The guidance below is derived from the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) Access Arrangements and Reasonable Adjustments guidance (Chapter 5.18) (Adobe PDF format, 1.9mb) and the JCQ Instructions for Conducting Examinations (section 14) (Adobe PDF format, 1.5mb) covering the period 2023/2024. Areas relevant to EAL pupils are summarised below but full detail can be found in the linked documents.
Bilingual dictionaries are allowed to be used in some exams where this reflects the candidate's normal way of working and providing that their first language is not English, Irish or Welsh (section 14.2). Centres do not need to make an application prior to the exam or to retain evidence of its use for inspection purposes.
There are some GCSE exams in which dictionaries must not be used (see: section 14.3):
Users of bilingual dictionaries may also be entitled to 25% extra time. Where this is to be used an online application must be processed using Access arrangements online and form BD25 should be completed and available in the centre for inspection.
Note: for Level 3 qualifications a bilingual dictionary and additional time is not normally available except in rare and exceptional circumstances.
To qualify for extra time candidates must meet all of the criteria laid out in section 5.18.6 of the JCQ Access Arrangements and Reasonable Adjustments document:
Extra time must not be awarded to a candidate using a bilingual dictionary to compensate for difficulties in reading or writing English.
Be aware that many bilingual dictionaries used to support pupils in schools are not suitable for use in exams as they contain additional information such as pictures, explanations and wordlists. Centres should be aware of the specific requirements relating to use of bilingual dictionaries in exams which can be found in sections 14.4 - 14.6 of the JCQ Instructions for Conducting Examinations (section 14) (Adobe PDF format, 1.5mb).
EAL students that use reader pens to support their SEND needs can do so as normal but need to ensure that they meet the standards specified in the guidance (see: section 14.17). A reader pen that translates would not meet the guidance.
Translation of exam material or candidate's answers into or from the candidate's first language is not permitted.
Wherever possible, students should be given the opportunity to sit a GCSE in their home language. Where these languages are not taught in centres it can be difficult to find a suitable person to conduct the speaking assessment.
For some languages we may have a speaker within the team that is able to help or we may be able to put you in contact with a native speaker from within our network of contacts or a community organisation.
We would always encourage local schools to work together. As a last resort schools may have to pay for a professional to conduct the exams and this cost can often be shared between centres if organised in advance. Most translation and interpretation agencies should be able to support requests of this nature.
The following guidance is taken from the KS2 Access Arrangements guidance last updated on 18 March 2024. What follows is a summary and schools should satisfy themselves that they have read and understood the detail of the document. The section relevant for EAL learners is 4.1 Written or oral translations.
The Standards and Testing Agency (STA) do not provide translated materials but schools are able to arrange their own translations of maths assessments only. Electronic or web based translators can be used but schools must ensure that this data is secure and not visible to any other party.
Pupils can answer questions in home language or in English but if answered in their own language a translator should make a transcript before the pupil leaves the room and the original test script must be attached to the translated test script.
Translations can only be made to directions or instructions that are not part of the test questions. No help may be given with reading or understanding the questions or passages of text.