Reasonable adjustments of general qualifications

Disabled candidates can apply for reasonable adjustments when taking qualifications. However as they are designed to assess what a candidate knows understands and can do qualifications may only be adjusted up to a certain point before their value is undermined.  

As the qualifications regulator in Wales the Equality Act 2010 has given us a new power. This allows us to specify limitations on the use of reasonable adjustments in general qualifications.

Our Proposals

Our proposals cover a broad range of reasonable adjustments including exemptions pass marks readers and scribes. In developing these we've had to think about:

• minimising the extent to which disabled candidates are disadvantaged;
• ensuring that the qualification gives a reliable indication of knowledge skills and understanding;
• maintaining public confidence in the qualification.

The next steps

We will consider all responses to this consultation when finalising our specifications about the use of reasonable adjustments in general qualifications. We will also share this information with the other UK qualifications regulators because many qualifications are available in Wales England and Northern Ireland.