Assessing the Need for Access Arrangements in Examinations: A Practical Guide, Eighth Edition

The 8th edition of Assessing the Need for Access Arrangements in Examinations: A Practical Guide will be published later this summer.

Written by Lia Castiglione and published by Patoss in association with the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ), the new edition has been fully updated to reflect the current JCQ access arrangements regulations and the significant developments in access arrangements practice since the 7th edition.

Long regarded by many professionals as the trusted, go-to resource for access arrangements, the Guide continues to provide clear, practical, and reassuring guidance for assessors, SENCos, access arrangements coordinators, and others involved in the access arrangements process.

The 8th edition supports readers in understanding the regulations and applying them confidently in real school and college settings. It combines detailed explanation with practical examples, case studies, summaries, and frequently asked questions, making it both a reference guide and a day-to-day working tool.

New and updated content includes:

  • the strengthened whole-centre approach to access arrangements

  • updated guidance on the JCQ forms

  • the increased importance of centre-based evidence, teacher feedback, and normal way of working

  • practical guidance on evidencing 25% extra time

  • a fully updated test list, with clearer information about how individual tests and subtests may be used within access arrangements assessments

  • updated guidance on supervised rest breaks, assistive technology, computer readers/readers, scribes, word processors, and other arrangements

  • a new chapter on student voice, including how candidates’ views should inform access arrangements decisions

  • a fully updated chapter on access arrangements for candidates with English as an additional language

  • updated information on Access Arrangements Online and JCQ centre inspections

  • practical case studies, examples, summaries, frequently asked questions, and other supporting guidance

The accompanying online resource area has also been updated and expanded, with new and revised resources to support centres, SENCos, access arrangements coordinators, and assessors in applying the guidance in practice.

This edition continues the Guide’s long-standing aim: to help professionals feel more confident, more informed, and better equipped to make appropriate, evidence-based decisions in line with JCQ requirements.

Pre-orders are now open. Printed copies are due to be sent to early purchasers before the end of August.

Pre-order here