The family of a student who suffered a brain injury in a car accident has urged examiners to award her a high school diploma through tutor evaluations.
Tilly Raper missed her exams because she has been in the hospital since the accident in March.
The 19-year-old, who attends college in Darlington, can only pass with exams.
Ofqual said colleges should discuss options with examination boards. AQA said it was possible to write a letter of appreciation of Tilly’s skills.
Queen Elizabeth College said it was in constant communication with the AQA Examination Board and had “strongly and repeatedly” advocated awarding Tilly a grade based on her work.
This is the first year since Covid-19 that students have taken their exams.
During the pandemic, grades were awarded through teacher evaluations and sham scores after all exams were canceled.
Tilly has also studied for Level 3 Diplomas in Health and Social Care and Media, but these final grades are awarded through assessments due to the nature of the courses.
The teenager, who lives between Richmond, North Yorkshire, and Gainford, County Durham, was hoping to study Social Nursing at university in September.
Her sister Emily Holmes said it was “unfair” that Tilly, despite studying most of her course, doesn’t take her previous work into account.
“Our priority is to get Tilly fit and healthy – it’s unfortunate to have to deal with things like this and to make sure she doesn’t miss out on other things as a result of the accident,” she told BBC News.
“She wouldn’t be healthy enough to go back to college in September to repeat the year – that doesn’t seem appropriate or fair either.
“During Covid, teenagers were awarded their high school diplomas because they couldn’t take their exams – I don’t understand why this isn’t an exceptional circumstance.”
Tilly suffered brain bruising and a fractured pelvis and was the most seriously injured of the occupants of the crashed car.
She is being treated at James Cook Hospital in Middlesbrough, where she has had to relearn basic skills like walking and speaking.
“Given the circumstances, she is doing really well. She’s quite positive which is great, she just wants to recover and get out of the hospital as soon as possible,” she added.
Miss Holmes, 29, who lives in London, said her sister’s college helped her get to A level and “tried to push her back onto the examining board”.
Tim Fisher, Rector of Queen Elizabeth College, said giving Tilly a graded grade was “the fairest outcome” and discussions were being held with her university of choice.
“Tilly deserves every opportunity to succeed and the college is absolutely committed to supporting her and her family.”
Tilly’s plea follows that of the mother of a GCSE student, who is being treated for cancer, who urged exam administrators to allow teenagers with serious illnesses to receive grades through teacher assessments.
Northallerton’s Emma Sanderson, whose daughter Grace has been diagnosed with leukemia, said students shouldn’t “be punished for being bad”.
Her campaign has been supported by more than 170,000 people and calls for individual circumstances to be taken into account.
The Department of Education said exams could be postponed or taken at home or in hospital, and exam boards were conducting “a special exam procedure”.
Examinations regulator Ofqual said the law requires examination boards to “consider reasonable adjustments” to how disabled students are assessed on their qualifications.
“We have every sympathy for students who have suffered illness or misfortune,” she added.
“Students or their representatives should ask their school or college to speak to their examination board about the options.”
An AQA spokesman said: “We are always sorry to hear when, due to unfortunate personal circumstances, a student has not been able to sit their exams and we will always do whatever we can to assist those students within the bounds of regulatory requirements.
“Where it is not possible to give a grade, we can issue a letter of recognition showing what level a student has worked at.
“Any student who is unable to sit their exams due to illness or injury should speak to their school or college, who will contact the relevant exams authority on their behalf.”
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