The PDA’s advice is that members should ask for a reasonable adjustment if they feel it would be beneficial to making their examination experience equal to those who do not need an adjustment.
If you are sitting the assessment in June 2024 you will know from your own health and from your experience of sitting previous exams what adjustment/s will help you avoid any disadvantage. If you feel that an adjustment would be helpful to you, then the PDA encourages you to request one now and provide as much information about your circumstances as possible and medical evidence where necessary.
Collette Bradford, PDA Director of Organising & Engagement, said, “We encourage members to apply for a reasonable adjustment if they need one. Please remember that adjustments can be for mental health as well as physical health and that medical evidence is required. The PDA wants to see a fair and equal process where only the ability to practise as a pharmacist differentiates between each candidate’s results.”
The regulator guidance for the June 2024 sitting says, “A reasonable adjustment is an arrangement to make sure an individual candidate is not disadvantaged in the registration assessment because of health issues, disabilities, specific learning needs, or other specific needs.”
Examples of reasonable adjustments that may be granted to remove a disadvantage due to a specific need include:
- 25% or more extra time
- Use of special equipment or furniture
- Permission to use specific items during the assessment, for example, medical equipment, screen overlays, and computer equipment
- Specific seating arrangements within a test centre, for example, sitting in a sole occupancy room
- Permission to leave your seat during the assessment, for example, to move or stretch
- Specific coloured paper for notes and workings
- Modifications to screen display outside of those available to all candidates as outlined in the registration assessment specification for sittings in 2023, for example, coloured text or background not specified in the registration assessment specifications.
To apply for a reasonable adjustment in the registration assessment, you must:
- Complete an application form to explain both your condition, and also your specific adjustment request
- Provide information from a qualified healthcare or educational professional to confirm your diagnosis, and that the adjustment you have requested is appropriate to mitigate your condition
- Submit your form and supporting information by the deadline given for the sitting on the key dates page.
The application form you will need to complete and the evidence you need to provide will depend on the type of condition:
- Complete application A if you have a specific learning need, including dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, and dyspraxia. You will need to include a report of a diagnostic assessment as part of your application.
- Complete application B if you have any other type of condition or need. You will need to ask a healthcare professional to complete part of the form too.
Important: if you have more than one condition or need, you should provide evidence for each condition, and complete separate forms if the type of each need is covered by a different form. You should submit these together if possible, so that the GPhC can assess all the information you provide as a whole.
The GPhC recommends that you start your application in good time before the sitting to help make sure that you can get the information you need to support your application from a healthcare professional.
Full information on requesting a reasonable adjustment can be found here.
Please contact the PDA if you need any help or support once you have read the guidance. The PDA will provide further information and guidance shortly.
Learn more
- Key dates for the foundation training scheme
- Requesting a reasonable adjustment for the registration assessment
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