Extra time, rest periods and supervised breaks

Three arrangements that can sound similar

Extra time, rest periods and supervised breaks all affect the timing of an assessment, but they do different things.

The right arrangement depends on the barrier you experience. You may need one of them, a combination of them or none of them. Having a diagnosis does not automatically mean that you will receive a particular arrangement.

This guide explains the main differences. Your school should also tell you exactly how your own arrangements will work before an assessment.

What is extra time?

Extra time gives you more working time to complete a timed assessment.

You can use this time to continue reading questions, planning, writing, checking or completing your answers. For example, if an assessment normally lasts 60 minutes and you have 15% extra time, you would have 9 additional minutes of working time.

Extra time may help when a barrier means that you need longer to access or record your answers. This might include:

• reading or processing written information more slowly;
• writing or typing more slowly because of a physical or motor difficulty;
• using Braille, assistive technology or adapted materials;
• taking longer to interpret diagrams or tables; or
• needing additional time to check the output from speech-recognition technology.

Extra time is not extra teaching time. Staff cannot use it to explain an answer or help you with the knowledge being assessed.

It is also not always the best answer. If working for longer makes you more tired, anxious or unable to concentrate, a rest period or supervised break may help more.

What is a rest period?

A rest period lets you stop working for an agreed amount of time while remaining in the assessment room. During the rest period, your assessment clock is paused.

You might use a rest period to:

• rest your eyes or hands;
• stretch or change position;
• manage pain or fatigue;
• use a calming or concentration strategy; or
• recover before continuing with the assessment.

You must stop working during the rest period. You cannot keep reading, planning, writing or changing your answers while the clock is paused.

Staff will explain how to show that you need a rest period and how they will record the time. You may have planned rest periods, take them when needed or use a combination of both, depending on what has been agreed.

What is a supervised break?

A supervised break lets you stop working and leave the assessment room under supervision. The break does not count as working time.

This may be more suitable when you need to:

• move around away from the assessment room;
• take medication;
• use the toilet because of a medical need;
• manage a health condition; or
• recover in a quieter or different space.

A member of staff will supervise the break. This protects the assessment conditions. You will not be able to speak to other learners, use your phone, look at notes or discuss the assessment.

Your school should explain where you can go, who will supervise you and how you should ask for a break.

The main difference

The exact way an arrangement is provided may depend on the assessment and your school's procedures. Ask before the assessment if anything is unclear.

Which arrangement might help?

Think about what happens when you complete a timed task.

You are still able to work, but cannot finish in time

Extra time may help if you know what you want to say but an identified difficulty means that reading, processing or recording your answers takes longer.

You need to stop and recover

A rest period may help if pain, fatigue, anxiety or reduced concentration means that you need to pause but do not need to leave the room.

You need to leave the room

A supervised break may help if you need to move around, take medication, manage a health need or recover somewhere else.

More than one barrier affects you

You may need a combination. For example, extra time may address slow written production while supervised breaks help you manage fatigue during a long assessment.

More support is not automatically better. A longer assessment day can increase tiredness or anxiety, so arrangements should match what you actually need.

How your school decides

Staff should look at what happens during ordinary classwork and assessments. They may:

• ask you what you find difficult and what helps;
• observe you during timed tasks;
• record whether you can complete work in the standard time;
• trial one or more arrangements;
• note how often you use breaks and how long you need; and
• compare what happens in different subjects.

Your arrangements may not be the same in every subject because assessments make different demands. You may need extra time for extended writing but only rest periods in a practical or shorter assessment.

An arrangement should become part of your normal way of working. This gives you a chance to practise and helps everyone understand whether it works before an important assessment.

Before an assessment

Make sure you know:

• which arrangement or combination has been agreed;
• how much extra time you have, if any;
• whether rest periods or supervised breaks are planned or taken when needed;
• how to let the supervising member of staff know that you need a break;
• where you will go during a supervised break;
• what you can and cannot do while the clock is paused;
• how you will know how much working time remains; and
• what to do if the agreed arrangement is not available.

You could ask:

Can you talk me through exactly what will happen when I need to use my arrangement?

If you use both extra time and breaks, ask how your finishing time will be worked out. This can help you plan for transport, medication, food and the rest of your school day.

During the assessment

Use the arrangement in the way you have practised.

For extra time, keep an eye on your pace rather than saving every unfinished answer until the additional time begins. Extra time is part of your total working time.

For a rest period or supervised break, stop working when instructed. Close or turn over your paper if asked and follow the supervising member of staff's directions.

If you are unsure about the procedure, ask the supervising member of staff. They may be able to explain the arrangement, although they cannot help you answer assessment questions.

After the assessment

Think about whether the arrangement helped with the barrier it was meant to address.

You might ask yourself:

• Did I have enough working time?
• Did I use all, some or none of the extra time?
• Did a rest period help me return to the task?
• Did I need to leave the room?
• Were the breaks too short, too long or about right?
• Did the full assessment become too tiring?
• Did I understand how to ask for the arrangement?
• Would I use the same arrangement again?

Tell a teacher or Support for Learning member of staff what worked and what did not. One assessment does not always give the full picture, but your experience helps staff review the arrangement.

If something was difficult, use When Support Isn't Working for You to help explain what happened. You can also use Preparing for a Support Review to organise your views before a meeting.

Remember

• Extra time is additional working time.
• During a rest period, you stop working and remain in the room.
• During a supervised break, you stop working and may leave the room with a member of staff.
• You may need one arrangement, a combination or none.
• The arrangement should match the barrier you experience, not simply a diagnosis.
• You should be able to practise your arrangement before an important assessment.
• Ask your school to explain exactly how your own arrangement will work.