Register for your GCE examination first, then apply for Access Arrangements through SEAB’s Candidates Portal. SEAB lists the end of April in the examination year as the standard submission deadline for private candidates. Confirm the precise cutoff for your exercise. Gather the evidence before registration so a missing report does not hold up the application.
Your application should explain what makes the exam difficult under standard conditions and why the requested arrangement addresses that barrier. SEAB distinguishes medical or professional documentation from educational observations. Independently prepared candidates who are not enrolled in an educational institution or receiving tuition may complete the Individual Report themselves.
- Check the deadline and complete examination registration.
- Identify the requested arrangement and papers.
- Gather the required professional documentation.
- Prepare the Individual Report with specific observations.
- Submit through the portal and check the outcome there.
Start with the examination barrier
Describe what happens during a task similar to the exam. For example, a candidate may explain an answer orally but struggle to sustain handwriting in a timed paper. Record the task, the observable difficulty and what changed when a support was tried. Include the syllabus, components and requested arrangements. A support useful in a written paper may have little relevance to an oral component.
Prepare the reports for their different purposes
SEAB lists diagnostic documentation from suitably qualified professionals and requires a current profile of needs for specified requests. Its examples include a scribe, a reader or reader pen, a word processor and extra time beyond the standard allowance. Check how recent the evidence must be for your examination year.
Use the Individual Report to describe difficulties in learning or assessment, any arrangements previously used and their effectiveness. SEAB says the report should avoid citing or duplicating accompanying professional reports. If you study independently, give concrete examples from your own timed practice and use the official channel for sensitive records.
Submit and track the application
Once examination registration is complete, open the Access Arrangements application in the Candidates Portal. Check the candidate details, papers and attachments before submitting. Save the acknowledgement and monitor the portal. SEAB says timely private-candidate outcomes are usually released by June. Processing can vary with the arrangement requested and whether the documents are complete.
If a document is delayed, ask SEAB promptly about that specific requirement. A follow-up enquiry and a submitted application are separate records. Keep both if you need to check what has reached SEAB.
Worked example
An independent candidate notices that a documented difficulty becomes especially apparent during long written practice. They gather the required professional documentation and write an Individual Report describing what happened in two timed sessions and what support they tried. After registering for the exam, they submit the request and save its reference. When the outcome appears, they check which papers and provisions it covers.
Frequently asked questions
Does a diagnosis automatically establish an arrangement?
SEAB assesses the request and supporting information. Check the outcome for the arrangement and papers actually approved.
Can an independent candidate prepare their own Individual Report?
SEAB permits this for private candidates preparing independently who are not enrolled in an educational institution or receiving tuition.