Special consideration is a post-examination adjustment to a candidate’s mark or grade. This is to reflect temporary illness, temporary injury or some other event outside of the candidate’s control at the time of the assessment. It is applied when the issue or event has had, or is reasonably likely to have had, a material effect on a candidate’s ability to take an assessment or demonstrate his or her normal level of attainment in an assessment.

Special consideration can go some way to assist a candidate affected by a potentially wide range of difficulties, emotional or physical, which may influence performance in their examinations. It cannot remove the difficulty faced by the candidate. This means that there will be some situations where candidates should not be entered for an examination. This is because only minor adjustments can be made to the mark awarded. To make larger adjustments would jeopardize the standard of the examination.

All examinations measure what a candidate knows and can do. The overall grade(s) awarded must reflect the level of attainment demonstrated in the examination(s). The grades awarded do not necessarily reflect the candidate’s true level of ability if attainment has been considerably affected over a long period of time.

Where long term circumstances have prevented the candidate from reaching the competence standards, it may not be possible to make an adjustment.

Candidates will be eligible for special consideration if performance in examinations, coursework, or assessments is materially affected by adverse circumstances beyond their control. These include:

Temporary illness or accident/injury at the time of the assessment;

Bereavement at the time of the assessment (where whole groups are affected, normally only those most closely involved will be eligible);

Domestic crisis arising at the time of the assessment;

Serious disturbance during an examination, particularly where recorded material is being used;

Accidental events at the time of the assessment such as being given the wrong examination paper, being given a defective examination paper or CD, failure of practical equipment, failure of materials to arrive on time;

Participation in sporting events, training camps or other events at an international level at the time of the assessment, e.g. representing their country at an international level in chess or football;

Failure by the centre to implement previously approved access arrangements for a specific examination series.