In general, accommodations can be granted not only for exams but also for all forms of assessment during the course of study—including presentations, reports, practical exercises, written exams, oral exams, term papers, theses, etc. The compensatory measures must be necessary and appropriate to offset impairment-related disadvantages in the specific situation. They must always be agreed upon on an individual basis, as the same disability can lead to different needs and arrangements for accommodations depending on the field of study and the subject of the exam. Since the individual case is decisive, no binding guidelines can be provided. 

Assessment is carried out, amongst other things, in accordance with the requirements of the subject; here is an example relating to dyslexia:

• In a science subject, a reading and spelling disorder does not put a student at a disadvantage in a purely mathematical examination and therefore does not justify a claim for reasonable adjustments. If knowledge is assessed by requiring a written text to be produced, for example for a term paper or a lab report, an extension of the time allowed may be granted, or in the case of an exam, spelling mistakes may be disregarded.
  • In a foreign language exam where reading and spelling skills are the focus of the assessment, disregarding spelling mistakes would lead to overcompensation. In this case, an extension of the writing time would be appropriate.

Often, a package of measures is agreed upon: for example, if extra time is granted for a written exam, it makes sense to also arrange a separate room with its own invigilator to help the student concentrate.

The following questions should be clarified in advance:

1. Which skills are to be assessed?
2. What form of exam is planned, and in what other ways could the acquisition of the skills  be evaluated?
3. In what way does the impairment result in a disadvantage with regard to the performance required?
4. Is the disadvantage compensable, i.e. is it a consequence of the impairment?
5. What measures can be taken – in relation to the content to be examined and the illness-related limitation – to reasonably compensate for the specific disadvantage?

The following non-exhaustive list provides examples of possible and proven measures to compensate for disadvantages. Some of these measures overlap in terms of their content:

• Drawing up personalised timetables and/or examination plans: A personalised timetable that deviates from standard dates and prescribed course sequences reduces the exam workload, particularly when there are a large number of exams to be taken within a short period. Such a restructuring of the course of study may also include special arrangements, e.g. the extension of module and exam registration deadlines. Similarly, exams may be brought forward, postponed, taken alongside the course of study, or split into partial assessments. Furthermore, it is possible to enrol in advanced courses on a provisional basis even without proof of having passed the exam; however, this must also be decided on the basis of academic considerations.

   

• Taking into account students’ requests regarding the date, venue and seating arrangements, based on needs arising from specific disabilities: In the case of chronic illnesses, necessary medical treatments such as dialysis, or the need to take medication and its side effects, may mean that students are unable to sit examinations on certain days of the week or at certain times of the day, or can only do so to a very limited extent. Some forms of disability, such as mobility impairments or hearing and visual impairments, necessitate the choice of a specific seat, e.g. near the door, near or far from light sources, at the very front, etc.

   

• Allowing oral examinations to be scheduled and rescheduled at short notice, and not counting exam withdrawals due to disability: This flexibility is particularly beneficial to students with chronic and/or mental health conditions when they experience unforeseen flare-ups of their condition.

• Time extensions: Extending the time allowed for tasks is appropriate for many types of assessment – including coursework, written exams, oral exams and dissertations. The amount of extra time should be determined on a case-by-case basis. For written exams, it should be noted that a separate room with its own supervisor should also be arranged. Extending preparation and writing times supports students with dyslexia, those with motor impairments – particularly if they require an assistant – as well as those with chronic conditions where regular interruptions are to be expected, e.g. dialysis or migraine patients. Here too, a separate room with its own supervisor is recommended so as not to disturb the other examinees. Students who are severely visually impaired, blind, severely hearing-impaired or deaf also benefit greatly from extended time, particularly when materials and relevant literature are not available in an accessible format.

   

• Breaks and interruptions: Some disabilities mean that students need to use the toilet more frequently or for longer periods, and/or take medication or food at specific times. In such cases, individual breaks are required. The resulting time disadvantage during exams can be compensated for by not counting these interruptions towards the exam time and by extending the exam time by the duration of the actual breaks taken. If longer recovery periods are necessary, an exam can be split into several parts. Here too, it is advisable to provide a separate room with its own supervisor so as not to disturb the other examinees.

