Who submits an IB inclusive access arrangement request?

The school’s DP coordinator submits the request to the IB on the student’s behalf, normally through IBIS. A teacher, inclusion lead, or school psychologist may help prepare the application and supporting evidence. However, the coordinator remains responsible for checking and submitting the completed request. The request must also have the support of the head of the IB World School. Students and parents do not apply directly to the IB.

Does an official diagnosis automatically qualify a student for exam accommodations in the IB?

No, a diagnosis does not automatically result in a particular arrangement. The evidence must show how the student’s current condition creates a functional barrier in learning or assessment. The requested support must also satisfy the applicable IB eligibility criteria and normally reflect the student’s usual way of working. Two students with the same diagnosis may therefore receive different arrangements. Coordinators should match the support to demonstrated need rather than to a diagnostic label alone.

Can a coordinator request accommodations shortly before IB examinations?

A late request may be considered, but it presents substantial practical and evidential difficulties. IB policy expects arrangements to reflect the student’s established way of working and treats support introduced only in the final six months as exceptional. Modified papers and specialist resources may also require significant preparation time. Coordinators should still investigate a newly identified or changed need rather than dismissing it automatically. They must consult the current Assessment procedures, submit any permitted request promptly, and avoid promising that it will be approved.

What should a coordinator do if the IB declines a requested arrangement?

The coordinator should first read the decision carefully to determine whether the request was declined completely, limited, or returned for further information. The school should compare the decision with the evidence and eligibility criteria rather than assuming that a diagnosis was overlooked. Under the current Access and inclusion policy, a request for re-evaluation must be submitted within one month of receiving the decision. The re-evaluation should contain a precise justification and updated evidence or a clear school statement supporting the requested change. While the case is reviewed, the school must not implement an arrangement that requires authorization unless the IB has approved it.

Can schools provide arrangements that do not require prior IB authorization?

Yes, the IB policy identifies some arrangements that schools may provide without prior authorization, while others require approval or notification. The exact status depends on the arrangement, the assessment, and the current version of the policy and Assessment procedures. A coordinator should never assume that a familiar classroom measure is automatically permitted in a formal examination. Even school-managed arrangements must preserve examination security, fairness, and the integrity of what is being assessed. The school should document its decision and brief invigilators on the applicable conditions.

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How to Handle IB Inclusive Access Arrangements

Q: What evidence is needed for an IB access arrangement request?

Requests requiring IB authorization normally need an appropriate official report and educational evidence from the school. The official evidence may be psychological, psychoeducational, medical, or, in relevant cases, a qualifying language assessment report. School evidence may include teacher observations, a support plan, records of accommodations, or timed work completed with and without the proposed arrangement. Reports must be current enough to describe the student’s needs at the time of assessment. The evidence should clearly connect the barrier, the student’s usual way of working, and the arrangement requested.

IB Coordinators Assessment Administration IB Exam Tips

• 7 Oct 2026•10

How to Handle IB Inclusive Access Arrangements

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How to Handle IB Inclusive Access Arrangements | RevisionDojo

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How to Handle IB Inclusive Access Arrangements

IB Coordinators Assessment Administration IB Exam Tips

• 7 Oct 2026•10

IB inclusive access arrangements should be handled through an evidence-based process that begins well before the examination session. A Diploma Programme coordinator should identify the assessment barrier, review the student’s usual way of working, gather current evidence, obtain consent, submit any required application through IBIS, and implement the IB’s decision accurately.

The central question is not simply whether a student has a diagnosis. It is whether a documented barrier prevents fair access under standard conditions and which arrangement addresses that barrier without changing what the assessment measures.

What IB inclusive access arrangements are

Access arrangements are changes to learning, teaching, or assessment that remove or reduce barriers. They do not lower academic standards, alter subject objectives, or change how work is marked.

Possible arrangements include additional time, supervised rest breaks, a word processor, a reader, a scribe, assistive technology, modified examination papers, adjusted seating, or a separate room. Eligibility is individual, so students with the same diagnosis may require different support.

The official IB Access and inclusion policy contains the relevant eligibility and evidence requirements. Coordinators must also consult the current session’s Assessment procedures in IBIS because deadlines and operational instructions can change.

The request process for DP coordinators

1. Identify the functional barrier

A request may originate from the student, family, teacher, counsellor, inclusion team, or medical professional. The coordinator should establish which assessment task is affected, when the difficulty occurs, and what support is already used.

Consider whether the barrier concerns reading, writing, processing, concentration, communication, vision, hearing, mobility, pain, fatigue, or emotional regulation. A diagnosis alone does not establish entitlement to a specific arrangement, while strong academic performance does not rule out a genuine access need.

2. Review the usual way of working

Requests should normally reflect the student’s usual way of working in lessons, school tests, and practice assessments. The support should be familiar, used consistently where needed, and shown to improve access.

For example, a word processor request is stronger when records show that handwriting causes pain, fatigue, illegibility, or severely restricted output and that the student routinely types substantial work. The IB states that arrangements introduced only during the final six months of study are authorized only in exceptional and unusual cases. Its inclusive access arrangements decision pathway supports identification, trial, evaluation, and review.

