Exams regulator Ofqual has withdrawn its published figures on students receiving access arrangements after finding that the data “significantly overstated” the numbers involved.
The regulator’s data on access arrangements, such as extra time in exams, was based on figures collected by exam boards.
Ofqual said a detailed analysis of underlying data from the boards “has established that the published figures significantly overstated the number of students receiving access arrangements”.
It said the way the data is recorded and aggregated means it sometimes includes arrangements for students who did not sit exams in that year, or where there were two entries for one student.
Flawed data on exam access arrangements
A Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) spokesperson said: “Ofqual is responsible for quality assuring and publishing official statistics about access arrangements.”
The JCQ spokesperson said in most cases access arrangements data is uploaded to a centralised system by schools and colleges. Individual exam boards give additional data for some more complicated cases.
”We will continue to work with Ofqual to make sure that its statistics accurately reflect the number of students who benefit from access arrangements, such as extra time in exams,” the JCQ added.
A senior exam board source told Tes that the Office for Statistics Regulation got in touch with Ofqual about withdrawing the data rather than contacting exam boards.
Tes understands that Ofqual maintains it approached the Office for Statistics Regulation proactively to discuss the findings of its data and decided to withdraw the statistics itself.
The source further said Ofqual could have interrogated this issue sooner.
Tes understands that Ofqual says it has always recognised there are limitations to its figures and this has been noted on its website, and the new analysis has revealed the scale of the issue.
Tes has contacted the Office for Statistics Regulation.
Requests for extra time in exams
The withdrawn statistics had shown a significant upward trend since 2020. In 2024, according to the figures that have now been withdrawn, the number of approved requests for access arrangements rose by 12.3 per cent from the year before.
The most common requests were for extra time in exams.
Ofqual said its new analysis suggests that the proportion of students receiving access arrangements is broadly in line with the proportion of students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in the school population.
Revised statistics will be published in late 2025, Ofqual said, adding that it is working with exam boards to improve data quality.
Data on modified exam papers is not affected by the same issue, and will be republished separately.
Ofqual said the data weaknesses do not mean there will be any change for students applying for or receiving access arrangements.
Tom Middlehurst, deputy director of policy at the Association of School and College Leaders, said that while the ASCL is pleased that Ofqual has reviewed the data, it is frustrated it was incorrect in the first place.
“Clearly, having identified issues which indicate that this, in fact, overstated in the statistics, it is the right thing to do to withdraw and correct the data. This will lead to a more accurate understanding of trends around access arrangements,” he said.
Access arrangements last for up to 26 months, which may account for some of the double counting, as the arrangement will be counted across multiple exam series.
Private schools getting more extra time?
The now-withdrawn figures had also shown that a higher proportion of private school students were receiving extra time in exams, which chief regulator Sir Ian Bauckham told Tes he was concerned about earlier this year.
Education secretary Bridget Phillipson asked Ofqual to identify what was going on in more detail when the statistics were published.
The latest , published in December, said the watchdog was working to clarify what conclusions could be drawn from the now-withdrawn data, and if any regulatory action should be taken.
The report added that awarding organisations are legally responsible for determining which adjustments are reasonable, and any challenge of this “would be a matter for a court to determine”.
Julie Robinson, chief executive of the Independent Schools Council, said: “Ofqual is supposed to be the trusted source for exam statistics and as a result of these significant errors, independent schools have wrongly seen their results undermined and their integrity questioned.
”We are pleased that the investigation instigated by the Department for Education will lead to a correction of the record and we hope an apology will be forthcoming.”
You can now get the UK’s most-trusted source of education news in a mobile app. Get Tes magazine on and on
