In the evolving landscape of educational assessment, the transition to digital formats presents both opportunities and challenges, particularly in ensuring accessibility and equity for all students. Given the increasing number of students receiving support for SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities; DfE, 2024), this shift towards digital high-stakes assessments necessitates a critical examination of how these changes affect students, particularly those with diverse support needs. This session explores the role of digital technology in enhancing the candidate experience and in ensuring that assessments are more inclusive and equitable, thus providing greater opportunities for all students to demonstrate their knowledge and skills.
As many national jurisdictions across Europe and around the world continue to create more inclusive education systems (Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, n.d.; OECD, 2023), the provision of accessible assessments becomes increasingly important (Ofqual, 2021). In England, 18.4% of children receive special educational support (DfE, 2024), making accessibility needs central to good assessment design.
Digital assessments provide opportunities to create more inclusive assessments with sufficient flexibility to accommodate diverse student needs. However, the path to accessible assessment, especially within a digital context, is complex, requiring a move away from a one-size-fits-all approach towards customizable assessment experiences. Adopting a universal design approach can significantly improve the accessibility and user experience of high-stakes examinations by reducing barriers through multiple means of engagement, representation, action, and expression. Therefore, inclusive and accessible assessment designs are likely to benefit the entire tested population, giving learners with diagnosed and undiagnosed SEND valid and fair opportunities to take high-stake examinations. This paper reports on a programme of research addressing key questions:
•How does digital assessment benefit students with accessibility needs?
•What factors should be considered when designing an assessment system that is fair, inclusive, and enables every student to succeed?
•How can we best leverage digital technology to develop high-stakes assessment experiences for learners that are more accessible?
We share findings from research focusing on learner experience and case studies, and highlight the ways in which customizable digital technology can enable greater accessibility. Two specific areas of research are highlighted: a Remote Invigilation pilot and case study research examining the SEND learners’ use and perception of digital technology.
Remote Invigilation for International GCSEs is fundamentally centred on the student experience. By harnessing new technologies, learners can take assessments in a location of their choosing while maintaining controlled conditions. Students are invigilated live by trained invigilators who assist them throughout the process. The remote invigilators monitor students from three different camera views, and a chat function allows students to request assistance. The pilot aimed to explore how Remote Invigilation unlocks access for learners who may not have otherwise been able to access their high-stakes exams.
In the summer of 2024, 500 students sat 5019 exams remotely across Europe and other parts of the world. Notably, 45% of the student cohort had accessibility requirements. Feedback was collected from students, parents, and carers via surveys and focus groups. 86% of students reported feeling empowered by the choice and flexibility the Remote Invigilation setup afforded them. While remote exams may not suit all students, findings indicate that leveraging digital technology can transform access and outcomes for SEND learners who benefit from alternative and personalised access arrangements.

Case study research explored the impact of technology on learning and assessment for learners with a range of SEND. This research provides in-depth insight into the implementation of digital technology in schools and its impact on learners' assessment experiences. The case study research included a co-educational comprehensive school, an independent school, and a residential special school for young people with physically and neurological impairments. Interviews with school leaders, teachers, SEND co-ordinators, and students revealed how digital technology impacts different aspects of the learning and assessment journeys.
School leadership teams spoke about challenges associated with ensuring adequate digital resources for all learners, whilst recognising that digital provision for all learners can act as an equaliser. A consistent theme in student interviews was how digital assessments increased student agency and independence, helping to reduce stigma and stress. Findings overall highlight the potential opportunities afforded by accessible digital assessment.
We discuss how research findings are informing improvements to the accessibility of digital assessments. Accessibility is the result of the interaction between test features and student characteristics. We outline considerations for designing accessible and inclusive digital assessments and share how we are addressing these complexities through a Universal Design for Learning (UDL) approach and meaningful engagement with learners and educators.

This session focuses on research findings that highlight how digital technology is being leveraged to enhance the candidate experience to meet the needs of diverse learners. Designing assessments through a student-centred needs-based lens ensures that digital assessments benefit all students. We highlight how inclusive and accessible digital assessments contribute to reducing stigma and can lead to greater student independence and confidence.

This presentation will be relevant to those working in high-stakes exam settings, practitioners and researchers in onscreen assessment and accessibility, assessment designers, and policy makers involved in national transformations of assessment from paper-based to digital formats.