Why are so many Oxford students told they have ADHD?

Exams at the University of Oxford are tough, but there is one test that students nearly always pass with flying colours: 98 per cent of those who took part in an in-house university-funded assessment centre to screen for learning difficulties, including ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), were told they may have a condition. The screening process involved answering questions like: ‘Would you describe yourself as a well-organised person?’ and ‘Do you tend to be on time to appointments?’. Students who met the criteria were then granted up to 25 per cent extra time in exams.

That so many Oxford students make the cut doesn’t surprise me. When I was a student at Oxford in 2021, I was told by a friend I might have ADHD. It wasn’t the first time I’d wondered if I might have that condition.