Overview

• The regulator has removed its special access arrangements data for GCSEs, AS and A-levels from 2014 to 2024 after uncovering significant recording and reporting errors.
• An internal review found that duplicate entries and the inclusion of pupils who did not sit exams nearly doubled the reported rate of extra time grants.
• Revised statistics covering the academic years from 2020/21 onwards will be released later this year as "official statistics in development."
• Ofqual emphasized that its process for approving access arrangements remains unchanged and that no student support has been affected by the faulty data.
• The corrected figures are expected to align the proportion of pupils receiving extra time with the prevalence of special educational needs and disabilities in England’s schools.