Reading while studying: managing reading loads, notes and exams

9 minute read · updated October 28, 2026

17 sources: 10 government or law, 1 peer-reviewed research, 6 charity or professional body

Adult students can manage heavy reading lists by planning which texts matter most, listening while reading, and choosing a note-taking method that suits them. Colleges and exam bodies may offer adjustments such as extra time, but each institution sets its own evidence rules, so ask the disability services office early.

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Going back to study as an adult often means more reading in less time, alongside work or family. This page covers practical approaches first, then how support and exam arrangements work in the United States, the United Kingdom and a few other places. The practical ideas are suggestions to try, not methods proven to work for everyone.

Managing the reading load

Ask the instructor which readings are essential and which are background. Many reading lists mix both without saying so.
Read the introduction and conclusion of a chapter or article first, then the headings, then decide which middle sections you need.
Before you start, write one question you want the reading to answer. Stop when you can answer it.
Spread reading across the week in short sessions instead of one long block.
Get readings in digital form where you can, so you can use read-aloud, change spacing and search for terms.

Listening while reading is one of the better-studied options. A 2018 meta-analysis of 22 studies found a modest average benefit of text-to-speech and read-aloud tools for reading comprehension among students with reading disabilities, with results that varied by study design.^[1] For where to find these tools on your own devices, see reading tools and accessibility features.

Note-taking options

Common note-taking approaches and when they tend to suit
Approach	How it works	Worth trying if
Outline from headings	Copy the headings of a reading first, then add one or two lines under each.	Long texts feel shapeless and hard to start.
Mind maps	Put the main idea in the middle and branch out to related points.	You remember layouts better than lists.
Voice notes	Speak a short summary after each section into your phone, then transcribe with dictation.	Writing slows you down more than speaking.
Shared or provided notes	Use lecture slides, a classmate's notes, or notes provided as an adjustment.	You lose track of the lecture while writing.
Recorded lectures	Listen again at your own pace, using the recording to fill gaps.	Your institution allows recording or posts recordings.

Recording a lecture usually needs permission. Some institutions post recordings for everyone, some allow recording as an individual adjustment, and some do not allow it at all. In the United States, the Office for Civil Rights lists note takers and recording devices among examples of academic adjustments a college may provide.^[4]

Exams and assessments

Exam arrangements can include extended testing time,^[4] and JCQ guidance in the UK gives 25% extra time as an example. JCQ describes access arrangements as letting students show what they know without changing the demands of the exam.^[5] The Office for Civil Rights gives the example that a college may be required to provide extended testing time but is not required to change the substantive content of a test.^[4]

Disability services offices

Look for an office with a name such as disability services, accessibility services or learning support; the college website or student handbook usually lists it. Contact it early, ideally before term starts, and ask how requests work, what evidence it accepts, how exam arrangements are set up, and whether it can point you to funding.

Where you live matters

United States: Section 504 and the ADA

The Office for Civil Rights says that telling a college about a disability is voluntary, but you must identify yourself if you want an academic adjustment. Schools may set reasonable standards for documentation, and some ask for more than others. An IEP or Section 504 plan may help identify services that worked, but it is generally not sufficient documentation on its own, and neither the high school nor the college is required to pay for a new evaluation.^[4] The Association on Higher Education And Disability (AHEAD) recommends that colleges treat a student's own account of their experience as primary documentation, alongside staff observation and third-party records such as IEPs, and says no legislation or regulation requires documentation to be obtained in order to seek reasonable accommodations, though colleges may request a reasonable level of it.^[6] For standardized and professional exams, Department of Justice guidance says documentation requests must be reasonable, and proof of past testing accommodations in similar settings is generally sufficient.^[7]

The common thread is that each institution sets its own evidence requirements, within whatever the law allows. Before paying for an assessment for study purposes, ask the disability services office or exam centre exactly what they accept, and share that with the assessor. Preparing for an assessor has a list of questions to take to that conversation.

Review status

Source-checked, not expert-reviewed

Drafted with AI assistance. Each factual claim was checked against the source it links to on 2026-10-28. No clinician, psychologist or dyslexia specialist has reviewed this page. See the claims register.

Sources

[1]Does use of text-to-speech and related read-aloud tools improve reading comprehension for students with reading disabilities? A meta-analysis. Wood SG, Moxley JH, Tighe EL, Wagner RK. Journal of Learning Disabilities 51(1):73-84. doi:10.1177/0022219416688170, 2018. Accessed 2026-10-28. Peer-reviewed research
[2]Learn your way: free books for school. Bookshare (Benetech). Accessed 2026-10-28. Charity or professional body
[3]Information for students. RNIB Bookshare. Accessed 2026-10-28. Charity or professional body
[4]Students with disabilities preparing for postsecondary education: know your rights and responsibilities (Internet Archive snapshot of 2026-01-01). U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights. Accessed 2026-10-28. Government or law
[5]Guidance for parents, carers and students about access arrangements. Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ), 2025. Accessed 2026-10-28. Government or law
[6]Supporting accommodation requests: guidance on documentation practices. Association on Higher Education And Disability (AHEAD). Accessed 2026-10-28. Charity or professional body
[7]Testing accommodations. U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division (ADA.gov). Accessed 2026-10-28. Government or law
[8]Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA). GOV.UK. Accessed 2026-10-28. Government or law
[9]Disabled Students' Allowance: eligibility. GOV.UK. Accessed 2026-10-28. Government or law
[10]Notes for the Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA) application 2026-2027. Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS), 2026. Accessed 2026-10-28. Government or law
[11]UCAS guidance on Disabled Students' Allowance (Wales section). UCAS. Accessed 2026-10-28. Charity or professional body
[12]Disabled Students' Allowances. nidirect (Northern Ireland Government). Accessed 2026-10-28. Government or law
[13]Equality Act 2010, section 91: Students: admission and treatment, etc.. legislation.gov.uk, 2010. Accessed 2026-10-28. Government or law
[14]Policy on ableism and discrimination based on disability, section 2: What is disability?. Ontario Human Rights Commission. Accessed 2026-10-28. Charity or professional body
[15]Policy on ableism and discrimination based on disability, section 8: Duty to accommodate. Ontario Human Rights Commission. Accessed 2026-10-28. Charity or professional body
[16]Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cth), compilation of 8 October 2026. Federal Register of Legislation, Australian Government, 1992. Accessed 2026-10-28. Government or law
[17]A brief guide to the Disability Discrimination Act (Internet Archive snapshot of 2025-12-18). Australian Human Rights Commission. Accessed 2026-10-28. Government or law