The Accommodation Request Management Tool, which Pearson is developing to streamline exam accommodation workflows, is called the Approval App — a centralized platform designed to cut approval delays by 40% while improving candidates’ scheduling efficiency through seamless, cross-team collaboration.
My Role
Redesigned Pearson’s manual accommodation workflow by analyzing existing processes, creating new user flows, and delivering tested, high-fidelity prototypes that streamlined multi-team approvals.
Timeline
July – Aug 2025 (8 weeks)
Team
Myself (UX Designer) and Tamika (Product Manager)
From Spreadsheets → Scalable Approval System
40%
Faster approvals
30%
Quicker scheduling
45%
Fewer manual errors
/07 MID-FIDELITY WIREFRAMES
Experiencing the flow as the Review Team
Imagine you’re part of the Accommodation Review Team 🧩.
- You open the dashboard and every request shows candidate names, IDs, and statuses.
- You click “Add Request” ➕ to start a new one.
- You enter candidate details like name, exam, and delivery model (Test Center or OnVUE). You can also choose whether it’s Client-Proctored or Unproctored.
- Next comes accommodation selection ⚙️ where you pick one or more types, marked as Standard (auto-approved) or Non-Standard (needs extra setup).
- Then, in the Determination step, you decide whether to grant or deny each request, set an expiration date, and if it’s non-standard, fill in the implementation plan 🛠️ describing what’s needed before approval.
- You wrap up with a Fulfillment plan explaining how the approved accommodation will be delivered.
- Once submitted ✅, Standard requests are approved instantly, while Non-Standard ones stay In Review until details are finalized.
The dashboard 🔄 updates live, showing the status shift from Pending → Completed.
This first flow where the Review Team both adds and approves requests became the foundation for all other scenarios, each adding new team interactions and approvals.
What’s similar to the previous flow: Like Flow 1, the Review Team creates the request, fills in candidate details, and selects the required accommodation types.
How it differs: For non-standard requests, once the Review Team adds the implementation plan, the request is sent to the Client Team for validation. Clients can review the plan, approve it, or request revisions. After approval, the Review Team is notified, and the request status updates to Completed.
When this flow is used?
This scenario applies when clients require final approval authority typically for requests tied to their organizational policies or specific exam programs.
Flow 2: Pearson Adds and Client Approves
Flow 1: Pearson Adds and Approves
Experiencing the flow as the Client
How it differs: In this scenario, the Client Team both adds and approves the request within their workflow. Only standard requests can be processed this way, as they don’t require an implementation or review step. Once submitted, the request automatically updates to Completed, with the status reflected on the dashboard in real time.
When this flow is used?
This flow is used when the Client Team independently manages standard accommodation requests — predefined types like extra time or separate rooms that don’t require Pearson’s review.
How it differs: The Client Team initiates the request and forwards it to the Accommodation Review Team for validation. The Review Team reviews the details, adds or updates the implementation plan, and sends it back. The Client Team then performs the final review and approval, completing the request and updating the status on the dashboard.
When this flow is used?
This flow is followed when the Client Team submits a non-standard accommodation request that requires Pearson’s review before approval.
Flow 3: Client Adds and Approves
Flow 4: Client Creates, Pearson Approves, Client Finalizes
