Special Arrangements for Candidates with Visual Difficulties (BEC)

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Visual difficulties may range from a minor condition to total blindness, and UCLES can supply enlarged and modified question papers for less serious difficulties, or brailed and modified question papers where these are required.

Exams

If you have visual difficulties, you can ask for Special Arrangements to be made so that you can take the following EFL exams:

• Key English Test (KET)
• Preliminary English Test (PET)
• First Certificate in English (FCE)
• Certificate in Advanced English (CAE)
• Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE)
• Business English Certificates (BEC)
• Certificates in Communicative Skills in English (CCSE)
• Certificate in English for International Business and Trade (CEIBT)
• Cambridge Examination in English for Language Teachers (CEELT)
• International English Testing System (IELTS)

Applications for Special Arrangements for other EFL examinations not listed above may be possible.

How to apply for Special Arrangements

You must apply as soon as possible through your Local Secretary. In the case of IELTS you must apply through your IELTS centre.

Please check the latest dates for application which vary according to the examination and are usually at least six months before the examination. Your Local Secretary/IELTS Administrator will tell you when you must apply.

The Local Secretary/IELTS Administrator will ask for full details of your particular visual difficulty, and make all the necessary special arrangements for you to take the examination.

You may be asked to provide a medical certificate.

Please read through the following sections carefully, and make sure that you ask for all the necessary arrangements to be made.

See the Important notes section.

What Special Arrangements you can request

1. Extra Time
If you have visual difficulties, you will almost certainly need extra time to complete a paper. You may ask for an extra 25% of the normal time allowed for a paper.

You may ask for more than 25% extra time. This might be necessary if, for example, it takes you a long time to read the questions or record your answers.

Remember, however, that too much extra time may make you very tired.

You will also be allowed to have breaks whilst taking a paper, in addition to any extra time you need. Ask your Local Secretary/IELTS Administrator to tell you what you will be allowed.

2. Reading the question papers in a different way
If you are partially-sighted you may use the following equipment:

magnifying glass

closed-circuit television (CCTV)

hand-held scanning apparatus.

You may ask a 'reader' to read and re-read questions to you (but see the Important notes section).

3. Writing your answers in a different way
If you wish, you may record your answers in the following ways:

you may use your Braille machine

you may use your Braille machine, linked to a printer

you may use a typewriter or word-processor. If you want to use a word-processor, it must not have a spellcheck or thesaurus facility

you may dictate your answers to an amanuensis (see the Important notes section).

4. Braille Question Papers
Braille versions of KET, PET, FCE, CAE, CPE, BEC, CEELT, CEIBT, IELTS and CCSE (certain papers only) can normally be made available.

Please tell us whether you need your papers in contracted or uncontracted Braille.

Please note:

the supervisor will also have a print version of each Braille paper

in some papers we arrange for the texts and the questions to be brailed in separate booklets.

We can send you past examination papers in Braille as practice material. Please ask us in good time, if you would like us to send you some past papers. Contact the EFL Special Circumstances Unit (see the Important notes section).

5. Enlarged Question Papers
You can ask for two different kinds of enlarged question paper.

Type 1:
We enlarge the standard question paper making no changes to the layout or material. You will receive A3 size question papers.

Type 2:
We change the question papers, removing "visual" material which is not essential for answering the question. We then make large-print versions of the papers in A4 size.

Note that we can also supply reduced print question papers.

6. Listening Tests
We make special arrangements for these tests.

Many of the questions in the listening tests ask candidates to make notes while they listen to a tape. If you are blind or have visual difficulties you may not be able to do this.

We produce a special version of the listening test.

You will hear the same material and answer the same questions as other candidates.

However, the supervisor will:

stop the tape before each part of the test to allow you enough time to read the questions

stop the tape at certain points during each part to allow you enough time to write one or more answers

stop the tape after each part to allow you enough time to check your answers.

You should note that when the tape is paused during a part, you:

may not need to write an answer at all

may need to write more than one answer.

A special version of the listening test is available for all candidates with visual difficulties.

7. Speaking Tests
For KET, PET, FCE, CAE or CCSE, you must normally take the speaking test with a partner.

If you have visual difficulties, you can apply to:

have extra time if it takes you longer than usual to read any examination material or decide what you want to say

take the test with a partner who is not taking the examination

take the test without a partner (i.e. in the parts of the test which usually ask both candidates to talk to each other, you talk to the examiner instead)

use adapted visual material (see below).

Parts of the speaking test for some examinations are visual -- they use pictures taken from newspapers or magazines, for example.

If you are partially sighted we can supply enlarged copies of these pictures. If you find it difficult to use enlarged pictures we can supply enlarged print versions of written descriptions of the photographs. Talk to your Local Secretary about which would be best for you.

We can also supply material in Braille for blind candidates.

For example, in the Braille version of the FCE Speaking Test:

the examiner will spend a few minutes asking you to talk about yourself

you will then be given short written descriptions of two photographs in Braille. The examiner will ask you to compare and contrast the situations in the descriptions and give your opinion about them. You will have about a minute to do this

finally you will be asked to take part in various conversational activities using brailed notes or information.

8. Having a 'reader' or an amanuensis.
A reader is a person who will read the questions out to you.
Note that the reader will not explain the questions to you or offer any advice.
A reader is not allowed to read out the texts in a 'Reading' Test.

An amanuensis is a person who will write down your answers.

If you would like an amanuensis to write down your answers, you should note that:

you will be asked to spell certain words.

you must also indicate punctuation.

The amanuensis will also read your answers back to you if you wish.

Please contact your Local Secretary/IELTS Administrator if you would like to know more about having a reader or an amanuensis.

We recommend that you practise with a reader/amanuensis before the examination. For example, you should make sure that you can spell out the letters of the alphabet.

Important notes

1. Please note that it may not always be possible for a Braille version of a particular examination to be prepared.

2. UCLES reserves the right not to approve applications for Special Arrangements. No application will be considered unless it has the unreserved support of the Local Secretary/IELTS Administrator or Principal of the Centre.

Further information

If you would like information or advice, please first contact:
your UCLES Local Secretary/IELTS Administrator

For further information or advice about Special Arrangements contact:
EFL Special Circumstances Unit
University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate
1 Hills Road
Cambridge
CB1 2 EU
United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0)1223 553744/553276
E-mail: shuter.r@ucles.org.uk