3. Select optimal support

The school should choose the least intrusive arrangement that provides effective access. This principle of optimal support means providing neither more nor less assistance than the student requires.

Documented barrier	Possible arrangement	Useful evidence
Slow processing or written production	Additional time	Timed work, standardized scores, observations
Pain, fatigue, or fluctuating concentration	Supervised rest breaks	Medical evidence, health records, trial results
Substantial handwriting barrier	Word processor or scribe	Handwritten work, typing history, professional report
Difficulty accessing standard print	Enlarged or modified papers	Specialist report, classroom materials used
Environmental or attention barrier	Separate room or adjusted seating	School observations, support plan, assessment records

These are examples, not automatic entitlements. Coordinators must check current IB criteria and determine whether an arrangement is school-managed or requires prior authorization.

4. Obtain informed consent

Before sharing personal documentation, the school must obtain consent from the student if the student has reached the applicable age of consent under local law. Otherwise, consent comes from a parent or legal guardian.

Explain what information will be submitted, why it is required, and how it may be used. Consent should be recorded under school policy and relevant privacy legislation.

5. Gather official and educational evidence

Requests requiring IB authorization normally need two forms of supporting documentation:

An official psychological, medical, psychoeducational, or relevant language assessment report.
Educational evidence produced by the school.

Psychological and medical reports ordinarily must have been completed within three years of the intended examination, although flexibility may apply to permanent sensory or physical conditions. A language assessment supporting an additional language learner application must ordinarily be conducted no earlier than one year before the IB assessment.

A professional report should identify the evaluator’s qualifications, explain the condition, describe its current functional impact, and provide relevant findings. Educational evidence may include teacher observations, a support plan, records of arrangements used, or timed work completed with and without the proposed support.

The evidence should form one coherent case. The report, school observations, requested arrangement, and established classroom practice should all point to the same functional need.

6. Submit the request through IBIS

The DP coordinator is responsible for submitting the application, even when another staff member prepares it. The request must also have the support of the head of the IB World School.

Before submission, verify the student and examination session, every requested arrangement, document dates and legibility, consent, school-head support, and the session-specific deadline. An older IB explainer identified 15 November for May examinations and 15 May for November examinations, but coordinators should confirm current deadlines in IBIS rather than treating historical guidance as operational authority.

7. Monitor the IB decision

The IB may authorize the request, authorize part of it, decline it, or ask for clarification. Read the decision carefully because conditions may vary by subject or assessment component.

Under the current policy, a re-evaluation request must be submitted within one month of receiving the decision and include a clear justification with updated evidence or a school statement. The IB indicates that re-evaluation takes at least four weeks, so early applications leave more time to resolve questions.

8. Implement the authorization accurately

Convert the decision into an examination plan covering rooms, invigilators, timing, rest breaks, devices, assistive technology, printing, security, and contingencies. Brief invigilators only on the information needed to administer the arrangement and protect the student’s confidentiality.

Students should rehearse under approved conditions during mocks and timed practice. RevisionDojo’s guide to extra time and examination arrangements and guide to IB exemptions and support can support familiarization. Practice does not establish eligibility or replace authorization.

Access arrangements and adverse circumstances

Inclusive access arrangements address known or continuing barriers and are planned before assessment. Adverse circumstances concern unexpected events close to or during an examination, such as acute illness, bereavement, or serious disruption.

A student may require both procedures. For example, authorized rest breaks may address a long-term condition, while sudden hospitalization during the examination session may require an adverse-circumstances response. The IB’s comparison infographic explains the distinction.

Common mistakes to prevent

Applying from a diagnosis without explaining the functional barrier
Waiting until the final DP term to collect evidence
Requesting support the student does not normally use
Submitting a professional report without school-based evidence
Assuming another examination board’s approval transfers to the IB
Using an arrangement before obtaining required authorization
Failing to test rooms, devices, staffing, and timing procedures

Families may benefit from RevisionDojo’s parent guide to IB exam access arrangements and accessibility guide for dyslexia and SEN.

Coordinator checklist

Identify and document the functional barrier.
Confirm the student’s usual way of working.
Review current IB policy and Assessment procedures.
Trial and evaluate suitable support where possible.
Obtain consent and school-head support.
Collect current official and educational evidence.
Submit through IBIS before the applicable deadline.
Monitor messages and respond to clarification requests.
Rehearse and implement authorized conditions exactly.

Conclusion

Effective handling of IB inclusive access arrangements depends on early identification, current evidence, established practice, accurate submission, and careful examination planning. The strongest requests connect a specific barrier to proportionate support without altering academic expectations.

After arrangements are established, RevisionDojo Questionbank, Mock Exams, Study Notes, Flashcards, and Jojo AI can help students practise within their approved support plan.

Sources and referenced URLs

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What IB inclusive access arrangements are

Access arrangements are changes to learning, teaching, or assessment that remove or reduce barriers. They do not lower academic standards, alter subject objectives, or change how work is marked.