ESL (English as a Second Language) Time Allowance
Additional time may be provided for people taking an English language exam if English is not their first language. A candidate’s country of residence, nationality, and the country in which they would like to take the exam are used in determining eligibility for additional time. The additional time allowance is 30 minutes for a Part 1, Part 2, or Bridge exam and 30 minutes for each part of a Combined exam, for a total of 60 additional minutes.
Candidates who reside in and are taking an English language exam in a country designated as an ESL country are eligible for extra time to complete the exam. If you are registering for a single part exam, the additional time will automatically be added on and reflected on your booking after you submit and complete the registration. For a Combined Part 1 and Part 2 exam, you must select the ESL specific exam (OGEA-103-ESL, OG0-093-ESL) in order to be granted additional time.
If you do not reside in a country designated as an ESL country, this section applies:
Candidates who:
- do not currently reside in a country designated as an ESL country,
- are not native English speakers and do not have professional working proficiency of English, and
- are natives of a designated ESL country or of a non-English speaking region of their country (e.g., French Canadian)
may request additional time for an English language exam under the ESL time allowance.
Candidates must request and obtain approval from The Open Group before booking the exam. Requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis. We require written confirmation from your employer (or other independent party, such as training organization, if unemployed or self-employed) of your need for additional time.
Requests must be submitted via the Certification area of The Open Group Help Desk and include the following:
- Name of the exam you would like to take
- Nationality
- Country you currently live in and the length of time you have been living there
- Scanned letter from your employer providing rationale for why you need additional time for the exam. The letter must be on company letterhead paper and include the date, name, and signature of the person writing the letter.
- Any additional evidence you have regarding your level of fluency in English
The Open Group will review your request and let you know whether or not your request is approved. If approved, The Open Group will provide authorization to Pearson VUE and advise how to schedule your exam with the Accommodation Scheduling team.
If you would like to check whether you meet the criteria for the ESL Time Allowance before requesting a letter from your employer, you may provide items 1-3 above for a preliminary check on your eligibility.
Translation Dictionaries (applicable to attendees of test centers only)
If you have been granted an ESL time extension or a medical accommodation, you will be allowed to bring a Translation Dictionary into the exam room in test centers, provided that it:
- Gives "word to word" (or in short phrase) translations
- Does not provide English definitions for foreign language words
- Does not have notations in the margins
- Does not have extra pages inserted into it
Important: Standard dictionaries cannot be used for The Open Group testing under any circumstances. Your translation Dictionary will be inspected by test center staff and must meet the criteria above in order for you to be allowed to use it. Translation dictionaries are not allowed for OnVUE Online-proctored examinations.