We are at a pivotal moment in education, where early adopters of assistive technology (AT) have a unique opportunity to shape its wider use, particularly in exam settings. By strategically integrating effective software solutions, schools can better respond to the growing demand for exam access arrangements while promoting student independence and inclusion.
Across the UK, schools are seeing a rise in students qualifying for access arrangements, especially those entitled to a reader. In many settings, more than 20 students per cohort require this support with numbers increasing year on year. In turn each of these students sit multiple exam papers. Even when a scribe isn’t required, these students still need a separate, supervised space to complete their examinations. To accommodate these arrangements, schools must find additional rooms and redeploy staff often resulting in the disruption of regular lessons or displacing teachers and students from their usual learning environments. Staff assigned to support students during exams must also be trained and compensated appropriately, further increasing the logistical and financial burden on schools.
To meet this challenge more sustainably, schools must move beyond reactive provision. Embedding text-to-speech (TTS) tools into everyday classroom practice, starting as early as Key Stage 2, helps normalise their use and improves learner confidence. When students regularly use TTS tools as part of their learning, this becomes their normal way of working. This alongside meeting the necessary cognitive or processing criteria makes them eligible for reader arrangements for their KS2 SATS and under JCQ criteria for their GCSEs and beyond. Beyond this it also equips them with meaningful digital literacy skills to carry into future education and employment.
It’s vital to understand a key distinction in JCQ’s Access Arrangements and Reasonable Adjustments (AARA) 2024/25: while a human reader is not permitted in assessments where reading is the focus (such as the GCSE English Language reading comprehension), a computer reader is allowed.
Why? Because a computer reader delivers text in a neutral, non-inferential manner, preserving the integrity of the assessment. JCQ clearly states that such use is acceptable, provided it reflects the candidate’s normal way of working and is supported by appropriate evidence of need. It is therefore essential that this technology is part of the candidate’s normal way of working, is used routinely in internal assessments.
To streamline access arrangements and reduce strain on resources, many schools are turning to licensed computer reader solutions like Sensory PDF and Sensory Readable. These tools provide secure, high-quality text-to-speech support, allowing students to access exam content without the need for a human reader.
Sensory Readable (www.sensoryreadable.com) is particularly effective, offering user-friendly, customisable reading support across a range of digital documents, including exam PDFs. These tools maintain exam security, respect JCQ compliance, and allow consistent access across classrooms and assessments. When used regularly, they also strengthen the case for access arrangements by embedding TTS as a routine support strategy and normal way of working.
Licensed software provides a cost-effective, scalable alternative to deploying large numbers of human readers, especially in IT suites where multiple students can be supported simultaneously, thus reducing the need for the same level of additional rooms and invigilators. Many schools also possess banks of laptops, which, if reliable, can be strategically deployed during exams to support this approach. This not only maximizes existing resources but also provides even greater flexibility in managing space and staffing during exam periods.
For students who need both a reader and a scribe, combining a computer reader with typed responses on a laptop can simplify exam logistics even further (as appropriate to the student). Notably, no separate JCQ application is required for candidates using a word processor, as long as it reflects normal classroom practice, again easing the administrative load for schools and allowing more students to access the support they need without unnecessary delays.
By embracing assistive technology as a natural part of everyday teaching and learning, schools can transform how they support students during exams by moving from a reactive to a proactive model of inclusion. Early adoption and thoughtful integration of tools like Sensory PDF and Sensory Readable lay the groundwork for a more equitable, efficient, and future-proof approach to exam access.