Word processors and 'normal way of working': how to keep typing evidence (with a termly log template)
For a standard word processor in GCSE and A level exams, "normal way of working" means the pupil already types their work in the centre, in lessons, internal tests and mock exams, because it meets a genuine need, not because they prefer it. Under the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) rules, a word processor with the spelling and grammar check and predictive text switched off is a centre-delegated arrangement: there is no online application to the awarding body, but the SENCO must be satisfied that it reflects the candidate's normal way of working, and the centre keeps the evidence. JCQ does not set a typing speed and does not ask for a typing log. The log and the 5-minute check in this article are an optional way of making typing use visible; what counts as evidence is always the centre's decision.
This is general information for SENCOs, access arrangements coordinators, exams officers and teachers, not advice on any individual candidate. JCQ normally reissues its access arrangements document every September, but for 2026/27 it has said there will be no new edition: the 2025/26 Access Arrangements and Reasonable Adjustments (AARA), as amended in March 2026, still applies. Always check the current version on the JCQ access arrangements regulations and guidance page, and your centre's own policy, before relying on anything here.
What does JCQ mean by "normal way of working"?
Normal way of working is the principle behind every JCQ access arrangement. The arrangement should reflect how the candidate usually works in the centre, so it is never introduced for the first time in the exam hall. For word processors, AARA says the centre can provide one, with the spelling and grammar check facility and predictive text disabled, where it is the candidate's normal way of working within the centre.
That permission comes with a condition: the word processor must reflect a need. AARA is clear that it should not be granted simply because a candidate now wants to type rather than write, can work faster on a keyboard or uses a laptop at home. The needs it has in mind include a learning difficulty with a substantial impact on writing, a medical condition, a physical or sensory impairment, planning and organisational problems when writing by hand, and poor legibility. Because the standard arrangement is centre-delegated, nothing goes through Access Arrangements Online; the decision, and the record behind it, stay with the centre.
JCQ's shorter guide for teaching staff describes the classroom side. Teachers are expected to respond to the SENCO's requests about a pupil's needs and normal way of working, flag changes, meet internal deadlines for evidence and keep relevant work or records. The guide also says candidates should have the chance to practise their arrangement before their first exam.
The exam itself is covered by the Instructions for conducting examinations for 2026/27. The device is cleared of stored data and used essentially as a typewriter, with no internet access or other applications available, and the candidate is present when the work is printed. Centres are also expected to have a written policy on the use of word processors in examinations, which a JCQ inspector can ask to see.
What evidence does the centre keep, and what does it not need?
JCQ does not prescribe a single form or a fixed list of documents for a standard word processor; your centre's word processor policy sets out how the decision is recorded. In practice, most centres build the picture from a few sources. Teacher feedback explains how the pupil works in lessons and why handwriting is a barrier for them. Dated samples of typed classwork and homework show that typing is routine across subjects rather than confined to one. Records of internal tests and mock exams typed under exam conditions, with spelling and grammar check and predictive text off, show the arrangement working where it matters. Notes from the SENCO or support staff, and relevant information from a previous school, complete the file.
What the centre does not need for the standard arrangement is a typing speed, a qualified assessor's report or standardised scores. Those belong to other arrangements, and our article on 25% extra time vs a word processor explains the difference.
Why keep a typing log at all?
A word processor only helps if typing is fluent enough not to eat into exam time. A short, regular record lets the SENCO see two things at once: that the pupil really does type in the centre, and whether their typing is getting easier. It also gives teachers a simple way to keep relevant records without writing a report. Treat it as supporting material for the centre's own judgement, never as a pass mark.
What should a termly typing log look like?
Copy this table into a shared spreadsheet or the pupil's file. One row per typed task is enough, and a few rows each half-term give a clear picture.
| Date | Task | Minutes | Words typed | WPM | Accuracy | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (dd/mm/yyyy) | e.g. History mock, Q4 essay | Conditions: spell check off? Supervised? | ||||
| e.g. English homework, typed | ||||||
| e.g. 5-minute copy-typing check | 5 | Same passage type as last check? | ||||
In the task column, note the subject, the type of work and whether it was a lesson, homework, an internal test or a mock. Words typed is simply the document's word count; for an essay it measures output rather than typing speed, because the pupil is thinking as well as typing. WPM is words typed divided by minutes, but label it carefully: composition WPM (writing their own answer) and copy-typing WPM (from the check below) are different measures and should never be compared with each other. Accuracy, meaning the percentage of characters typed correctly, makes sense for copy-typing; for composed work, leave it blank or note obvious slips. The notes column is often the most useful, recording the conditions (spell check off, timed, supervised), anything that affected the session, and observations such as "looks at keys" or "uses two fingers".
How do you run a fair 5-minute typing check?
A short copy-typing check, repeated once a term, shows whether typing is becoming automatic. The value lies in comparing like with like, so keep the method stable:
- Use the same conditions every time: the type of device the pupil will use in exams, spell check and predictive text off, a quiet room.
- Choose passages of similar difficulty, plain prose at an age-appropriate reading level without unusual symbols. Do not reuse the same passage, or you end up measuring memory rather than typing.
- Allow an unrecorded one-minute warm-up, so nerves and an unfamiliar keyboard do not distort the result.
- Time exactly five minutes, and tell the pupil to keep going rather than stopping to fix every error.
- Record speed and accuracy together, plus a word on method, such as "looks down after most words" or "home row, occasional glances".
A rise in speed with falling accuracy is not progress, and the method note often says more than the number. Above all, compare the pupil with themselves, not with a class average or an external benchmark; there is no JCQ threshold to meet. A free online typing test with a 5-minute option can do the timing and calculation for you, as long as the conditions stay the same each term.
When should a pupil start building the habit?
Normal way of working takes time to establish, so the earlier the better. Our guide to using a word processor in GCSE and A level exams sets out a plan from Year 9 to Year 11. If a pupil's typing is slow, or they look at the keys constantly, short daily practice usually helps more than occasional long sessions, and a free typing course is an easy place to start.
Where Kluppy fits
Kluppy is one option for the practice side. It runs in the browser on computers and Chromebooks, with nothing to install and no ads. The typing test is free with no sign-up, in 1, 3 or 5-minute versions, and a free account covers the finger-placement level and levels 1 to 7 without a card. School licences add a teacher panel with per-pupil reports on speed, accuracy and practice time, and class import from Google Classroom or Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 Education; see Kluppy for schools or UK prices. Kluppy data is not a JCQ requirement and does not replace the centre's own evidence of normal way of working; at most it is one more record the SENCO can choose to consider. Kluppy is not affiliated with JCQ or any awarding body.
Frequently asked questions
Does JCQ require a minimum typing speed for a word processor?
No. The JCQ regulations do not set a typing speed for the standard word processor arrangement. The test is whether it reflects a need and is the candidate's normal way of working in the centre, as decided by the centre.
Is a typing log required evidence?
No. JCQ does not ask for a typing log. It is an optional record that can support the centre's own evidence, such as teacher feedback, typed classwork and typed mock exams. Follow your centre's word processor policy.
Can a pupil switch to a word processor just before exams?
The arrangement must reflect the pupil's normal way of working, and JCQ's guide for teaching staff says candidates should practise their arrangement before their first exam. A late switch makes that hard to show, so speak to the SENCO as early as possible.
Who makes the final decision?
The centre, usually through the SENCO or access arrangements coordinator, working with the exams officer and teachers. Neither the awarding body nor any typing platform makes that decision for a standard word processor.