C-Pen Exam Reader 2 is an exam-approved assistive reading tool that uses award-winning text-to-speech technology to break down barriers between readers with reading differences and the words on the page. It makes understanding exam questions much easier: it eliminates reading-based misunderstandings that can cost learners valuable marks, by relaying the text on the page via headphone-enabled audio feedback. 

Who benefits from C-Pen Exam Reader 2? 

Learners: supporting students through stressful times 

C-Pen Exam Reader 2 is designed to make exam-time reading easier for learners with dyslexia or literacy differences who sometimes find reading challenging. As well as helping with decoding the words on the page and allowing exam-takers to focus on what really matters – those all-important answers – it greatly helps to reduce exam anxiety with access to a simple support system that has their back at the most critical times. Higher confidence walking into the exam hall means that learners are better prepared to take on questions, helping them achieve more. 

It’s also about making sure that learners with special educational needs get to experience learning and testing in much the same way as their peers do. C-Pen Exam Reader 2 promotes inclusivity and lets learners take tests in the same space as their peers via a discreet headphone audio feedback system – meaning that they no longer feel excluded and singled out for their reading differences.  

ELLs: helping English language learners thrive 

English Language Learners are learners whose home and chosen languages may not be the one that they’re being examined in. These kinds of barriers to exam comprehension can have a negative effect on student confidence as well as their overall grades, so we need to make sure that these learners are being supported and empowered to achieve their best. 

C-Pen Exam Reader 2 supports 10+ different languages, including Dutch, Portuguese, Swedish, and Italian, as well as multiple accents like Australian English and Indian English, meaning that decoding is simpler than ever before, allowing ELLs to focus on their responses as opposed to vocabulary-spotting and translation. 

Educators: Finding Consistency in 2023’s Exams 

Learners with dyslexia could experience some changes in 2023’s exam setup going forward that means some of the human readers they've worked with in class will no longer be able to follow them into the exam hall unless separate invigilation is present. So, what's the solution, when many schools simply do not have the additional budget at the moment to secure external separate invigilators? 

The human reader switch has the potential to cause disruption to learners in terms of the huge variations that occur between one human reader and another, and these can be anxiety-inducing for many learners who need reading support, and especially a number of those with ADHD or who are autistic. 

If a learner has become used to and developed a learning relationship with one human reader throughout the term and then has to trade out for another, that human reader will have none of the prior knowledge of the learner that their usual reader has. Although the interactions they can have on these kinds of levels are limited, it could extend into issues with speech speed, accent, and the particulars of how a learner likes to receive the words on the page. 

Consistency is vital in making sure learners head into their exams feeling as confident and as prepared to demonstrate the extent of their knowledge as possible. The exam process is emotional and tiring, especially when it's end-of-stage testing with frequent alterations that might make them feel uncomfortable. They need support they can count on every time, regardless of where with whom and when they’re taking the exam – and that’s where C-Pen Exam Reader 2 comes in.  

Exam Centers and Exams Officers: Streamlining the Support Process  

Applying for Access Arrangements for large numbers of candidates can be time-consuming, compromising valuable time for exam officers and adding a lot of extra time to workloads in the run-up to a busy exam season.  

C-Pen Exam Reader 2 is exam-approved and offers a way to support candidates without lengthy applications, saving schools time and money each term and allowing exam officers to focus on exam season.  

Find out how much you could save this exam season via the Scanning Pens Calculator. 

Budget Controllers: Offering a Cost-Effective Alternative to Human Readers  

It’s likely not a conversation that those of us in the sector relish, but when it comes to supporting learners adequately though the exam period and beyond, costs are incurred. Support takes money, and many schools and exam centers have been reported to have been feeling the pinch recently due to the cost-of-living crisis and energy supply bills.  

That’s why many schools and colleges now prefer to rely more on devices like C-Pen Exam Reader 2 opposed to human assistance as they’re much more cost-effective in an age where budgets are stretched thin. Instead of an ongoing cost – the in-person reader’s hire fee or salary – they can find an ongoing solution with a device that’s rechargeable, portable, and intuitive to use for even younger exam-takers.   

Parents and Carers: Creating The Best Foundation for Learning  

Supporting a child with dyslexia or other neurodiverse challenges can be a daunting task. Parents and carers are often the first to recognize the signs of learning differences, so it’s important the necessary resources are easily accessible. From nurturing children’s literacy development and confidence to making sure they have what they need come exam time, we want to ensure that they can progress alongside their peers – and that’s why we need to make sure that support doesn’t fail at the last hurdle, at the doorway to the exam hall.  

C-Pen Exam Reader 2 is a great investment in a learner’s future, and an invaluable reading safety net under test conditions. Chat with your learning practitioners and ask the question – could assistive tech like Exam Reader 2 be the answer? 

At Scanning Pens, we want to foster a future where each and every reader can walk into an exam hall with their head held high and know that they’re supported, every step of the way.  

To find out more about the best way to foster confident reading under exam and test conditions, you can explore what’s new at C-Pen Exam Reader 2 at Scanning Pens.