Who can ask for access support, and when?
Every candidate for an AIRS-J/1 Assessment may ask for an access support before the sitting. These answers set out who may ask, how early, how to ask, who is told, and what a candidate can do if a support is refused.
Each answer names where it comes from: the Standard, or the published procedure. "Published procedure" means the "How to ask" block on this page.
Who may ask for an access support?
Every candidate may ask for an access support before an Assessment and receives a written decision with reasons (AIRS-J/1, Section 8.9). The rule is written for every candidate, whoever commissioned the Assessment.
Which kinds of candidate does the Standard name?
Sections 12.6 and 13.4 name these kinds of candidate:
- an employee whose employer commissioned the Assessment;
- an applicant for a role, where an employer, a recruiter or a staffing firm commissioned the Assessment;
- an independent candidate, who presents on their own;
- a Campus student, where their institution commissioned the Assessment.
An applicant is told how to ask for an access support before they start, as part of the applicant notice (Section 12.9).
Is there a different rule for each track?
Section 13 sets no separate access-support rule for any track. The Campus, Professional and Practitioner tracks differ in their scenarios. They do not differ in dimensions, anchors, thresholds or decision rules (Section 13).
What is an access support?
An access support may change how a task is shown, how much time is given, or how a person gives or receives information. It may do so only to remove a barrier that has nothing to do with what is assessed. It may not reveal a decision path, a criterion, a consequence or an expected response. It is recorded in the transcript and imposes no level cap (Section 7.1.1).
How early should a candidate ask?
Section 8.9 says a candidate "may request an access support before assessment". The published procedure sets the timing: at least 10 working days before the sitting. Late requests are still considered. The procedure asks candidates to ask as early as they can.
How does a candidate ask?
A candidate asks through the AIR APAC contact page, https://airapac.org/contact/. The request says what support is needed and why. A candidate does not need to share a diagnosis. They share only what is needed to understand the request (published procedure).
What does AIR APAC do after a request?
AIR APAC takes three steps (published procedure; Section 8.9):
- It acknowledges the request within 3 working days.
- It decides in writing, with reasons, within 5 working days of the request.
- It records an approved support (Section 7.1.1 and Annex C) and arranges it with the facilitator before the sitting.
Who is told that a support was used?
An approved support is arranged with the facilitator before the sitting (published procedure). The employer is not told whether a support was used. Section 12.6 states this for employees and for applicants: "The employer is never told whether an access support was used."
Does a support limit the result?
No. An approved support imposes no level cap (Section 7.1.1). Monitoring information on requests, decisions and use "is separated from scoring and reported only in aggregate" (Section 15.6).
Does a support change what is assessed?
No. An approved support keeps four things unchanged (Section 8.9). They are the construct (what is assessed), the decision points, the stakes profile (the kinds of consequence in play) and assessment integrity.
What can a candidate do if a support is refused or not applied?
A denial of an access support, or a material misapplication of one, is a ground for appeal (Sections 8.9 and 18.6). Under Section 18.5, a candidate may appeal "an accommodation decision that affects access to assessment".
How does a candidate appeal?
The appeals page asks for the appeal within 30 days of the decision. It says the appeals reviewer reads the transcript, the published anchors, the access-support record if there is one, and the applicable procedures. The appeals reviewer was not involved in the original decision or delivery, and appeal is free for the first instance (Section 18.5).
The appeals page sets out the grounds and how to lodge an appeal: https://airapac.org/standard/appeals/.
What does this mean for employers?
AIR APAC decides on each request (published procedure). The Standard says the employer is never told whether an access support was used (Section 12.6).
Hiring use opens in a market only once the access-support procedure and the applicant notice are published for that market (Section 12.9; Annex A, row A15).
What this does not claim
- It does not list supports by type. The Standard sets the accessibility requirements for its official instrument in Annex F. They are not repeated here.
- It does not suggest that asking for a support lowers or caps a result. An approved support imposes no level cap (Section 7.1.1). Monitoring data on requests, decisions and use is kept separate from scoring (Section 15.6).
- It does not suggest that a support changes what is assessed. The construct, the decision points and the stakes profile stay the same (Section 8.9).
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