What these provisions do
This is a set of provisions that students with diabetes might need. It includes:
- small group supervision or seating near an exit
- permission to leave the room (supervised)
- permission for bite-sized food
- permission for a drink
- permission to take medical equipment into the exam room to monitor their blood glucose level (BGL)
- permission to take insulin, an injection device or a pump into the exam room (the pump can be worn at all times)
- rest breaks of 5 minutes per half-hour of exam time to eat, drink, go to the toilet or check their BGL
- rest breaks of up to 20 minutes to take remedial action if the BGL is below 5 mmol/L or above 15 mmol/L.
Who this provision is for
This provision is for students with diabetes who might or will need to do tasks in an exam that are normally not allowed.
How it works on the day
Students with diabetes might need to test their BGL, take remedial action and have time to recover from doing that.
While they do this, students can’t access their exam paper or their answers. They will also have no access to these during any extra time that they are given as part of a diabetic provision.
If the student uses a mobile phone to monitor their BGL, they can take the phone into the exam room. The phone:
- has to be placed on the supervisor’s desk and connected to power for the whole exam
- has to be connected to a separate monitor or screen on the supervisor’s desk that the student can see
- has to be set up to show only the app with the BGL information and remain unlocked
- can’t be connected to any network, wi-fi or cellular service
- can have a Bluetooth connection.
The school needs to set this up before the exam starts.
The student and supervisor can’t use the phone at all during the exam, except if the student has taken remedial action and needs to reset the continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) alarm. The student has to do this in front of the supervisor. When the student continues with the exam, the phone stays on the supervisor’s desk.
Treating hypoglycaemia (low BGL) means immediately eating sweet food or drink, followed by a slowly absorbed carbohydrate. For example, a sandwich or banana.
If the student’s BGL is below 5 mmol/L, the student may have one period of up to 20 minutes to take remedial action and retest their BGL. If, after 20 minutes, the BGL is still below 5 mmol/L, the student can choose to keep working. They can also submit an illness or misadventure application and include their BGL in it.
Treating hyperglycaemia (high BGL) means adding insulin (either by injection or insulin pump) to reduce the blood sugar level. High BGL will cause the student to be thirsty and need to visit the toilet often.
If the student’s BGL is above 15 mmol/L, the student may have one period of up to 20 minutes to take remedial action and retest their BGL. If, after 20 minutes, the BGL is still above 15 mmol/L, the student can choose to keep working. They can also submit an illness or misadventure application and include their BGL in it.
What supporting information is needed
Examples of supporting information for this provision include:
- NESA Medical form, usually including a diagnosis of a related condition or disability
- Student declaration.
Where to find more information
Schools can find forms and templates for most types of supporting information through the Schools Online platform. They will print out the relevant forms and give them to students, parents or caregivers as needed.
If the types of supporting information that we listed above don’t seem relevant, please contact the Student Support team to discuss your circumstances. You can contact us on: