Extra time in examinations is one of the most commonly requested academic adjustments for students with ADHD, particularly at university level and in high-stakes assessments such as entrance exams, professional qualifications, and postgraduate admissions tests.

While extra time is widely assumed to be helpful for students with ADHD, research over the past decade has raised important questions about whether it truly functions as a reasonable adjustment — or whether it instead provides an advantage that goes beyond ensuring fairness.

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Why Extra Time Is Granted in Exams

Reasonable adjustments are intended to ensure equal access, not to improve performance beyond what is typical for students without disabilities.

For students with specific learning difficulties (such as dyslexia), extra time is often justified because:

• Reading and processing written text can take longer
• Students may not reach as many questions within standard time limits
• Additional time allows fair access to exam content

For ADHD, however, the reasoning is different. Extra time is usually granted on the assumption that:

• Exams place heavy demands on attention, working memory, and executive functioning
• Sustained concentration is more difficult
• Distractibility may reduce efficiency under timed conditions

This assumes that students with ADHD complete fewer questions than their peers under standard exam conditions. If that assumption is incorrect, the justification for extra time becomes much weaker.

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What the Research Examined

Several studies — including well-replicated work — have examined how students with ADHD perform under different exam timing conditions.

Participants included:

• University students diagnosed with ADHD
• University students without ADHD

They completed a standardised reading comprehension assessment under:

• Standard exam time
• Time-and-a-quarter or time-and-a-half
• Double time

The key outcome measured was access to exam questions — how many items students were able to attempt and complete.

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Key Findings

The results were striking:

• Under standard exam time, students with ADHD performed no differently from students without ADHD in the number of questions accessed and completed
• This suggests that students with ADHD were not disadvantaged in terms of access to exam content
• When extra time was provided, students with ADHD were able to complete 60% to 100% more questions than students without ADHD under standard conditions
• Importantly, extra time also improved performance in students without ADHD, as expected

In other words, extra time benefited everyone, not just students with ADHD.

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Adjustment or Advantage?

A reasonable adjustment should compensate for a documented barrier to access. In this case, the evidence suggests:

• Students with ADHD already had equivalent access under standard timing
• Extra time did not “level the playing field”
• Instead, it created a performance advantage

From an assessment-fairness perspective, this distinction is critical.

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What Do Broader Evidence Reviews Say?

More recent systematic reviews of the research literature have examined extra time adjustments across both learning difficulties and ADHD.

Key Conclusions

• For specific learning difficulties, modest extensions (around 25% extra time) may be appropriate in some cases
• There is no evidence supporting time-and-a-half or double time for learning difficulties
• For ADHD, the evidence does not support extra time as a valid adjustment
• Extra time does not address a demonstrated access difficulty for ADHD and instead provides a general advantage
• Similar conclusions apply to other mental health diagnoses where processing speed is not the primary impairment

As a result, some researchers have argued that extra time should not routinely be recommended for ADHD alone.

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Implications for Universities, Clinicians, and Students

These findings have important practical implications:

• Universities and exam boards must distinguish between adjustments that ensure access and those that alter outcomes
• Clinicians and educational psychologists assessing students should be cautious when recommending extra time for ADHD
• Students should be supported with evidence-based strategies rather than adjustments that may later be challenged

As requests for reasonable adjustments continue to increase, particularly at the start of academic years and assessment cycles, decisions must be guided by evidence rather than assumption.

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Supporting Students with ADHD Effectively

ADHD can significantly affect academic performance, but not all challenges are best addressed through exam timing adjustments.

More effective supports often include:

• Structured exam environments
• Reduced distraction settings
• Clear instructions and formatting
• Skills-based interventions targeting organisation, planning, and time management

Fair assessment depends on ensuring equal access — not enhanced performance.

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Final Thoughts

Research consistently shows that extra time does not correct a specific exam access difficulty for students with ADHD at university level. Instead, it improves performance for anyone who receives it.

Supporting students with ADHD requires thoughtful, evidence-based adjustments that promote fairness while maintaining the integrity of assessment standards.