| Crynodeb: | AbstractThe purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of providing extra time as an accommodation to students with learning disabilities (LD) in higher education institutions. The results, which are based in the setting of a South African accountancy programme, provides a unique context where time, in time-constrained assessments, are often perceived by all students as an encumberment. A quantitative approach was employed to examine student performance using 49 694 final-grade observations across various modules in an accounting specialised bachelor’s degree program and over a 11-year time-period. The results, obtained by comparing the grades achieved between students with and without LD’s, show that adopting a policy of providing relatively the same amount of extra time across all modules and over the course of a bachelor’s degree for students with LD is inadequate and an inequitable approach in the field of accountancy. Although this study was performed with a focus on time-constrained accountancy assessments, the results are far-reaching in suggesting that extra time policies and regulations be continuously adjusted and monitored for effectiveness, specifically the consideration that different undergraduate years of study may require different amounts of extra time. The results further guide the development of extra time policies by suggesting continuous revaluation of the extra time awarded to students throughout their accountancy studies.
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