Testing SEND and EAL students

Broadly, we recommend the following regarding accommodations for PTS. The advice may vary depending on the purpose of the assessment and the needs of each individual child. The access arrangements differ depending on the type of test selected. For most accommodations, we broadly recommend selecting the paper format of PTS. Please see below.

Paper

The following test accommodations CAN be used with PTS Paper: 

• Additional time (alternatively the test can be easily split into two sections and delivered over 2 sittings within a week) 
• Scribe/transcribe 
• Prompt (prompting students to keep them on track) 
• Rest break 
• Coloured overlay 

The following MIGHT be acceptable to use with PTS paper, please contact us for further details:

• Reader (questions/instructions cannot be rephrased, support cannot be given for numerical content such as numbers or scientific symbols) 
• Enlargement (be aware of questions which require diagrams to be to scale)

Digital

The following test accommodations CAN be used with PTS Digital: 

• Practical assistant
• Prompt (prompting students to keep them on track) 
• Coloured overlay 

The following test accommodations CANNOT be used with PTS Digital: 

• Enlargement (we recommend using the paper test for students who require enlargement) 

The following test accommodations MIGHT be acceptable for use with PTS digital, please contact us for further details: 

• Reader (audio is provided for all relevant instructions. For students with hearing impairment you may wish to consider the paper version of the test) 
• Additional time (Student’s work will only be saved once the ‘End Test’ button has been selected so please consider this when planning timings)
• Rest break (Student’s work will only be saved once the ‘End Test’ button has been selected so please consider this when planning timings)

Timings

PTS is not a timed test – students should be given as long as they need to complete it.

If there is anything about the tests that students don’t understand, they should ask. Teachers may give additional information on procedure and assist students in completing the front cover of their answer booklets.

Testing the cohort

The test should be given to all students in the relevant age group or class. However, if the test will cause distress to a student, or you are certain that a student will score no marks at all, then it is not necessary to include such students. Similarly, students should be encouraged to work through all of the test, but where you judge that it would be inappropriate for a student to continue, it is permissible for that student to stop.

Students who are absent on the day of testing may be tested later, if this is convenient for the school.

The administration of the test can be adapted for pupils for whom English is an additional language (EAL). This includes providing reading assistance for pupils with literacy difficulties. However, no assistance should be given with any science-based content of the test, including explaining terms, and support provided should not involve rewording the questions as this can mislead pupils.

Scores resulting from such non-standard administration of the test should be considered with caution. However, a standard administration will not give a meaningful result if the student is unable to access the test effectively.

Please contact your accounts manager or education adviser for further information.

If you need further assistance or support, please don't hesitate to contact us:

• UK customers: [email protected]
• International customers: [email protected]