Ofqual: schools abusing 'extra time' rules in GCSEs In a report, Ofqual said the rise may be down to better diagnosis and greater awareness of the "extra time" rule in schools. But the watchdog added: "We are concerned that in some cases extra time is being given to candidates to help them improve their grades rather than to address a significant disadvantage." Ofqual, which regulates exams in England, has now written to exam boards ordering them to take action to identify and clampdown on schools and colleges guilty of playing the system. It has told them to review procedures used to award extra time to pupils from September 2013, including making sure that schools and colleges provide objective evidence to prove that candidates need special adjustments. The watchdog endorsed earlier guidance set out by the Joint Council for Qualifications, suggesting that most pupils should be required to sit "standardised tests" covering reading, writing and cognitive processing to show that their "speed of working is affected by a disability." Schools and colleges should also show that a student is normally given extra time to complete other educational activities outside formal exams, it was claimed. Previously, some teachers were requesting extra time simply on the basis of reports from "privately-commissioned educational psychologists," which were not subject to external checks, it emerged. In further action, examiners were told to "take steps to identify and challenge" schools which are "requesting and making provision for adjustments for candidates who are not disabled." Fiona Pethick, Ofqual's director of regulation said: "We are concerned that some centres have given extra time to candidates who are not disabled. Many candidates may achieve better results in their exams if they had more time in which to complete them. If the system of timed exams and other assessments is to be fair, extra time must only be given to disabled candidates or in a limited number of cases, to candidates who have a short-term injury or illness which affects the speed with which they can complete their exams. Extra time in exams is normally awarded to students with some form of physical or learning disability that prevents them completing a test paper on time. Students can also apply for additional marks if they can prove that a sudden injury, illness, family death or even the death or a pet affected their performance in the exam hall. In a further move, schools can ask for the early opening of question papers and the use of other aids such as a scribe or word processor for pupils with other problems.