Details of the "Special Circumstances" rules on the Cambridge website

Paper

Modality

Timing

What is assessed

Main relevant impairments:

Other:

reading

Students read about 2,000 words and write 30 short answers to show their comprehension

1 hour

Ability to read different sorts of texts and find specific information or the overall ideas they contain.

Visual difficulties:

an extra 15 minutes, or these forms of AT to help reading:

magnifying glass

stand-alone screen magnifiers

screen-reading software

closed-circuit television (CCTV)

hand-held scanning apparatus.

A reader who will read out the questions (but not the texts)

Braille and enlarged print versions of the question paper are available.

Amanuensis or screen reading software for the answer sheet.

Learning difficulties:

Supervised breaks for people who find it hard to concentrate for long periods.

Centre may make a transcription if handwriting is VERY hard to read. Permission to write your answers using a computer, word-processor, or typewriter if you normally write this way, no voice recognition software

Permission to use coloured overlays

help with filling in the answer form.

writing

Q1. write a letter or Email (120 – 150 words)

Q. 2 write another sort of text with a choice of questions (120 – 180 words)

1 hour 20 minutes (spend about half the time on each question)

Must answer all the points in the question in a comprehensible way, using some complex structures. Good answers will have mistakes only in “more difficult” structures.

Visual difficulties:

with a Braille keyboard optionally linked to a printer

word-processor, but NO spellcheck, grammar check or thesaurus functions

amanuensis.

As above.

Use of English

42 questions requiring short written answers, or shading boxes in a form.

45 minutes

Typical problem areas for this level in lexis and structures: collocations, words with subtle differences of meaning, phrasal verbs

As for reading and writing

As for reading and writing

Listening

Candidates hear recordings which are played twice with pauses and answer 40 questions about them.

40 minutes

Understanding speaking with different accents in different situations

Hearing difficulties:

permission to use hearing aids headphones

lip reading version of the test.

Visual difficulties: special version with extra pauses for reading questions, writing and checking.

Speaking

Responding to spoken and visual prompts in conversation with another candidate and the examiner

14 minutes

Gramar and vocabulary, Discourse management, pronunciation and Interactive communication.

Hearing / speaking difficulties:

extra time

permission to take the test with a partner who is not a candidate or take it without a partner

Visual difficulties: enlarged versions of prompts or brailled descriptions of pictures.

Paper	Modality	Timing	What is assessed	Main relevant impairments:	Other:
reading	Students read about 2,000 words and write 30 short answers to show their comprehension	1 hour	Ability to read different sorts of texts and find specific information or the overall ideas they contain.	Visual difficulties: an extra 15 minutes, or these forms of AT to help reading: magnifying glass stand-alone screen magnifiers screen-reading software closed-circuit television (CCTV) hand-held scanning apparatus. A reader who will read out the questions (but not the texts) Braille and enlarged print versions of the question paper are available. Amanuensis or screen reading software for the answer sheet.	Learning difficulties: Supervised breaks for people who find it hard to concentrate for long periods. Centre may make a transcription if handwriting is VERY hard to read. Permission to write your answers using a computer, word-processor, or typewriter if you normally write this way, no voice recognition software Permission to use coloured overlays help with filling in the answer form.
writing	Q1. write a letter or Email (120 – 150 words) Q. 2 write another sort of text with a choice of questions (120 – 180 words)	1 hour 20 minutes (spend about half the time on each question)	Must answer all the points in the question in a comprehensible way, using some complex structures. Good answers will have mistakes only in “more difficult” structures.	Visual difficulties: with a Braille keyboard optionally linked to a printer word-processor, but NO spellcheck, grammar check or thesaurus functions amanuensis.	As above.
Use of English	42 questions requiring short written answers, or shading boxes in a form.	45 minutes	Typical problem areas for this level in lexis and structures: collocations, words with subtle differences of meaning, phrasal verbs	As for reading and writing	As for reading and writing
Listening	Candidates hear recordings which are played twice with pauses and answer 40 questions about them.	40 minutes	Understanding speaking with different accents in different situations	Hearing difficulties: permission to use hearing aids headphones lip reading version of the test.	Visual difficulties: special version with extra pauses for reading questions, writing and checking.
Speaking	Responding to spoken and visual prompts in conversation with another candidate and the examiner	14 minutes	Gramar and vocabulary, Discourse management, pronunciation and Interactive communication.	Hearing / speaking difficulties: extra time permission to take the test with a partner who is not a candidate or take it without a partner	Visual difficulties: enlarged versions of prompts or brailled descriptions of pictures.