What is AARA?

AARA (Access Arrangements and Reasonable Adjustments)

Let’s face it, exams and assessments can be hard and stressful for any student, but for some students, their disability or medical condition may make this more challenging. AARA are the access arrangements and adjustments that are put into place to assist a student when their disability or medical condition impact their ability to read, respond to or participate in assessments. 

Examples of AARA that may be put in place for exams include:

• Rest breaks for student with diabetes who need to test blood sugar levels
• Extra time for students with dyslexia who take longer to read and write responses.
• Varied seating arrangements for students with anxiety where sitting in an exam with a group of other students is not possible.

AARA is not about having someone explain the questions or simplify the wording of questions as we can only change the conditions under which the student completes the task but not the task itself.

Requirements to be eligible:

Although AARA for year 11 is a school decision, QCAA outlines that it needs to be based on a diagnosis (with appropriate reports or letters) and address the functional impact of the disability or medical condition.

In Year 12 (units 3 and 4), most AARA require an application be made to QCAA and cannot be implemented until the application is approved. The application consists of:-

• Medical documentation
  • Long term disabilities or medical conditions – The best form of documentation is the approved AARA medical form but other reports can be used as long as they are not dated earlier than the year the student was in Yr 10, outline the function impact of the disability and provide recommendations for adjustments. This may mean that an updated report may be required for the application if the original documentation used for Yr 11 does not meet these requirements.
  • Short term conditions, such as anxiety – The required documentation is the same but it is only valid for 6 months. This means that students will need to provide an updated medical report partway through the year and another application submitted to cover Sem 2 exams and external exams.
• School statement, completed by the school, outlining the functional impact and justifying the need for AARA.
• Student statement – This is not compulsory but provides the student with the opportunity to advocate for their needs if they want.

Should you have any questions regarding AARA or would like to explore possible AARA for your student in Year 11 or 12, please email Sheryl Bergel (Learning Enrichment Coordinator Yr 10 – 12) [email protected]