Accessibility in exams for students with English as an additional language

Abstract

This review summarises the key findings around exam accessibility for students with English as an additional language (EAL) and identifies areas for future exploration. It is part of a series of literature reviews shaped by Ofqual’s consultation on designing and developing accessible assessments. Other reviews focus on students with learning difficulties, students with hearing impairment, students with visual impairment, students on the autism spectrum, and students with different cultural backgrounds.

Learners with EAL are a heterogenous group of students for whom English is in addition to another language (or languages) used at home or in their community. There are two key factors affecting exam accessibility for learners with EAL: the first is a student’s level of English proficiency and the second is the complexity of the language used in assessments. This review explores these issues, looking at existing access arrangements as well as factors that can impact attainment.

Keywords

• Accessibility
• Assessment design
• Attainment
• Fairness
• Social equity
• Teachers