# Reading-Level Exception Record

Explain why technical complexity is necessary in a passage and document the definitions, examples, navigation, alternatives, and review that support readers.

## Usage note

Use this record when an agreed readability target flags a passage but simplifying it further may remove legally, scientifically, or technically necessary meaning. A formula score cannot determine whether content is understandable or correct. The exception must be tied to a real reader need and reviewed by the appropriate expert; it should not excuse avoidable jargon, weak organization, or inflated prose.

## How to use this template

1. Capture the flagged passage, target audience, expected task, measure used, and observed comprehension problem.
2. Separate necessary technical or controlled wording from complexity that can be edited.
3. Document the source and meaning preserved by every proposed exception.
4. Add definitions, examples, structure, summaries, or alternative formats that support understanding.
5. Obtain expert and editorial approval, then assign a review trigger and expiration condition.

## Blank template

### Exception context

- **Page and passage:** [URL/section and exact wording]
- **Intended reader:** [Knowledge, language, and situation]
- **Reader task:** [What the passage enables]
- **Readability target or test:** [Measure and context]
- **Flagged feature:** [Term, sentence, condition, formula, or reference]
- **Observed difficulty:** [Evidence from review or testing]
- **Consequence of misunderstanding:** [Why it matters]

### Justification and support

- **Wording to retain:** [Exact phrase or structure]
- **Reason:** [Meaning, obligation, safety, or technical precision]
- **Authority or expert:** [Source, version, and reviewer]
- **Simpler option considered:** [Alternative]
- **Meaning lost or changed:** [Specific distinction]
- **Support added:** [Definition, example, summary, diagram, or help route]
- **Boundary:** [Audience, jurisdiction, product, or version]
- **Review trigger:** [Source or context change]

### Approval checks

- [ ] Avoidable jargon and long framing were edited first.
- [ ] The exception is limited to exact necessary wording.
- [ ] The stated authority or technical distinction was verified.
- [ ] Support appears where readers encounter the complexity.
- [ ] Conditions and exceptions remain connected.
- [ ] Representative comprehension was checked where feasible.
- [ ] Expert and editorial reviewers accepted the final meaning.
- [ ] Expiration and update ownership are documented.