The School Curriculum and Standards Authority recognises that individual students, under circumstances outlined in the Equitable Access to Assessment policy, may need special external assessment arrangements to allow them to demonstrate their knowledge, skills and understandings within certain courses. The underlying principle of equitable access adjustments is to ensure that appropriate, fair and reasonable arrangements and options are available for students to demonstrate their capabilities where their external assessment is affected by illness, impairment or personal circumstances. Equitable access adjustments are available for practical and written examinations.

Students who are eligible for equitable access adjustments are not exempt from meeting the requirements for a Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE), or from being assessed in a course.

In considering the eligibility for adjustments, the School Curriculum and Standards Authority is mindful of the need to balance the competing demands of allowing students to demonstrate their knowledge, skills and understandings with the need to preserve the academic integrity of the assessment process. Not all adjustments trialled at school may be approved for use in the ATAR course examinations.

There are two types of adjustments for the ATAR course examinations:

• Equitable access adjustments – Candidates who have a temporary or permanent disability, illness and/or specific learning disability that could disadvantage them in timed assessments may apply to sit an examination under special conditions. Application is made prior to the examinations.
• Sickness/misadventure provisions – Candidates who suffer from a temporary sickness, non-permanent disability or an unforeseen event close to or during the examinations which they believe may have resulted in performance below expectations or non-attendance in particular examinations are given the opportunity to apply for assessment consideration. Application is made immediately after the examinations.

Specific eligibility criteria apply for each form of special provision.

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