Reasonable adjustments, such as extra time during assessments, are essential for ensuring fairness and accessibility in educational and testing environments. These adjustments are particularly important for candidates with specific needs, including conditions such as dyslexia and ADHD, which may affect pace and concentration. For example, candidates with dyslexia may need extra time to process written information, levelling the playing field and enabling them to demonstrate their knowledge without disadvantage. Similarly, individuals with ADHD may benefit from additional time to maintain focus and complete tasks effectively.
In Cirrus, there are three methods to grant extra time to candidates:
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Fixed extra time in the user profile: Add a specific duration (for example, 15 minutes) to a candidate's profile before the exam starts.
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Percentage-based extra time in the user profile: Assign a percentage of extra time in the user profile, allowing the amount to vary based on the exam's total duration.
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Invigilator grants extra time during the exam: Invigilators can grant additional time to candidates as needed during the exam.
How to set up extra time in user profiles
- Go to Admin → Users.
- Select the user to assign extra time to.
- In the user's profile, set one of the following:
- Fixed time: Enable extra time and leave the percentage at 0 to use the fixed extra time specified in the assessment settings.
- Percentage-based: Enable extra time and enter the desired percentage (for example, 15%, 25%, or 50%).
Cirrus begins preparing the assessment 20 minutes before the schedule starts. Extra time added to a user after this point will have no effect on that assessment and will only apply to new exams.
Configuring extra time in assessments
- Go to Assessment → Options.
- Choose the extra time method: select percentage-based extra time if you want the amount to adjust based on assessment duration.
- Save the settings before proceeding.
If percentage-based extra time is selected but only Extra time is enabled on the user profile (without a percentage value), it defaults to 0%.
If fixed extra time is set (for example, 15 minutes) and the user profile also has a percentage enabled, the fixed time takes precedence and the percentage is ignored.
Understanding extra time calculation
The system calculates extra time based on the assessment duration and the user's assigned percentage.
Example: For a 2-hour assessment with 25% extra time, an additional 30 minutes is allocated — 150 minutes (2.5 hours) in total.
Additional time is always rounded up to the nearest whole minute.
Example: 1 hour + 37% = 82.2 minutes, rounded up to 83 minutes.
Timed sections
Cirrus supports section timers. Only the percentage option applies when adding extra time to timed sections. For example, if a section has a 10-minute timer and the candidate has 20% extra time, the candidate will have 12 minutes for that section.
During the assessment: invigilator adjustments
Invigilators can grant extra time during the exam. See Invigilator action: give extra time.