Soaring requests for special exam access arrangements in colleges are putting a strain on staffing and causing campuses to temporarily close, an FE Week investigation has found.
Almost nine in 10 (86 per cent) of exams officers have reported the number of students needing reasonable adjustments has soared since the return of exams in 2022, according to a snap survey of 50 colleges by the Association of Colleges.
Leaders told FE Week more students are experiencing anxiety and other mental health issues stemming from the Covid-19 pandemic. In turn, increasing numbers of students are requesting extra help such as extra time or rest breaks, during exam season.
However, the increase in requests is putting pressure on staff workloads as they are required to invigilate smaller groups of students in classrooms instead of exam halls.
