Note to school-based students: Your base school is responsible for all decisions regarding AARA. Please contact your school-based supervisor.
General information
Access Arrangements and Reasonable Adjustments (AARA) are provided to minimise, as much as possible, barriers for students whose disability, impairment, medical condition or other circumstances may affect their ability to access or participate in assessment.
Students may also be eligible for AARA where illness and misadventure (i.e. unforeseen circumstances) or other situations may prevent them from demonstrating their learning, knowledge and skill in internal and/or external summative assessment. At BrisbaneSDE, therefore AARA's are divided into 'AARA Special Provision' and 'AARA Extension'.
Students are NOT eligible for AARA on the following grounds:
- Unfamiliarity with the English language.
- Teacher absence or other teacher-related difficulties.
- Matters that the student could have avoided (e.g. misreading an exam timetable, misreading instructions in exams).
- Matters of the student's or parent's own choosing (e.g. family holidays)
- AARA applications on medical grounds must align with the recommendations of a medical practitioner.
AARA - Special Provisions
AARA applications must include:
- BrisbaneSDE AARA application form.
- Evidence to support the application.
Applications on medical grounds, must include the 'Confidential Medical Report' Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA), unless the student has a current Education Adjustment Program (EAP) verification. Applications for non-medical circumstances or misadventure, must include documentary evidence that the circumstances were unforeseen and unavoidable. Examples may include a police report, court notice or funeral notice of immediate family member.
Applications may also include a student statement about the impact of their medical condition or disability on their ability to complete assessment. For further information, see the AARA Frequently Asked Questions (below), or email the BrisbaneSDE AARA co-ordinator.
Penelope Woods
Email: aara@brisbanesde.eq.edu.au
Forms and documents