Solutions for exams and assessments

Edtech accommodations for students and teachers during exams and for ongoing assessments

What are accommodations in exams?

Accommodations are changes or adjustments to the instructional environment, curriculum, or assessment that make it possible for all students to participate and learn. The goal of accommodations is always the same: to ensure that all students have an equal opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge and skills.

What is formative assessment?

Formative assessment monitors student learning to provide ongoing feedback that can be used by educators to improve teaching. Continual formative assessment can also help to indicate where an intervention or accommodation may be beneficial. Feedback from formative assessments can also be useful for students to help them to improve their learning and study.

Our tools, designed with the universal design for learning principles in mind, help educators and students alike during exams time, and during ongoing assessment throughout the school year.

Reduce the cost of exams

Costs associated with exams are rising. Due to an increase in the number of students requiring the support of a human reader or scribe, more and more schools and colleges across the UK are turning to technology to ease the burden of exam costs.

Read&Write

Read&Write can be used in place of a human reader in exams and in line with JCQ Access Arrangements. Read&Write’s dictation feature can also be used in place of a human scribe in exams.

OrbitNote

OrbitNote can be used as a computer reader for exams on Chromebooks. It meets the JCQ access arrangements guidelines. OrbitNote’s tools can also be used as a speech recognition or dictation tool in place of a scribe.

Equatio

Equatio, our digital maths tool, can be used in line with the JCQ regulations. It helps you save time, reduce costs and give students the support they need in exams.

Accessible maths exams

Allowing all students to demonstrate their mastery in maths is crucial. With a computer reader, this can be done without compromising the integrity of the examination. The JCQ Access Arrangements state that for maths, “[A Computer Reader] may decode symbols and unit abbreviations in Maths and Science examinations for candidates who require this arrangement in order to access the assessment and where it reflects the candidate’s current and normal way of working within the centre.”

Equatio

Equatio helps you save time, reduce costs and give students the approved support they need in GCSE and A-Level maths exams. Our easy-to-use exam mode allows easy restriction of features. So that students will only be able to access specific, approved features during their exam, protecting the integrity of the testing scenario.

Making exams accessible on Chromebooks

Technology is now being chosen as an exam accommodation, over the traditional human reader or scribe - it has many benefits. According to The Joint Council for Qualifications, JCQ, “Sencos may wish to consider the use of technology to a much greater extent instead of readers and scribes. Computer readers, examination reader pens, speech recognition technology and word processors not only allow candidates to work independently but are also a better preparation for further and higher education in the world of employment.”

OrbitNote

OrbitNote, when used on Chromebooks, can be used in line with the JCQ regulations that govern examinations in the UK. Our easy-to-use exam mode allows easy restriction of features. So that students will only be able to access specific, approved features during their exam, protecting the integrity of the testing scenario. It helps you save time, reduce costs and give students the support they need in exams.

Streamline ongoing assessment

Formative, or continual assessment is assessment which is carried out on an ongoing basis across the school year. Tools like Equatio, Fluency Tutor, and WriQ offer a digital way of carrying out these assessments, as well as digital analytics and feedback to help educators keep track of progress and easily identify any learning needs.

Equatio

Equatio offers a digital alternative to formative testing, such as class tests and exit tickets. Equatio provides students with disabilities or learning differences with a range of assessment methods.

Fluency Tutor

Fluency Tutor helps educators to measure and track oral reading fluency. Detailed analytics mean that it’s easy to track students’ reading progress and see where an intervention might be beneficial.

WriQ

Consistently assess writing. Automatically score writing indicators such as spelling, punctuation, and grammar, vocabulary maturity and time on task. WriQ data also helps educators to see where an intervention might be required.

Are you ready to find out more about how our tools can help you and your students in assessments?

Complete this form to ask us questions, receive a demo, or to discuss licensing options.

“A student at the Trust was not using their human reader during exams, they weren’t asking them to read for them. They were then given Read&Write to use as a computer reader instead which gave her the confidence needed to reach her full potential.”