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Students with a disability, long-term health condition, mental health condition or specific learning difference (such as dyslexia, dyspraxia or slow cognitive processing) may be eligible to receive exam arrangements such as extra time, rest breaks and/or smaller exam rooms. At the University of Southampton, exam arrangements are known as Additional Exam Recommendations (AERs).
AERs are made according to individual need and students must provide supporting documentation of their disability, health condition or specific learning difference to the Student Disability and Inclusion Team.
AERs can be arranged throughout the year, not just in the lead up to exams, however the University has AER deadlines in place to ensure support can be implemented for each semester. All students will be advised of the AER deadline via email and SUSSED.
Please note: if you already have permanent AERs in place through our team, these will remain in place for the duration of your course. This means you do not need to apply for these again, unless you would like to make any changes to your exam arrangements.
Current AER Deadlines
The deadline for applying for exam arrangements for semester one of the 2025/26 academic year is Friday 14 November.
The deadline for applying for exam arrangements for semester two of the 2025/26 academic year is Friday 20 March.
We recommend contacting us prior to the deadline date to ensure additional arrangements for exams are organised as early as possible.
If you have any concerns or if you miss the deadline but have sufficient supporting documentation, please contact us as we may be able to arrange AERs for your future exams.
How to access AERs
To request AERs, please complete our request for support form.
You also need to send us a copy of your supporting documentation as it's unlikely that we can implement AERs without this.
If you have not already provided this to us, you can either upload a copy of your supporting documentation as part of completing the request for support form, or you can submit this to us by emailing studenthub@soton.ac.uk.
If you are an undergraduate student and change course (including moving from undergraduate to post-graduate study), please complete our request for support form to discuss this with your practitioner.
I do not have supporting documentation for my disability/health condition/neurodivergent condition. Can I still access AERs?
We are unable to organise any AERs for you without supporting documentation.
Please visit our I do not have supporting documentation page for further information.
Temporary injuries: How to access emergency AERs on an interim basis
If you require AERs due to a temporary injury such as a broken arm, The Student Hub may be able to organise emergency AERs for you, for one semester only. To be considered for emergency AERs please contact the Student Hub with supporting documentation as soon as possible following the injury.
What sort of supporting information do I need to access exam arrangements?
If you require reasonable adjustments for your studies, or exam arrangements such as extra time, we ask that you send us supporting information as soon as possible so that we can be fully informed about how best to support you during your time at university.
This could include:
- A letter or report from a doctor/healthcare provider.
- Any supporting information you have submitted as part of Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) applications.
- Other supporting documentation.
This could be a printout or scan of your medical records, information from the NHS app or a clear picture or copy of any medication prescriptions. Find out more information about medical records via NHS personal health records or GP health records. - A specific learning differences diagnostic assessment report.
- A JCQ8 form.
Your school or college is required to complete a JCQ8 form for students receiving exam arrangements for their public exams. You can obtain a copy of this from your school/college. - A JCQ9 form.
The JCQ9 form is used by SENCOs for pupils with a physical disability, sensory impairment or medical condition such as ADHD, autism and mental health conditions. JCQ9 forms can be obtained by contacting your previous school/college.
The above list is not exhaustive -we ask that you send us any supporting information that you have. Please send your supporting information to The Student Hub with the following subject line: Supporting information for the Student Disability and Inclusion Team.
If you don’t have any supporting information, or you’d like to discuss your individual circumstances with us, then please email studenthub@soton.ac.uk.
What happens if I miss the AER deadline?
If you miss the AER deadline, we will be unable to arrange AERs for the upcoming exam period. If you have a short-term temporary injury and require AERs on an emergency basis, please contact The Student Hub as they may be able to arrange this for you.
If you feel disadvantaged as a result of this, you may wish to apply for Special Considerations.
Who is informed about my AERs?
If AERs are agreed by our team, your faculty will be advised of your disability/health condition/specific learning difference and informed of any AERs made for you.
Your AERs will also be added to Banner so the exams office will be aware of your recommendations when they schedule exams.
For more information on how data is shared at the University, please view the University of Southampton's Privacy Notice.
I need to change my AERs: What should I do?
If you would like any adjustments to be made to your AERs, please complete our request for support form to discuss this.
If any adjustments are made to your AERs, your recommendations will be updated, and your faculty will be made aware. Please note you must contact us by the AER deadline for these to be implemented for your next set of exams.
Help with understanding your exam arrangements and how they apply
Please view our guidance below, which includes:
- • Where you can find your AERs.
- • When AERs are applied and when they are not.
- • Other types of AERs.
- • Looking after your wellbeing.
- • Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).