# How do I get exam concessions and extra time for my child with special needs?

Canonical: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/how-do-i-get-exam-concessions-and-extra-time-for-my-child-with-special-needs-in-school
Publisher: Pinnacle Blooms Network / Bharath Healthcare Laboratories Private Limited

Children with disabilities in India have a legal right under the RPwD Act, 2016 to exam concessions such as extra time, a scribe or reader, calculator use, subject exemptions and a separate room. To access them, obtain a disability certificate or recognised learning assessment, apply in writing to your school or board well before exam deadlines, and keep all documentation. AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.

*The right concessions don't lower the bar for your child — they remove the barriers that sit between what your child knows and how they're able to show it.*

## In short
In India, children with disabilities have a legal right to exam concessions — most commonly **extra time (usually 20 minutes per hour), a scribe or reader, exemption from certain subjects, use of a calculator or assistive technology, and a separate, calmer room**. To access them you'll need a **disability certificate** and/or a school assessment, then a written application to your school or examination board ahead of the exam. These rights flow from the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016 and board-specific guidelines (CBSE, ICSE and state boards each publish their own).

## The steps to follow
1. **Get the documentation.** Most boards require a **disability certificate** issued by a government-recognised medical authority, or for learning disabilities, an assessment from a recognised institution. A clinician-led developmental and learning profile gives you the evidence schools and boards ask for.
2. **Identify the concessions your child needs.** These are matched to the barrier, not the label — extra time and a scribe for writing difficulties, a reader for reading difficulties, a calculator or spelling exemption, a separate room for sensory or attention needs, large-print papers for visual needs.
3. **Apply early and in writing.** Speak to the school's special educator or principal first. Boards have deadlines — often well before the exam — so begin at the start of the academic year, not the week before exams.
4. **Keep a paper trail.** Submit the certificate, the assessment report and the school's recommendation together. Retain copies of everything.
5. **Reapply as required.** Some concessions are granted exam-by-exam or board-by-board, so check whether the approval carries forward to public board exams.

Concessions are an entitlement, not a favour — and they are designed so your child is judged on what they know, fairly.

## When to get support
Start the process as soon as you notice your child consistently knows the material but cannot show it under timed, written conditions — or if a teacher raises concerns about reading, writing, attention or processing speed. A structured assessment well before a public board year gives you time to gather documents calmly.

## The Pinnacle way
AbilityScore® is part of Pinnacle’s developmental assessment. Diagnosis, where needed, requires an appropriately qualified healthcare professional — and that clinician-led profile gives you the evidence-based report schools and boards rely on for concessions. Begin with a clear [developmental and learning profile](/ask/what-is-the-abilityscore-and-how-is-it-calculated), explore how our [special education and learning support](/special-education) prepares your child for exams, and start your journey on our [home page](/). Across 70+ centres in 4 states, our teams routinely help families assemble the documentation that schools request.

## Trusted sources
Rehabilitation Council of India guidance on disability certification and educational support; World Health Organization framing of disability as the interaction between a child and their environment; UNICEF-aligned nurturing-care principles on inclusive participation. Board-specific rules (CBSE, ICSE, state boards) should be checked directly each year as they are periodically updated.

**Next step —** Want the assessment report your school needs for concessions? [Talk to a Pinnacle team near you](/special-education).

This is general information, not a diagnosis — individual assessment and diagnosis require an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.

## Sources
- Rehabilitation Council of India — disability certification and educational support: https://rehabcouncil.nic.in
- WHO — disability as interaction of child and environment: https://www.who.int/health-topics/disability
- Nurturing Care Framework — inclusive participation: https://nurturing-care.org

## Connected topics and perspectives
- Parent: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/lens/stakeholder/parent
- Support: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/lens/intent/support
- Plan: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/lens/lifecycle/plan
- Special Education: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/lens/route/special-education
- Mainstream Inclusion: https://pinnacleblooms.org/ask/lens/empowerment/mainstream_inclusion

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