Nearly one in three pupils in England are given extra time in exams, according to the regulator.

Nearly a third of pupils in England have been given 25% extra time to take their GCSE and A-level exams following a surge in the number of special exam access mechanisms provided, according to Ofqual.

The figure is again higher among exam candidates at private schools, where more than two in five received 25% extra time in the last academic year, according to England’s exams regulator.

The total number of approved special access agreements for GCSE, AS and A-level exams rose by 12.3% in the 2023/24 academic year compared with the year before, the data showed.

It comes as education leaders suggested more pupils are seeking support following the pandemic due to a rise in the number of young people with special educational needs, disabilities (Send) and mental health problems.

Requests for 25% extra time in exams were the most common approved form of access for pupils with learning difficulties or disabilities, followed by computer readers, scribes and speech recognition systems.

More than three in 10 (30.1%) candidates sitting exams in England were given 25% extra time in 2023/24, up from 28.0% in 2022/23, according to the latest Ofqual data.

Independent centres, the majority of which are private schools, 41.8% of all candidates received 25% extra time in exams in 2023/24, compared with 35% in sixth forms and FE colleges and 26.5% in non-selective state schools.

The increase in requests is likely the result of multiple factors, including the impact of the pandemic and rising anxiety and mental health issues.

Overall, 624,975 access arrangements for GCSE, AS and A-level exams were approved in England in 2023/24, up from 556,435 in 2022/23 and 512,085 in 2021/22.

Ofqual has stated that an individual candidate may be granted more than one type of access.

He added that once granted, a long-term access agreement is valid for 26 months, so these approved requests could contribute to the total number of access agreements over several years.

Summer exams were not held in 2020 and 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic and results were instead based on teacher assessments.

Exams resumed in 2022 and grades in England were restored to pre-pandemic levels in 2023.

Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders union NAHT, said: “Our members have definitely seen an increase in requests for access arrangements, particularly as students sit exams away from the main exam halls in smaller rooms.

At least some welfare problems are directly related to the examination system itself, where the number of assessments in a short period of time is excessive and the stakes are too high.

“This increase in requests is likely the result of a variety of factors, including the impact of the pandemic and rising anxiety and mental health issues.

“This can be compounded by the number of high-level exams that students face in GCSE subjects.

“There is also growing awareness among students and parents that it is possible to help students cope with exams and get the support they need.”

Mr Whiteman called for more support for schools and colleges to meet the growing demand for on-call duty in single or smaller premises, adding that finding staff and space could be “challenging”.

In colleges, the increase also depends on the proportion of students who need to resit GCSEs in English and maths.

Pepe Di’Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), said: “It is unsurprising that conditions for access to exams are increasing as the number of students with special educational needs and poor learning abilities increases. health.

“At least some welfare problems are directly related to the exam system itself, where the number of assessments in a short period of time is excessive and the stakes are too high.”

David Holloway, senior manager of Send policy at the Association of Colleges (AoC), said the rise in the number of students with Send syndrome and mental health conditions may have led to further adjustments.

He added that the increase in approved exam access arrangements had created problems for colleges due to “significant additional pressure” on accommodation and staffing.

Mr Holloway said: “In colleges, the increase also depends on the proportion of students who need to resit GCSEs in English and maths.

We are committed to high and rising standards and it is important that students with disabilities, learning difficulties or temporary health conditions are provided with access.

“The number of repeat exams is on the rise, and in some colleges more than half of students taking GCSE English language repeat exams require EAAs (exam access arrangements) such as extra time, a separate room or accommodations with a printed exam paper.”

A Department for Education (DfE) spokesman said: “We are committed to high and rising standards and it is important that students with disabilities, learning difficulties or temporary health conditions are provided with access.

“This will ensure that they are not unfairly disadvantaged in exams compared to their peers and that all students receive better life chances.

“All schools, including independent schools, are required to apply for access on behalf of their students and provide award bodies with evidence to support their application.

“We are seeking to determine what is driving this gap and whether there are systemic barriers preventing public schools from accessing these mechanisms, as part of a broader effort to identify dispatch in schools.”

An Ofqual spokesman said: “There are many factors that may be contributing to the overall increase in access mechanisms and there are many reasons why schools and colleges are applying for them.

“It is important that students are given the access they need to enable them to demonstrate what they know, understand and can do.”