at university?

The steps, in order

Extra time is one of the exam access arrangements a university can put in place so that a disabled student is not at a substantial disadvantage in timed assessments. Contact your university's disability service as early as possible, ideally at enrolment, and ask for exam access arrangements; staff assess your evidence of need and arrange extra time. No formal diagnosis is required.

1. Find your university's disability, wellbeing or student support service, usually listed under student services on its website, and tell them you want exam access arrangements. This is the load-bearing first move, and the earlier you make it the better.
2. Send the evidence they ask for. Most universities want supporting evidence of your condition and how it affects you in exams, such as a letter from a doctor or specialist, a diagnostic report, or the notes from a study needs assessment.
3. The disability service reviews your evidence and writes the arrangements into a learning support plan, which it shares with your department and the exams office so the arrangements are actually booked for each exam.

What extra time actually is

Extra time is neither automatic nor a single fixed amount. It is assessed individually against your evidence of need, and it commonly takes the form of around 25% additional time, though it can be more or less depending on what your evidence supports. The disability service may pair it with other exam adjustments, such as a separate room, rest breaks, or a reader. Your university owes you these adjustments under the Equality Act 2010 (section 20) where you would otherwise be at a substantial disadvantage, and the duty in higher education is anticipatory, meaning the university is expected to plan for adjustments in advance, not only when you ask.

The deadline trap

Most universities set a firm cut-off date each exam season for putting arrangements in place. If you miss it, the arrangements may not be ready even though you qualify, which is why contacting the disability service early matters far more than contacting it just before exams. You do not need a label to start: the legal test is the Equality Act definition of disability, a physical or mental impairment with a substantial, long-term adverse effect, not a formal diagnosis. The university can still ask for evidence of need, and most will accept this without insisting on a diagnosis.

What it does not cover, and if it stalls

The university must adapt how a skill is assessed, but it does not have to lower the academic competence standard itself, so extra time changes the conditions of the exam, not the mark scheme. Extra time is arranged by the university under the Equality Act, separate from Disabled Students' Allowance (worth up to £27,783 for 2025-26 in England), which funds study support rather than exam arrangements. If the service is slow or your request is refused, put it in writing, ask which adjustment is being declined and why, and use the university's complaints procedure if needed.

This page is general information, not clinical or legal advice. If you are struggling to cope, you can call Samaritans free on 116 123 at any time, or contact your university wellbeing service or GP.

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