{"id":344615,"date":"2025-11-16T07:11:00","date_gmt":"2025-11-16T07:11:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ora-visio.com\/exam-accommodations-everything-parents-need-to-know\/"},"modified":"2025-11-16T07:11:00","modified_gmt":"2025-11-16T07:11:00","slug":"exam-accommodations-everything-parents-need-to-know","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ora-visio.com\/en\/exam-accommodations-everything-parents-need-to-know\/","title":{"rendered":"Exam accommodations: everything parents need to know"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Is your child in <strong>classe de 3e (Year 10), 2nd year of CAP, Premi\u00e8re (Year 12) or Terminale (Year 13)<\/strong>?<br \/>\nAre they about to sit <strong>the DNB, the CAP, the Bac or another national exam<\/strong>?<\/p>\n<p>\u27a1\ufe0f If your child has a <strong>health condition, a disability or a learning disorder<\/strong> (DYS, ADHD, ASD, etc.), they may be entitled to <strong>exam accommodations<\/strong> to give them every chance of success.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Why request exam accommodations?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>These arrangements allow every student to sit exams under fair conditions, adapted to their needs. They don&#8217;t give an advantage &#8211; they compensate for a disorder recognised by a professional (speech therapist, psychologist, occupational therapist\u2026).<\/p>\n<p><u>Goal:<\/u> for the exam to assess the student&#8217;s skills, not their disability.<\/p>\n<p>Indeed, for pupils, students or candidates with a disability, a health condition or a specific learning disorder &#8211; such as dyslexia, dyspraxia, etc. Here are the key points by <strong>exam level: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>When?<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Requests for exam accommodations must<\/strong> be made <strong>several months before the exams.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Generally, between October and December of the school year in which the student sits the exam.<\/p>\n<p>WARNING: Don&#8217;t wait &#8211; an incomplete file causes delays!<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Where and how?<br \/>\n<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The request is made to the <strong>school doctor<\/strong> (or the <strong>doctor designated by the MDPH<\/strong>, France&#8217;s disability services agency, if your child already has an MDPH file).<\/p>\n<p>You must provide a <strong>medical certificate<\/strong> and the <strong>professionals&#8217; assessment reports<\/strong> (speech therapist, psychologist, etc.).<\/p>\n<p>The <strong>French Ministry of Education doctor<\/strong> then issues an opinion, and the <strong>regional education authority (rectorat)<\/strong> (or the exams department) decides on the accommodations granted. This means you don&#8217;t necessarily get exactly what was requested!!<\/p>\n<p>The <strong>official forms<\/strong> are available (downloadable) on the French Ministry of Education website. For example, below is an excerpt from the one for the Baccalaur\u00e9at:<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-343311 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/ora-visio.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/formulaire-demande-amenagement.png\" alt=\"Exam accommodation request form\" width=\"609\" height=\"466\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ora-visio.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/formulaire-demande-amenagement-200x153.png 200w, https:\/\/ora-visio.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/formulaire-demande-amenagement-300x230.png 300w, https:\/\/ora-visio.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/formulaire-demande-amenagement-400x306.png 400w, https:\/\/ora-visio.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/formulaire-demande-amenagement-600x459.png 600w, https:\/\/ora-visio.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/formulaire-demande-amenagement.png 609w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 609px) 100vw, 609px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>You can find the various <a href=\"https:\/\/www.education.gouv.fr\/bo\/2025\/Hebdo31\/MENE2506522C\">downloadable forms<\/a> on the French Ministry of Education website.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>What accommodations are possible?<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Each situation is assessed on a case-by-case basis, but the most common arrangements are:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li><u>extra time<\/u> (a third extra, half extra, etc.): in this case, your child sometimes sits the exam in a separate room.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Suited to students who are <strong>slower at completing tasks<\/strong> (reading, writing\u2026)<br \/>\n\u26a0\ufe0f Ask yourself: <em>what will my child do with this extra time?<\/em> Do they have an attention disorder? Because in that case, if no one is there to remind them to watch the time or to read the instructions in full, what use will the extra third of time actually be??<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li><u>use of a computer<\/u>: useful for learners with dyspraxia and\/or dysgraphia who have been supported by an occupational therapist and already use a computer in class.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li><u>a scribe<\/u>: a teaching assistant (AESH) can be assigned to help your child read the exam paper (in this case, called a reader) or to write on their behalf (in this other case, called a scribe). The same person can act as both reader and scribe.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li><u>enlarged exam papers<\/u> (for visual impairment, a DYS disorder)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The recommended font size for exam accommodations aimed at accessibility is generally <strong>16 points minimum,<\/strong> with a preference for <strong>Arial 16, 20 or 24 fonts depending on<\/strong> the candidate&#8217;s particular needs. This choice improves readability for students with visual impairments or reading difficulties.