Rules for readers and writers

Readers and writers

Readers may be approved for students whose disability prevents them from independently reading and/or comprehending written questions.

Writers may be approved for students whose disability prevents them from independently communicating their responses in a handwritten format. This includes, spelling difficulty, and illegible or extremely slow handwriting.

It is the school’s responsibility to find and allocate a suitable reader and/or writer. People who act as readers and writers do so on a voluntary basis.

Who can act as a reader or writer

The following people can act as a reader and/or writer:

• Year 11 student familiar with the subjects being examined
• former student of the school
• suitable adult
• retired teacher.

Who cannot act as a reader or writer

The following people cannot act as a reader and/or writer:

• relative or friend of the student
• currently employed teacher or private tutor
• person who recently taught the student
• non-teaching employee at the student's school such as a teacher's aide, clerical or office staff, lab technician
• person who has a close relative sitting the same examination
• NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) appointed examination supervisor or presiding officer.

Can the reader and writer can be the same person?

Yes. If a student has been granted both a reader and a writer, NESA would expect that the same person act as both.

Qualities that a reader or writer should have

A reader or writer should have these qualities:

• the ability to communicate clearly in English with a sufficient literacy level
• understanding of the subject(s) being examined
• clear, legible handwriting (if writing for the student)
• willingness to spend time practising with the student
• patience and sensitivity
• understanding of the need to maintain confidentiality and an ability to do so.

Student use of a reader or writer in a language examination

A reader and/or writer may be used ONLY to read and/or write in English. The student will need to read and/or write for themselves in the language being examined.

What a reader can do

A reader can:

• read the exam questions and any incorporated stimulus or resource material as many times as the student asks them to
• read the student’s answers back to them.

What a reader cannot do

A reader cannot:

• interpret the question(s) for the student
• advise the student in any way
• read in the language being examined in a Language examination
• leave the exam room in the first hour.

What a writer can do

A writer can:

• write the student’s answers exactly as dictated by the student
• ask the student to repeat a word or sentence
• ask the student to spell difficult or obscure words
• punctuate and use capital letters without the specific direction of the student
• operate a calculator at the student’s direction
• rule lines as directed by the student
• re-read the last two sentences that have been written, to enable the student to regain their place in their work.

What a writer cannot do

A writer cannot:

• interpret the question or advise the student in any way
• make comments on the student’s work
• alter the student’s work or write words that the student has not dictated
• re-write a student’s written work (ie a student cannot write out their answers and then have the writer re-write them)
• type for the student
• draw (if the student is unable to draw, please contact Student Support)
• write in the language being examined in a Language examination
• leave the exam room in the first hour.

What the student can do

A student can:

• practise using a writer as often as possible before the actual examination
• dictate his or her answers exactly as he or she wishes them to be written down
• advise the writer when to start a new paragraph, when to put something in brackets or inverted commas, and when to underline something
• regularly read over what the writer has written
• make notes, essay plans or jot down ideas during the writing time
• use a writer for part of the exam and write the other parts for themselves. Please note that extra time (to compensate for the dictation process) applies only to the time the student uses a writer.

What the student cannot do

A student cannot:

• ask to have the question interpreted
• ask a reader in a Language examination to read in the language being examined
• ask a writer in a Language examination to write in the language being examined.

Contact Student Support

• phone 9367 8117
• email studentsupport@nesa.nsw.edu.au