Requesting Accommodations: SAT/PSAT and AP Exams
Highlights:
Comprehensive, thorough, and updated documentation is necessary to obtain testing accommodations
Ask your school if their internal documentation is sufficient to request and potentially obtain accommodations
An existing IEP, 504-disablity plan, private learning plan, and/or doctor’s notes indicating a diagnosis are not enough to request accommodations
The presence of a disability does not guarantee accommodations; the impact of the disability must affect performance
Request and provide documentation for accommodations at least seven (7) weeks in advance; adhere to published deadlines
Consult with a psychologist or other trained professional to help determine the likelihood you will receive accommodations, then plan accordingly
The College Board provides various accommodations for students with documented disabilities who require such supports. These accommodations can range from extended time and testing breaks, to use of a calculator, to provision of speech-to-text and other assistive technology, among others.
The most common mistakes made by students when requesting accommodations include:
Not meeting published deadlines
Inadequate or insufficient documentation
Upcoming deadlines for accommodation requests are found here.
Comprehensive psychoeducational testing is often an important piece of documentation when submitting a request for testing accommodations, particularly because the mere presence of a disability (e.g., ADHD, learning disorder) does not guarantee accommodations. The impact of the disability must result in functional limitations for the College Board to consider and potentially grant accommodation requests. In addition to a thorough and detailed history of the disability and its impact on functioning, performance on standardized cognitive/intellectual assessment and timed and non-timed academic achievement tests help clearly document the impact of the disability on performance.
When requesting accommodations for psychiatric challenges (e.g., anxiety, depression), a detailed history of onset/timing, severity, and frequency of symptoms is important, as are observations made by teachers regarding how the disability impacts performance on school-based testing, historical use of accommodations in school (if any), and prior/current response to medication trials and other interventions.
I completed psychoeducational testing. How do I know if the results of testing provide sufficient support for testing accommodations?
If possible, contact the clinician who completed the evaluation report to review the results of testing. You can also consult with a psychologist familiar with the College Board accommodation request process to review the results of prior testing, specifically to what extent the results of testing support performance deficits due to a disability and, importantly, whether the clinical summary and/or recommendations sufficiently explain the need for testing accommodations.
Important questions to ask yourself when reading you or your child’s evaluation report include:
Is it clear to me how exactly my or my child’s disability impacts their performance on tasks?
Is it clearly stated what accommodations are recommended to help mitigate the impact this disability has on my or my child’s performance?
A complete re-evaluation or updated testing is sometimes necessary to obtain appropriate documentation to submit to the College Board.
How long is a psychological/psychoeducational report ‘good for’ when requesting accommodations?
In general, testing should be no more than five years old. Cognitive/intellectual testing can be more than five years old, but it is prudent that this testing occurred during or after third grade due to empirical evidence suggesting IQ largely stabilizes at approximately age seven/eight.
For accommodation requests due to psychiatric issues (e.g., depression, anxiety, mood, etc.), testing and documentation should be completed within the last year due to possible fluctuations in symptoms and to appropriately document response to treatment (i.e., psychotherapy, school-based interventions, medication).
Overall, because it is important that documentation be thorough, detailed, and current when submitting requests for accommodations to the College Board, many professionals advise that psychoeducational testing be completed within two years of the request.
I have a documented disability. However, I am unsure whether I should request accommodations for testing or whether the nature of this disability warrants accommodations. What should I do?
If possible and appropriate, speak with your school’s academic advisement team about your concerns. In many cases it is also helpful to consult with a psychologist familiar with the accommodations request process who can advise you on whether the nature of your disability and its impact on your functioning is likely to be recognized by the College Board. Consultation with a psychologist can also help you make an informed decision regarding whether comprehensive psychoeducational testing is a worthwhile investment in requesting testing accommodations.
You can learn more about College Board testing accommodations here.
If you have additional questions regarding prior psychoeducational testing or wish to pursue psychoeducational testing to assist in obtaining testing accommodations, please schedule a free consultation call with us here.