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Official recommendations<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Requests for accommodations for official exams must specify the desired font size, adapted according to the type of disability and the referring doctor&#8217;s opinion.<\/li>\n<li>Only Arial fonts at sizes 16, 20 and 24 are clearly accepted in several recent academic guidelines for candidates receiving accommodations.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><strong>Contexts of application and additional advice<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>For students with DYS disorders (dyslexia, dysorthographia&#8230;), an Arial 14 or 16 font is recommended but can go up to 20 or 24 in cases of significant visual impairment.<\/li>\n<li>It is advisable to use spaced-out, non-justified (left-aligned) layout with line spacing of at least 1.5 times the font size.<\/li>\n<li>The presentation (printing, exam paper format) must be <strong>consistent with the tools used throughout the student&#8217;s schooling<\/strong> to ensure continuity of accommodations.<\/li>\n<li><u>a break or a separate room<\/u> for students with ADHD and\/or ASD, for example, or for learners suffering from school phobia. The idea is to reduce <strong>distractions or stress<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Each situation must be <strong>individually assessed<\/strong> with the teaching team and the school doctor to best adapt to the candidate&#8217;s needs, but adhering to these font sizes guarantees a level of accessibility consistent with current recommendations. This is not about applying a standard protocol based on the disorder.<\/p>\n<table style=\"height: 362px;\" width=\"602\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"308\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>What to do<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\" width=\"294\"><strong>What to avoid<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"308\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Plan the request as early as October<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"294\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Wait until the last minute<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"308\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Provide all recent assessment reports<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"294\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Submit an incomplete file<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"308\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Request accommodations already used in class<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"294\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Ask for an unjustified accommodation<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\" width=\"308\">Communicate with the school team<\/td>\n<td width=\"294\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Submit the request alone, without support<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>In summary<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Exam accommodations allow your child to <strong>sit their exams in the best possible conditions<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>If in doubt: talk to <strong>the school and the school doctor as early as possible<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong> <\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>To find out more:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.education.gouv.fr\/bo\/20\/Hebdo47\/MENE2034197C.htm\">https:\/\/www.education.gouv.fr\/bo\/20\/Hebdo47\/MENE2034197C.htm<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.education.gouv.fr\/examens-les-aides-et-amenagements-pour-les-candidats-besoins-particuliers-414547\">https:\/\/www.education.gouv.fr\/examens-les-aides-et-amenagements-pour-les-candidats-besoins-particuliers-414547<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/siec.education.fr\/candidats\/docutheque\/examens\/DNB\/dnb-cfg-amenagement-depreuves-session-2026\">https:\/\/siec.education.fr\/candidats\/docutheque\/examens\/DNB\/dnb-cfg-amenagement-depreuves-session-2026<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ffdys.com\/actualites\/15-octobre-2025-communique-de-presse-amenagements-aux-examens-session-2026-un-pas-en-avant-deux-pas-en-arriere-pour-les-dys\/\">https:\/\/www.ffdys.com\/actualites\/15-octobre-2025-communique-de-presse-amenagements-aux-examens-session-2026-un-pas-en-avant-deux-pas-en-arriere-pour-les-dys\/<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dys-positif.fr\/trouble-dapprentissage-les-amenagements-aux-examens\/\">https:\/\/www.dys-positif.fr\/trouble-dapprentissage-les-amenagements-aux-examens\/<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Is your child in classe de 3e (Year 10), 2nd  [&#8230;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":344616,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[325,329],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-344615","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-speech-therapy-assessment","category-occupational-therapy"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ora-visio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/344615","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ora-visio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ora-visio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ora-visio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ora-visio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=344615"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ora-visio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/344615\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ora-visio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/344616"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ora-visio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=344615"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ora-visio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=344615"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ora-visio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=344615"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}