How to register for special arrangements for your exams?
During the exam registration process, you are required to tick the relevant box and provide the necessary information. Once this has been completed, we will receive your request and send you an email with further details about what is required for the approval of special arrangements for your exams.
What is needed for special arrangements to be approved?
Our candidates who have special arrangement requests are required to send us a medical statement and a full payment for the exam at the latest two (2) months before the exam date. For Cambridge, IELTS, and Linguaskill Business exams we require a medical statement in English only. For Goethe exams we require a medical statement in either English or German.
The medical statement must be issued by a recognised, qualified professional. It cannot be older than 2 years. It should explain clearly what the disability or a special requirement is, including the medical name and severity of the condition.
The medical statement should also include details on what needs to be arranged for the exam day, e.g. extra time, pausable listening file, etc.
For candidates with special learning difficulties, additional criteria are required
The medical statement must be in the form of a letter or report prepared when the candidate was aged 13 or older. It must include an assurance that the evidence of specific difficulties was obtained through the results of appropriate and recognised test and the test must be stated. The most universally applied tests are the battery of Wechsler tests, although other equally acceptable tests may be standard in other countries. It must be provided by a fully qualified educational, clinical or chartered psychologist, or other appropriately-qualified specialist assessor.
Why does the medical statement need to be in English?
All special arrangement requests for Cambridge and Linguaskill Business exams are subject to approval by Cambridge Assessment English. All special arrangement requests for IELTS are subject to approval by British Council. Their teams are specifically trained to assess what the optimal conditions for candidates would be. In some cases, the team may require additional information to make the best decision. Although this rarely occurs, providing this additional information is an important part of the process.
Why does the medical statement need to be in English or in German for Goethe exams?
All special arrangement requests for Goethe exams are subject to approval by Goethe Institut and must be understandable to the team approving the arrangements.
What to do if the medical statement is in another language?
For a medical statement in German, French, or Italian, we can accept an English translation with a signature of the candidate or a teacher, along with the original document. If it is in other language that is not an official language of Switzerland, a notarised translation is required.
Why do the candidates need to register and pay two months before the exam date?
To organise a special arrangement exam, we are required to order the relevant materials from the respective institutions. The deadline for ordering the materials is two months before the exam date, to ensure that the documents arrive in time and that the exam can proceed as planned. As these materials are unique and differ from those used in standard exams, they require additional processing and preparation time.
What medical conditions are covered by the special arrangements?
We offer a range of accommodations to assist individuals with special requirements or needs who are taking our exams. These accommodations address various conditions, including:
- visual difficulties
- hearing difficulties
- speaking difficulties
- specific learning difficulties
What arrangements can candidates request?
Different types of exams offer different special arrangements for candidates with special requirements. Depending on their needs, they can request a variety of accommodations. We do our best to ensure that optimal conditions are met for all our candidates.
Cambridge Exams
Until January 2025, we are offering only paper-based special arrangements exams. From next year, we will also be offering computer-based special arrangements exams.
Computer-based special arrangements for Cambridge exams (from January 2025)
- 25% additional time for Reading and Writing
- Use of headphones
Paper-based special arrangements for Cambridge exams There are lots of different options, depending on your needs and requirements. Please find the most common special arrangements we can offer for paper-based exams:
- 25% additional time for Reading and Writing
- Enlarged question papers
- Pausable version of Listening tests
- Lip-reading version of Listening tests
- Braille question papers
Special arrangements for speaking exams
- Single interview
- Taking the Speaking test with a partner who is not a candidate
IELTS Exams
Computer-based special arrangements for IELTS exams
- 25% additional time for Reading and Writing
- Use of headphones
Paper-based special arrangements for IELTS exams There are lots of different options, depending on your needs and requirements. Please find the most common special arrangements we offer for paper-based exams:
- Enlarged question papers
- Pausable version of Listening tests
- Lip-reading version of Listening tests
- Separate invigilation
- Braille question papers
Linguaskill Business Exams
Computer-based special arrangements for Linguaskill Business
- 25% additional time for Reading and Writing
- Use of headphones
Paper-based special arrangements for Linguaskill Business exams There are lots of different options, depending on your needs and requirements. Please find the most common special arrangements we offer for paper-based exams:
- Enlarged question papers
- Pausable version of Listening tests
- Lip-reading version of Listening tests
- Separate invigilation
- Braille question papers
Goethe Exams
Paper-based special arrangements for Goethe exams There are lots of different options, depending on your needs and requirements. Please find the most common special arrangements we offer.
- Enlarged question papers
- 25% additional time for Reading and Writing
- 25% additional time for Listening after the audio file (Pausable audio not possible)
- Lip-reading version of the Listening tests (through a video)
Deadline for the submission of the requirements
Two (2) months before to the exam date If the deadline for your exam has already passed or if we do not receive the required documents and/or the payment in time, we will be required to decline your request for special arrangements on your requested exam date.
We will only be able to start organising your request once we have received your medical statement. You will be contacted only after we received your medical statement. Until this has been done, we will not be able to consider any special arrangements for your exam.
How would you know if your special arrangement requests have been approved?
You will receive a confirmation letter from us with the lists of the approved special arrangements.
Is it possible to change the exam date?
The change of exam date must be in writing (email, fax, post) regardless of whether or not payments have been made. Exam fees cannot be transferred to a future exam, except if the candidate has booked the “FLEX” package and has chosen a new exam date before the registration deadline and has already paid the entire exam fee. Such exam can only be postponed once. The change of exam date is not possible once the special arrangements have been confirmed.
Where do the special arrangements exams take place?
Exams with special arrangements are usually held at our headquarters in Winterthur. In exceptional cases, it may be possible to arrange for an alternative location. However, this option is generally reserved for specific situations and is subject to availability.