   

• Relocation of the examination venue: This measure is particularly beneficial for students with anxiety disorders, dyslexia and concentration difficulties, e.g. as a side effect of medication. In general, a separate room with its own exam supervisor is a useful addition to other forms of support, such as extended writing time and the use of aids like dictation devices and readers. In some cases, certain infrastructure must be ensured when selecting examination rooms, e.g. close proximity to an accessible toilet or a quiet room, as well as the provision of a workstation for blind students. The German Student Services Organisation recommends allowing examinations to be taken outside the university – in a hospital or at home – in specific individual cases where the examination venue cannot be accessed due to a disability.

• Replacing or supplementing an exam format: If the assessment of learning outcomes is not linked to the method of knowledge retrieval, written exams can, for example, be replaced by oral exams and vice versa. The same applies to presentations and written assignments. It is also possible to convert group work into individual work and vice versa. However, if specific forms of assessment are designed to test specific skills, they cannot simply be interchanged. In such cases, it may be appropriate to supplement an oral examination with written responses and written assignments with a presentation. The former applies, for example, in cases of hearing, speech and language impairments; the latter in cases of dyslexia or autism, as well as chronic and mental health conditions, such as a diagnosed anxiety disorder. You should also consider other forms of assessment, such as learning diaries or learning portfolios.
• Amendments to the regulations on internships, lab work and practical exercises/exams:Where students have limited capacity to work, it should be possible to split mandatory internships lasting several months or to recognise other forms of work experience, in order to avoid interruptions to their studies wherever possible. Students with mobility or sensory impairments should be permitted to modify, shorten or replace certain practical components with equivalent alternatives.

 [NS1]War mir nicht sicher, inwiefern Laborpraktika hier mitgemeint sind. Habe sie mal mit reingeschrieben. Gerne anpassen nach Bedarf

• Adapted examination materials: In general, the legibility of the questions must be ensured. For candidates with dyslexia or blindness, accessible digital documents and/or audio files can be provided. Severe visual impairment can be accommodated by providing materials in large print (at least 36 point font size and 1.5 line spacing). In the case of perceptual impairments, illustrations and graphics should be avoided in the exam questions. Highlighting key words in bold can also be helpful.

   

• Permission to use technical aids: If a learning objective can only be assessed through a written exam, blind students, as well as students with dyslexia, mobility impairments or very severe visual impairments, require technical aids such as a dictation device or a laptop with voice input and appropriate conversion software. To avoid disturbing other examination candidates with speech, a separate room is also advisable in this case. In addition, a reasonable extension of time must be granted to allow for the correction of transcription errors made by the speech-to-text software. Students must be given the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the technical aids in advance – either by testing the equipment provided beforehand or by using their own devices. In the latter case, the devices must be checked by the university to rule out the use of unauthorised aids.

   

• Permission for personal assistance: Students with mobility or visual impairments, as well as those with dyslexia, may also make use of readers and writing assistants during written examinations. In the case of speech or hearing impairments, or deafness, a communication assistant may be provided during oral examinations, for example to provide sign language interpretation. If students require personal assistance for other personal needs, this must also be permitted during examinations. In cases of mental health conditions and autism, the presence of a support person during an examination can be very helpful and is permitted.

• Exemption from marking for spelling mistakes: Not marking spelling and punctuation errors in exams is a measure that supports not only students with dyslexia, but also students with severe visual impairments and deaf students for whom German is a foreign language. For term papers and dissertations, for example, the automatic spell-check function in word processing programmes can be helpful, meaning that no compensation for disadvantages is required.

   

• Repetitions: In cases of speech impairments, as well as mental health conditions and concentration difficulties—for example, due to side effects of medication—it is advisable to take a tolerant approach to word-finding difficulties or stuttering during oral examinations. It is also appropriate to repeat questions and statements several times in a non-judgemental manner. This should be discussed in detail with the examiners in advance.

Depending on the nature of the disability, the type of examination and the subject, certain adjustments are usually approved and implemented without difficulty. These include, in particular:

• Adjustments through room layout (organisational adjustments)
  • Accommodations for physical disabilities
  • Accommodations for sensory impairments
  • Accommodations for chronic (physical) illnesses
  • Brief psychological interventions by psychologists from the Student Services Organisation 

The following adjustments to accommodate disabilities are somewhat more complex and should always be discussed with the representative for students with disabilities and/or chronic illnesses:

• Compensation for disadvantages associated with dyslexia (diagnosis required!)
• Compensation for disadvantages associated with recurrent chronic mental health conditions (e.g. depression, anxiety, psychotic episodes)
• Compensation for disadvantages associated with "long-term" mental health conditions such as ADHD (issue: case law)

At the University of Rostock, the General Examination Regulations (Rahmenprüfungsordnungen: RPOs) govern the provision of reasonable adjustments (RPO for BA/MA 2020: §18; RPO for LA 2020: §24) as well as the options for part-time study (RPO for BA/MA 2020: §4; RPO for LA 2020: §15). The prerequisite for approval is the existence of a disability and/or chronic illness. In principle, applications must be resubmitted each semester. However, in the case of a permanent impairment, a permanent arrangement may also be made.

