In need of special support?

Special conditions for exams

When you have a disability, you can apply for special conditions for exams throughout your study period. Some examples are:

• Extra time for exams
• Sitting written exams at a shielded desk in a quiet room with fewer students
• Bringing extra aids such as headphones, dyslexia software or your own computer

Your exemption follows you throughout your whole study period at CBS
Any special conditions for exams granted to you remain in place throughout your entire time at CBS – this includes switching to a new programme or when you transition from a bachelor degree to a graduate degree. You don’t need to use time to apply for exemptions each semester meaning that you can instead focus on your exams like all other students.

Permanent exemptions are only valid for the conditions that you have previously applied for. This means, if your situation changes and you need additional, or other, conditions than those you initially applied for, you will need to make a new application.

How to apply
You need to apply for an exemption to receive any special conditions to exams. In your exemption application, you should outline which special conditions you require and why you need them. The earliest you can apply for special conditions is once you have been admitted to CBS.

The Special Educational Support (SPS) counsellors hold information meetings in August and September, where they can help you use the exemption application system and guide you through the application process.

Individual study plans There may be periods through your time at CBS, where you have need of an alternative study plan that is adjusted to your needs and where you do not necessarily follow your courses as prescribed. This could be for a number of reasons such as needing to undergo treatment, or going through an exceptionally difficult time meaning that you need to take a short break from your studies or following fewer courses.

How to apply
You need to apply for an exemption to receive any special conditions for exams. You should include the following in your application:

• Your suggested individual study plan
• A description of why you need the study plan
• Supporting documentation

Your student guidance counsellor can help you to make an individual study plan that has been adjusted to your needs. The student guidance counsellor can talk you through your options and discuss the pros and cons of different study plans with you. You can then decide for yourself what fits your needs best and which study plan you wish to include in your application.

Your student guidance counsellor can also talk you through the exemption application system and the application process.

You can only apply for an individual study plan once you have been admitted to CBS.

Are you dyslexic?

If you are dyslexic, you can apply for service aids and adjustments to enable you to complete your studies on equal terms with your fellow students. You must have an official dyslexia diagnosis to apply for support.

What kind of support can you receive?
The National Agency for Education and Quality is responsible for evaluating which aids and support functions you can be granted. It is based on an assessment of your specific situation.

Typical examples of aids to people with dyslexia are:

• IT starter pack with service programs
• Study support hours at the Copenhagen Adult Education Centre (Københavns VUC)
• Books scanned into pdf files which can then be read aloud by software programs 
• Study support during your studies
  • Reading strategies and general strategies for course content
  • Use of service aids
  • Written assignments: overview, structure, breaking assignments into smaller parts etc
  • Note taking techniques

Read more about possible support functions and aids on the National Agency for Education and Quality's website (in Danish)

Could you be dyslexic?
You might be dyslexic if you have trouble reading and writing or find it difficult to convert letters into sounds and vice versa.

Symptoms of dyslexia include:

• You get tired or have difficulties concentrating when you read and write
• You switch letters around or use wrong suffixes when you write
• You are a slow reader and find it difficult to learn a foreign language
• You have family members with the same problems

If you recognise some of these symptoms, you might be dyslexic and can be tested.

How to get tested
If you suspect that you might have dyslexia and want to be tested, you must first contact the SPS guidance counsellor at CBS by sending an email to sps@cbs.dk. CBS will then refer you to KVUC (Copenhagen adult education), where you can be tested.

Do you have a psycological disability?

What is a psychological disability?
A psychological disability can, for example, be:

• Social anxiety
• ADHD
• OCD
• A personality disorder
• Bipolarity
• Autism
• Schizophrenia

What kind of support can you receive?
The National Agency for Education and Quality is responsible for evaluating which aids and support functions you can be granted. It is based on an assessment of your specific situation.

