Wellbeing Services in Cornwall

Exam adjustments - Cornwall campuses

Exam adjustments are changes made to your exams or the place where you take your exam that support you to overcome barriers you may face as a result of a disability, neurodivergence or health condition.

They may include:

  • extra time
  • using assistive technology, like a laptop or specialist equipment
  • sitting exams in a specific type of room or location
  • support from a scribe or reader
  • rest breaks

You may have had exam adjustments before at school, college or at another university. However, these adjustments do not automatically transfer to your study with us, you will need to request them.

You will need to make an exam adjustments request by the exam adjustments deadline.

Please let us know as soon as possible if you think you require this type of provision.

How do I set up exam adjustments at the University?

For students based on Penryn or Truro campuses, if you require adjustments for your exams, you will need to provide evidence of your disability or health condition.

Please get in contact with the Accessibility Team email accessibility@fxplus.ac.uk, call 01326 370 460 or book an online meeting with an adviser.

You can find the deadlines for requests for specific provisions in exams here.

What is an ILP?

An Individual Learning Plan (ILP) is a document that tells your department about any reasonable adjustments that should be put in place to support your learning. To get an ILP, you will need to have a disability, health condition or Specific Learning Difference which meets the definition of disability under the Equality Act 2010.

You are likely to need to provide evidence of your condition, for example, from a doctor, or a diagnostic assessment report written by an educational psychologist. Your accessibility adviser will liaise with you to create the ILP and this will be shared with your lecturers and tutors. The ILP will give details of any reasonable adjustments but not about your disability (unless there is information you would like us to share).

Why are ILPs important?

ILPs are used to remove or minimise any barriers that may prevent you from participating in university life or achieving your full potential by giving recommendations for reasonable adjustments. They could be:

  • Exam or assessment adjustments (e.g. extra time, use of a laptop)
  • Access to handouts and notes in advance of teaching sessions
  • Accommodation adaptions

Find out more about Reasonable Adjustments for Disabled Students

When are ILPs created?

ILPs can be set up before you start your studies with us or at any point during your time at the University.

To apply for an ILP, please complete our  Individual Learning Plan (ILP) Application form.

If you have diagnostic evidence of your disability, medical condition or learning difficulty, you will need to send us a copy.

The information you give us will be used to create an ILP which will be sent to your department and the exams team. (You can view your ILP in the Exeter Student Records System (SRS) by clicking on 'Student Records System'). Your accessibility advisor will also send you an email through the Compass Student Helpdesk with a copy of your ILP attached.

Any information you provide to the accessibility team will only be shared with the people who need to know in order to put support in place for you. This could be an accessibility advisor, the exams team or your department support staff so they can put the agreed adjustments in place.

You can discuss this with your accessibility advisor at: accessibility@fxplus.ac.uk or via the Student Helpdesk on 01326 370460 or make an appointment.