Auszug aus RPO, LA 2020, §24 - Nachteilsausgleich:

Extract from the RPO LA, §24 - Compensation for disadvantages

“Die besonderen Belange behinderter und chronisch kranker Kandidatinnen und Kandidaten zur Wahrung ihrer Chancengleichheit sind zu berücksichtigen. Macht eine Kandidatin/ein Kandidat durch geeignete Nachweise, insbesondere durch ein ärztliches Zeugnis, glaubhaft, dass sie/er wegen länger andauernder oder ständiger Behinderung oder chronischer Erkrankung nicht in der Lage ist, eine Prüfungsleistung, eine Prüfungsvorleistung oder eine Studienleistung in der vorgesehenen Form abzulegen, so bestimmt der Zentrale Prüfungsausschuss eine angemessene Maßnahme zum Ausgleich des Nachteils. Insbesondere kann er die Dauer oder Bearbeitungsfrist einer Prüfungsleistung verlängern, die äußeren Prüfungsbedingungen anpassen (z.B. Zulassung geeigneter Hilfsmittel), das Prüfungsverfahren anders gestalten oder auch eine andere Prüfungsform festlegen. Der Nachteilsausgleich darf der Kandidatin/den Kandidaten keinen Vorteil gegenüber den anderen Kandidatinnen und Kandidaten verschaffen und auch nicht Wesen und Inhalt der Prüfung widersprechen. Die Entscheidung wird auf schriftlichen Antrag einzelfallbezogen getroffen. Bei Prüfungsleistungen ist der Antrag spätestens mit der Anmeldung zur Prüfung einzureichen. Der Zentrale Prüfungsausschuss kann die Wirkung seiner Entscheidung auf mehrere Prüfungstermine erstrecken, wenn und soweit nicht mit einer Änderung des Krankheits- oder Behinderungsbildes zu rechnen ist. Auf Beschluss des zentralen Prüfungsausschusses kann ein amtsärztliches Zeugnis verlangt werden. Der Zentrale Prüfungsausschuss hat die Behindertenbeauftragte/den Behindertenbeauftragten über den Antrag zu informieren und sie/ihn vor der Entscheidung anzuhören, es sei denn, sie/er verzichtet auf die Anhörung.”

The application for compensation for disadvantages must:

• be submitted by students as early as possible, at the latest when registering for the relevant examination
  • be submitted writing in an informal application) to the relevant examination board or, in the case of state examinations, to the State Examination Office.
  • In addition, the appropriate measures to compensate for the disadvantage must be outlined and
  • in exceptional cases, which must be justified, a current medical certificate from a specialist regarding the condition and its effects, or in individual cases a severely disabled person’s pass, must be enclosed as proof of the impairment.

VERY IMPORTANT:

Students can seek advice from the university or faculty representative for students with disabilities and chronic illnesses before or whilst applying for and arranging reasonable adjustments (see “Advice” for contact details). The representatives support the process and issue a statement explaining the impact of the impairment to the relevant examination offices and providing recommendations on adjustments. The Examination Board usually follows this advice!

Due to data protection and privacy regulations, the diagnosis or nature of the impairment does not need to be disclosed to the examiners!

The body responsible for compensating for disadvantages, as specified in the relevant examination regulations, reviews the documents submitted, decides on the applications and notifies applicants of the decision in writing. A positive decision sets out the approved measures for compensating for disadvantages in detail and is submitted by the students to the relevant teaching staff so that the approved arrangements can be implemented through appropriate organisational measures.

In more complex cases, the university’s legal department is consulted on matters relating to exam regulations. A negative decision must include a written statement of reasons and an attached notice of appeal. A written appeal may be lodged against the rejection of a request for compensation for disadvantages. In certain circumstances, the Dean’s Offices or the Disability Officers may also mediate between students and lecturers and other relevant bodies.