ExamPad+ gives students with Exam Access Arrangements a secure, familiar word processor — and prepares every student for exam day with daily Classroom Mode practice.
Most students only touch exam software on the day of their exam. ExamPad+'s Classroom Mode lets students use the full word processor as part of their daily lesson routine — building familiarity and confidence before exams arrive.
ExamPad+ combines a secure, locked-down exam environment with a familiar word processor — and the unique Classroom Mode that sets students up for success long before exam day.
A fully-featured word processor students use every day in class. Same interface as exam mode — so when exam day comes, there are zero surprises. Builds typing confidence and familiarity as part of normal school routine.
Full lockdown mode prevents access to the internet, other applications, or files. Designed with security at its core — compliant with JCQ, SQA, and Cambridge iGCSE requirements.
Work is automatically backed up throughout the exam. Functions fully offline so poor Wi-Fi or network issues will never cost a student their work.
Built from the ground up for students with Exam Access Arrangements. Customisable fonts, sizes, colours, contrast modes, and spacing — meeting each student's normal way of working.
Full formatting options including bold, italic, underline, font choice, size, and line spacing. Can be restricted or unlocked depending on exam board requirements and student needs.
Students can insert accented and special characters with ease — essential for modern language exams in French, Spanish, German, and more.
Exams officers can print completed exam scripts in bulk once the session ends. Each document is clearly labelled with candidate information for easy processing.
Full configuration tool for IT teams and network managers. Set spell-check policies, candidate numbers, USB monitoring, and manage settings school-wide from one dashboard.
Supports 25% and other time extensions as per JCQ access arrangement entitlements. Countdown timers and alerts are built in to support the invigilation process.
Track student usage of Classroom Mode over time. Understand who is building familiarity with the software and identify those who might benefit from more practice before exams.
Create and manage exam sessions by subject, cohort, or date. Assign students to sessions and control which features are available for each individual exam.
No per-student licences, no annual subscription, no hidden fees. ExamPad+ is free for all primary and secondary schools because every student deserves access to the tools they need.
ExamPad+ is designed to satisfy all software-enforceable requirements from JCQ's Instructions for Conducting Examinations (ICE), section 14.25 — the definitive standard for word processor use in UK public examinations.
The requirements below are taken directly from JCQ ICE section 14.25. Only software-based requirements are listed here — physical and invigilation responsibilities (such as ensuring the device is charged, that screens cannot be seen by other candidates, or that a separate invigilator is present) remain the responsibility of the centre.
View JCQ ICE Document →"Must be used as a typewriter, not as a database, although standard formatting software is acceptable."
ExamPad+ is a dedicated word processor. Bold, italic, underline, font choice, size, and line spacing are all supported as standard formatting. There is no database, spreadsheet, filing, or data management functionality of any kind within the application.
"Must have been cleared of any previously stored data, as must any portable storage medium used."
Each exam session opens to a completely blank document. No previous candidate work, autocomplete history, or cached content from prior sessions is accessible. ExamPad+ does not retain any data between exam sessions.
"Must be used to produce work under secure conditions, otherwise the candidate's script may not be accepted."
ExamPad+'s Exam Mode locks the application into a full-screen secure state. System keyboard shortcuts (Alt+Tab, Windows key, etc.) are intercepted and blocked, the taskbar is hidden, and the candidate cannot navigate away from the application during an active exam session.
"Must not give the candidate access to other applications, such as a calculator (where prohibited in the examination), email, the Internet, social media sites or spreadsheets." / "Must not be used to perform skills which are being assessed."
In Exam Mode, access to all other applications, files, and system functions is blocked. ExamPad+ makes no network connections and cannot be used to access the internet, email, calculators, or any external resource during an exam. The application contains no tools that could be used to perform skills being assessed.
"Must not include graphics packages or computer aided design software unless permission has been given to use these."
ExamPad+ contains no image editing tools, drawing packages, or CAD functionality whatsoever. It is a text-only word processor. No graphical tools are accessible to candidates at any point.
"Must not have any predictive text software or an automatic spelling and grammar check enabled unless the candidate has been permitted a scribe or the awarding body's specification permits the use of automatic spellchecking."
Spell checking, grammar checking, and predictive text are all disabled by default in Exam Mode. Administrators can enable them individually for specific candidates where an awarding body specification or approved access arrangement permits it.
"Must not include computer reading (text to speech) software unless the candidate has permission to use a computer reader."
Text-to-speech is not enabled by default and is not available to candidates unless explicitly activated for that individual by an administrator, where a computer reader arrangement has been approved by the awarding body.
"Must not include speech recognition technology unless the candidate has permission to use a scribe (a scribe cover sheet must be completed)."
Speech recognition is disabled by default and is not available to candidates unless explicitly enabled for that individual by an administrator where scribe permission has been granted and the appropriate cover sheet completed.
"Must not include AI tools."
ExamPad+ contains no artificial intelligence tools of any kind. There is no AI writing assistance, text generation, AI-powered grammar suggestion, predictive writing, or any AI-powered feature anywhere in the application — in either Exam Mode or Classroom Mode.
"Must either be connected to a printer so that a script can be printed off, or have the facility to print from a portable storage medium."
ExamPad+ supports direct printing to any printer connected to the device. Scripts can also be exported for printing from a portable storage medium after the examination ends. Batch printing is available for exams officers to process all scripts from a session at once.
💡 "I saw students with Exam Access Arrangements struggling to use unfamiliar software on their most important days. I built ExamPad+ to change that."
ExamPad+ was created by a school network manager who saw first-hand the challenges faced by students with SEND and those entitled to Exam Access Arrangements. These students often had the right to use a word processor in their exams — but arrived on the day having rarely, if ever, used the software before.
The result was unnecessary anxiety, lost time, and outcomes that didn't reflect what students were truly capable of. The answer was simple but powerful: give students access to the same exam software every single day in class, as part of their normal routine.
That's Classroom Mode — and it's what makes ExamPad+ genuinely different. It's not just an exam tool. It's a daily learning companion that builds genuine familiarity and confidence over months, not minutes.
Because this problem affects students in every school across the country, ExamPad+ is, and always will be, completely free for primary and secondary schools.
Designed from the start to support students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. Every feature decision is made with accessibility and inclusion at its heart.
Built with security as a core principle, not an afterthought. Hosted on Cloudflare's global network for speed, reliability, and protection. JCQ, SQA, and Cambridge compliant.
No per-student fees, no annual licences, no enterprise pricing. ExamPad+ is free because every student — regardless of their school's budget — deserves access to the right tools.
Aligned with JCQ guidelines for Access Arrangements. Understands the UK exam context — from GCSEs and A Levels to SQA qualifications and Cambridge iGCSE.
Built by someone who has worked in school IT networks and understands the real constraints schools face — limited budgets, complex IT environments, and demanding exam season pressure.