Access arrangements

Access arrangements (including modified question papers) enable students with special educational needs, disabilities or temporary injuries to take our exams and assessments.

How to apply for access arrangements

For most qualifications, exams officers can apply for access arrangements for their students within the JCQ Centre Admin Portal via Centre Services.

If you need to apply, please use the relevant JCQ form for access arrangements, reasonable adjustments.

If you are a student, parent, private candidate or guardian, please discuss and make arrangements with the exams officer at your school or college.

For more information, see JCQ's information on access arrangements, reasonable adjustments and special consideration.

Modified question papers

For students who are blind or partially sighted

We use:

  • 18-point Arial Bold font on A4 paper (diagrams/images may be modified)
  • 24-point Arial Bold font on A3 paper (diagrams/images may be modified)
  • 24-point Arial Bold font on A4 paper (diagrams/images may be modified)
  • 36-point Arial Bold font on A3 paper (diagrams/images may be modified)
  • tactile diagrams with print labels for use with 18- and 24-point papers
  • Standard English and Unified English Braille with tactile diagrams (diagrams/images may be modified).

For students with language difficulties

We don't produce modified language question papers. All our standard papers are checked for accessible language, according to the guidelines published by the British Association of Teachers of the Deaf (BATOD).

How to order modified question papers

From the June 2018 exam series onwards, schools/colleges will no longer need to make requests for electronic copies of either our standard or large print question papers for students with special requirements through the Centre Admin Portal. A PDF of the question paper will be available to download 45 minutes before the published start time of the exam from Centre Services via Exams > Day of exam material.

Hard copies of our modified large print question papers should be ordered in the normal way through the Centre Admin Portal. If you are unable to use the portal, please email modifiedassessments@aqa.org.uk

You should order hard copies of modified papers by the deadline given for each series in the table below. After this we can no longer guarantee delivery on time, but you can still place an order and we will do everything possible to fulfil it.

When to order

Exam seriesRequest deadline
November 2023
GCSE
20 September 2023
January 2024
All
3 October 2023
March 2024
Other
30 November 2023
June 2024
All
31 January 2024

Modified past papers

Some 18 and 36-point enlarged past papers are available on our modified past paper finder. Modified past papers are also available on Centre Services via the resources tab.

If you are looking for past papers in Braille, please contact the modifiedassessments@aqa.org.uk and we will be able to put you in touch directly with our specialist Braille producers.