Special Accommodations.
Fair adjustments so capable candidates aren’t disadvantaged by disability or circumstance.
Overview
Fair access is a principle, not an afterthought. PCI provides reasonable accommodations so that candidates with disabilities or specific needs can demonstrate their capability on equal terms, without compromising the standard.
At a glance
Examples of adjustments
- Additional time where justified
- Accessible formats or assistive technology
- Rest breaks or a modified environment
- Other reasonable adjustments on a case-by-case basis
How to request
PCI applies this consistently and documents what it does, so the approach can be checked and improved. Final detail is published as the institute matures, and is governed by the related policies below.
Common questions
Who can request accommodations?
Any candidate with a disability or specific need affecting how they sit the exam.
Will accommodations lower the standard?
No — adjustments support fair access; the competence standard is unchanged.
Do I need evidence?
Supporting evidence may be requested to determine appropriate adjustments.
Why this matters
This matters because a credential earns its value from substance, not marketing — clear standards, fair process, transparent governance and honesty about status. Everything here is written to that test: useful to professionals and employers, and never claiming more than is true today.
PCI builds in the open. That means being candid about what is in place and what is still developing, designing around the ISO/IEC 17024 personnel-certification principles, and never implying recognition it does not yet hold. That honesty is part of how trust is earned.
- Substance over marketing
- Fair, transparent process
- Honesty about our status
- Responsible, governed use of AI
Founding-stage document · Version 1.0 — effective date to be confirmed · Reviewed under PCI governance. PCI makes no claims of accreditation or recognition beyond what is true today.
How PCI decides what is reasonable
Every request is weighed against the same three questions. Does the adjustment remove a barrier that has nothing to do with the competence being assessed? Does it leave the standard itself untouched — the same knowledge, the same skill, the same pass mark? And can it be delivered securely, within the controls that protect every candidate's result? An adjustment that clears all three is reasonable, however unusual. One that changes what is being assessed is not an accommodation at all — it would be a different examination, and it would quietly devalue the credential for the very candidates the policy exists to protect. This is why the policy's promise is a level field, never a lower bar.
Accommodations in a proctored examination
Approved arrangements are set up before exam day, not improvised on it. In practice that means:
- Extended time is configured in the examination platform in advance, so nothing depends on a conversation under pressure on the day
- Agreed rest breaks are recorded with the proctoring arrangements, so a legitimate break is never flagged as an irregularity — see remote proctoring for how sessions are supervised
- Assistive technology is checked for compatibility ahead of the sitting, with time to resolve problems
- The proctor knows an arrangement exists, but only what is needed to run the session — not why it was granted
Kept separate from your assessment
Accommodation information is handled on a strict need-to-know basis and is kept apart from assessment judgements. The people who decide your result do not decide your accommodations, and requesting an adjustment has no bearing on how your examination is marked — in either direction. Records exist so that approved arrangements carry forward reliably, not to label anyone. If you are ready to request, the accommodation request form explains what to include; requests are welcome, expected, and treated as an ordinary part of running a fair examination.
Keep going
Arrangements we commonly approve
Approved arrangements have included extended time, rest breaks that stop the clock, separate or low-distraction rooms, screen-reader and magnification compatibility, adjustable display settings, and permission for medically necessary items at the desk. The list is illustrative — assessment is individual, against your documented need.
The constant is the principle: arrangements remove barriers to demonstrating competence; they never alter what competence means. That is what keeps every accommodated result exactly as credible as any other.