Extra time examination conditions and question format: Effects on the performance of UK medical students in a national cross-sectional study

An awarding gap of 4 percentage points was observed between extra-time and standard-time conditions across both SBA and VSA formats. Importantly, students under extra-time conditions were not further disadvantaged by the VSA format, suggesting that, when carefully designed, VSA questions can be as inclusive as SBA questions. Medical schools should also explore alternative assessment formats to help reduce potential awarding gaps between students with and without specific learning differences.