You will typically, as a student with a psychological disability, be offered different types of support hours. Support hours can help you with, for example, the following:

• Lack of resources and energy for your studies
• Difficulties with everyday structure in your studies – for example, with larger assignments
• The feeling of being overwhelmed and uncomfortable with study-related pressure
• Difficulties in functioning on a social level, including challenges with going to classes and being with a lot of people
• Uncertainty about your study capabilities and academic competence

Read more about possible support functions and aids on the National Agency for Education and Quality's website (in Danish)

What is a neurological disability?
Some examples of a neurological disability are:

• Long-term effects of concussion
• Chronic headaches
• Brain damage

What types of support can you receive?
The National Agency for Education and Quality assess which service aids and types of support you can receive based on an assessment of your concrete situation.

Typical examples of service aids for students with neurological disabilities include:

• IT service aids such as text-to-speech software and colour overlays
• Ergonomic service aids such as desk, chair, keyboard/mouse, and lamp
• Study support: One-on-one support with structure, planning and inner resources

Read more about possible support functions and aids on the National Agency for Education and Quality's website (in Danish)

Do you have a psysical disability?

What is a physical disability?
A physical disability is understood as a disability that limits your bodily development. It could for example be:

• a physical handicap
• impaired hearing
• impaired vision
• chronic pain
• chronic headache
• arthritis

What kind of support can you receive?
The National Agency for Education and Quality is responsible for evaluating which aids and support functions you can be granted. It is based on an assessment of your specific situation.

Common examples of service aids for students with physical disabilities are:

• Technical support aids to help with aural or visual challenges
• Ergonomic service aids such as desk, chair, keyboard/mouse and lamp
• Dictaphone

Read more about possible support functions and aids on the National Agency for Education and Quality's website (in Danish)

Applying for a graduate programme?
Start your application for SPS after you have accepted the offer of study place.
You can begin your application for SPS the same day that you accept the offer of a study place. This gives us time to acquire the service aids or support that you need so everything is hopefully in place around study start.

Is your bachelor degree from CBS and did you receive SPS?
If you received SPS during your bachelor degree at CBS, send us an email at sps@cbs.dk as soon as you have accepted the offer of a study place. Your SPS guidance counsellor will ensure that your support is transferred to your graduate studies as this otherwise does not happen automatically.

Have you previously received SPS?

You still need to apply for SPS at CBS even if you previously received SPS during your upper secondary education or another form of higher education. We do not receive any notification that you will start at CBS and your support is therefore not automatically transferred.

You should be aware that the support you receive at CBS may differ from the support you have previously received. The is because support is adjusted to the demands of the study programme that you will start at CBS.

How to apply

Please send an email to sps@cbs.dk after you have received a letter of acceptance and have accepted your study place.

What happens when you apply for SPS?

1. Contact the SPS guidance counsellor at CBS
   Your first step is to contact the SPS guidance counsellor at CBS as they can talk you through your options for support. This can take place either by email or face-to-face.
    
2. Application
   The SPS guidance counsellor will then start the application process for support with The National Agency for Education and Quality. The application is made based on the relevant documents you submitted to the SPS guidance counsellor.
   
   The only thing you need to do is to give your digital consent via eBoks/Digital Post. The SPS guidance counsellor cannot send your application off before you have given consent.
    
3. The application is processed
   The National Agency for Education and Quality will process the application that your SPS guidance counsellor has sent on your behalf. This takes approx. 8 weeks.
    
4. Support is approved
   You will receive an answer to your application in your eBoks/Digital Post outlining what support has been approved.
    
5. Support is delivered
   You will receive the support. This can be, for example, the start of a study support course or delivery of IT software. It could also be delivery of an ergonomic chair or something else entirely.

If you have any questions about the application process, email us at sps@cbs.dk

Documentation

You must be able to document your disability in order to receive support.

Examples of documentation are:

• A doctor’s note
• Medical records from hospital stays or similar
• Diagnosis papers for dyslexia

If you are unsure which documents you should include, email us at sps@cbs.dk

You can apply for SPS if you:

• Have a disability that prevents you from completing your studies on equal terms with your fellow classmates
• Are studying an SU-eligible programme
• Have a Danish CPR number

You cannot apply for SPS if you:

• Are enrolled to a HD, master or part-time master programme as these are not SU-eligible programmes
• Are taking single courses or are an incoming exchange student

If you are unsure if you meet the conditions, email us at sps@cbs.dk