11 Plus extra time and SEN: evidence and access arrangements

Your child may be able to receive extra time or another adjustment in an 11 Plus test if the evidence supports it and the test organiser approves the arrangement. Being on a SEN register, having a diagnosis or holding an education, health and care plan (EHCP) does not create a single automatic entitlement to 25% extra time across every 11 Plus exam.

Who decides whether extra time is appropriate?

Start with the school, consortium or local authority organising the particular test. Its access-arrangements policy tells you who applies, what evidence is needed and who makes the decision. Your child’s current SENCO—the special educational needs co-ordinator—and headteacher can help explain the support already used in school.

Buckinghamshire’s official guidance, for example, describes a panel process based on the child’s needs and ordinary classroom support. This is a local procedure, not a national rule for all GL Assessment papers. The same test provider’s name does not mean every school uses an identical application process.

Does dyslexia, ADHD or autism automatically qualify a child?

The useful question is how the child’s needs affect access to the specific assessment. Two children with the same diagnosis may face different barriers. A report naming a condition may need to be accompanied by an explanation of its practical impact and the support used in school. Ask the organiser what it requires; do not assume one diagnostic score, a particular private report or a fixed length of history is mandatory everywhere.

GOV.UK explains schools’ duties towards disabled pupils, including reasonable adjustments. Those duties do not mean parents can choose any adjustment or percentage of extra time. Equally, an unfinished assessment should prompt an early discussion about existing evidence, rather than waiting silently until the deadline has passed.

Extra time is only one possible arrangement

These are discussion points, not a list of guaranteed options. A reader may be treated differently in a test of reading from another assessment. Additional working time and a rest break are also different: get the actual conditions in writing rather than assuming that a longer session means more time to answer questions.

Prepare evidence around the barrier, not just the label

Use this practical worksheet with the SENCO. It is an organisational aid, not an official eligibility test.

Before paying for a new private assessment, ask which professional qualifications, report content and evidence dates the organiser accepts. A commercial mock result alone is not a substitute for its published evidence requirements. Send sensitive reports through the submission route it specifies and keep a copy of the acknowledgement.

A checklist for 2027 test applications

1. 1Identify each actual test your child may take; several school preferences can share one test, while others need separate requests.
2. 2Record the access-arrangements deadline separately from the test-registration and school-application deadlines.
3. 3Ask the SENCO or headteacher who must complete and submit each part. Allow time for school holidays and missing documents.
4. 4Submit the required evidence and check that the organiser has received it. If an assessment is pending, ask what can be submitted now.
5. 5Obtain the decision in writing. Confirm the papers covered, room, breaks, equipment and any different test time or venue.
6. 6Tell your child calmly what to expect. Use the confirmed conditions for familiarisation where appropriate.

Do not import a GCSE or A-level JCQ deadline or Form 8 requirement into an 11 Plus application unless this particular organiser asks for it. SATs arrangements also do not automatically transfer. Keep the exam-day checklist alongside the individual confirmation.

What if the request is refused, late or needs changing?

Ask for the reason and the organiser’s procedure for reconsideration, complaints or new evidence. Explain precisely what you believe was missed. If an injury or other need arises close to the test, contact the organiser immediately; do not assume staff can approve a change at the door or that extra marks will be added afterwards.

A dispute about access arrangements, an appeal against refusal of a school place and a dispute about an EHCP are different matters. Seek help from your local SEND information, advice and support service when the correct route is unclear. There is no universal seven-day appeal process or guaranteed outcome for all 11 Plus tests.

Keep testing and future school support separate

Approval for an entrance-test adjustment does not settle what support a child will need in Year 7. Read our separate guides to grammar-school admission with SEN or an EHCP and checking support for dyslexia, ADHD or autism.

Sources checked

• Buckinghamshire Council: access arrangements
• GOV.UK: disability rights in education
• British Dyslexia Association: exam access arrangements

Reviewed on 8 October 2026. Check the organiser’s current policy before applying; this guide does not confirm future local deadlines or an individual child’s entitlement.