Quick Actions (30-second read)
- Provide clear, literal marking criteria well in advance of any assessment.
- Confirm agreed adjustments (extra time, format, room) with everyone delivering the assessment — not just on file.
- Avoid last-minute changes to exam format, room, or logistics.
- Offer alternative assessment formats where appropriate, not only as an exception.
- Treat extra time and format flexibility as standard options, not special favours.
Why this matters
Assessment is where accumulated barriers across a semester become highest-stakes. A genuinely preventable failure pattern shows up repeatedly: a student’s agreed adjustment existing on paper, but never reaching the person actually running the exam. Assessment accessibility is as much about verification and delivery as it is about the initial agreement.
Student Voice
“The assessment format may need to be adjusted for certain needs — student may not be able to write on paper, student may use dictation software.”
Practical Examples
- Before an exam, a disability support officer confirms with the invigilator, in writing, that an agreed adjustment is understood and ready.
- Exam papers are produced as accessible, structured, searchable documents for every student by default.
Full Checklist
- Have I confirmed today’s agreed adjustments with everyone actually delivering this assessment?
- Is my exam paper an accessible, structured document, not a locked image scan?
- Have I given marking criteria in clear, literal language, well in advance?
- Am I treating flexibility as standard practice, not a special exception?