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Posted by Kirstin Barr on the 5th March, 2026
A quick reminder of what schools should check to ensure pupils can confidently use assistive technology in their exams. .
As the exam diet approaches, it’s important to make sure pupils who use assistive technology are confident and ready to use their tools independently.
Remember this should not be something new and should be reflective of a learner’s usual way of working but despite this, the final weeks before exams are a good opportunity to check that everything is in place and that learners know exactly how they will use their technology during the exam.
Across Scotland there are many learners using literacy support tools such as:
Learners can be using these in a variety of ways. They may:
In schools around the country many pupils will be working with digital question and answer papers or digital answer booklets, which allow them to type or dictate responses directly into a document.
Exams can already be stressful. Making sure the technology works smoothly helps ensure pupils can focus on showing what they know rather than worrying about the tools they are using.
In the weeks before exams as learners are completing their final revision and past paper practice , schools should make sure that learners have had the chance to practise using their technology in timed conditions. They are likely to have completed prelims, class assessments or other timed tasks which will help them with this.
Give pupils opportunities to practise using digital question papers and digital answer booklets so the format feels familiar.
Digital past papers, question and answer papers and blank digital answer booklets are available from Qualifications Scotland:
Qualifications Scotland Digital Exam Papers
If pupils are worrying about the technology, they are not focusing on the exam. Practice beforehand makes all the difference.
Make sure learners know which features they will use in the exam. Are they using:
They should know exactly what they are able to use and how to use it.
One of the main reasons for using assistive technology is to enable learners to work independently. They should know how to open any files needed, start and stop their speech to text tools, adjust the reading voices or speed to suit themselves and correct any errors that they may come across when they are dictating. But most of all they should know how to save and print their work at the end of the exam.
Remember that it is likely there will be limited access to support staff so building these independent skills is vital.
Before the exams begin, ensure that someone with appropriate technical knowledge has checked that devices are set up correctly including having the required software installed and updated and that the digital question papers and answer booklets open properly. Learners should know what headsets and/or microphones they are using and how to access the tools on the device. Checking these things before the exams start will significantly reduce the chance of problems during the exam.
Finally it is really important that learners have had the chance to follow through the full process that they will go through in the exam including:
The more familiar this process feels, the more likely the technology will support them effectively during the assessment.
And last, but not least, you can always access the Adapted Digital Assessments webpage for more information.
Adapted Digital Exams
A few simple checks in the final weeks can make a big difference, ensuring assistive technology supports pupils effectively when it matters most.
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