Our Policies

ASQ REASONABLE ADJUSTMENTS AND SPECIAL CONSIDERATION POLICY

This policy sets out the procedures that learners, candidates, delegates and tutors should follow when implementing reasonable adjustments and special considerations.

Reasonable adjustment

A reasonable adjustment helps to reduce the effect of a disability or difficulty that places the learner, candidate or delegate at a substantial disadvantage in the assessment situation.

• changing usual assessment arrangements
• adapting assessment materials
• providing assistance during assessment
• re-organising the assessment physical environment
• changing or adapting the assessment method
• using assistive technology.

Reasonable adjustments must be approved by ASQ Internal Quality Assurer (IQA) and set in place prior to assessment commencing. It is an arrangement to give a learner, candidate or delegate access to a qualification.

The work produced following a reasonable adjustment must be assessed in the same way as the work from other learners, candidates or delegates

Below are examples of reasonable adjustment. It is important to note that not all adjustments described below will be reasonable, permissible or practical in particular situations. The learner, candidate or delegate may not need, nor be allowed the same adjustment for all assessments.

A reasonable adjustment must never affect the validity or reliability of assessment, influence the outcome of assessment or give the learner(s), candidate(s) or delegate(s) in question an unfair assessment advantage.

Examples of reasonable adjustments as defined by the above categories are listed below.

• Allowing extra time, e.g. assignment extensions
• Using a different assessment location
• Use of coloured overlays, low vision aids, CCTV
• Use of assistive software
• Assessment material in large format or Braille
• Readers/scribes
• Practical assistants/transcribers/prompters
• Assessment material on coloured paper or in audio format
• Language-modified assessment material
• British Sign Language (BSL)
• Use of ICT/responses using electronic devices

Applying reasonable adjustment

Reasonable Adjustments are the responsibility of the ASQ management. Reasonable adjustments are approved by the Quality Team before an assessment and are intended to allow attainment to be demonstrated. A learner, candidate or delegate does not have to be disabled (as defined by the DDA) to qualify for reasonable adjustment; nor will every learner, candidate or delegate who is disabled be entitled to reasonable adjustment.

The ASQ management (with the help of the Assessor/Trainer) will facilitate access for the learner, candidate or delegate. A reasonable adjustment is intended to allow access to assessment or training but can only be granted where the adjustment does not:

• affect the validity or reliability of the training or assessment
• give the learner(s), candidate(s) or delegate(s) in question an unfair advantage over other learners, candidates or delegates taking the same or similar training or assessment
• influence the final outcome of the training or assessment decision.

The ASQ management is committed to fair and equal assessment of its learner, candidate or delegates.

Special consideration

Special considerations are different to reasonable adjustments as they apply to a disadvantage that occurs to the learner either just before or during the assessment.

Reasons for special consideration could be:

• Temporary illness
• Injury
• Adverse circumstances at the time of the assessment.

A learner, candidate or delegate may be eligible for special consideration if:

• Their performance in an external assessment is affected by circumstances beyond the control of the learner, candidate or delegate, e.g. recent personal illness, accident, bereavement, serious disturbance during the assessment
• The alternative assessment arrangements which were agreed in advance of the assessment proved inappropriate or inadequate
• Any part of an assessment has been missed due to circumstances beyond the control of the learner, candidate or delegate.

After due consideration and should it be required, ASQ management will submit a written Special Consideration request to the Awarding organisations.

All applications for special consideration can only be made on a case-by-case basis and thus separate applications must be made for each learner, candidate or delegate.

Learners, candidates or delegates may apply for special consideration during or after an assessment but may not apply for special consideration in the case of a permanent disability or learning difficulty.

The size of the adjustment will depend on the circumstances during the assessment and will reflect the difficulty faced by the learner.