How to request testing accommodations

Standardized tests are supposed to measure what you know and can do. For students with disabilities, from ADHD and dyslexia to anxiety disorders, vision impairments, diabetes or chronic pain, standard conditions can measure the disability instead. Accommodations change the conditions, not the content, so your score reflects your ability.

The Americans with Disabilities Act requires organizations that offer admissions and licensing tests to provide appropriate accommodations. But you have to ask, and the process takes time. Here’s how to do it well.

Step 1: Start early, really early

Each testing organization reviews requests on its own schedule, and incomplete requests restart the clock. Count backward from your intended test date:

A good rule of thumb: begin the process a full semester before your first planned test date. For high school students taking College Board exams, that can mean requesting in ninth grade, since approved accommodations generally carry through high school.

Step 2: Decide what you need on test day

Not every accommodation you use in school makes sense for a timed, standardized test, and every request should connect to a specific, documented need. Common testing accommodations include:

• Extended time, often 50% or 100% more
• Extra or longer breaks, or “stop the clock” breaks
• A small-group or separate testing room
• Large print, braille, a human reader or screen-reading software
• A scribe or computer for written responses
• Permission to bring food, drink, medication or medical devices

Many digital tests now include built-in tools such as zoom and adjustable line spacing for everyone, so check what’s already available before requesting it.

Step 3: Gather documentation

Requirements vary, but strong requests usually include:

• Your current IEP or 504 plan, showing the accommodations you receive. For the SSAT and ISEE, plans should be dated within the last three years.
• An evaluation from a qualified professional, such as a psychologist, physician or other licensed specialist, explaining the diagnosis, how it affects you and why each accommodation is needed.
• A history of accommodations, including approvals from other testing organizations.
• A personal statement, required by some organizations, such as the AAMC for the MCAT.

A doctor’s note alone usually isn’t enough. Documents generally need to be in English, so international applicants should allow time for translation.

What federal guidance says

The U.S. Department of Justice has issued guidance on testing accommodations under the ADA. Among its key points:

• Documentation requests should be reasonable and limited to what’s needed to evaluate the request.
• If you received accommodations under an IEP or Section 504 plan, the testing organization should generally grant the same accommodations when you certify a continued need, without requiring extensive new documentation.
• Testing organizations should generally defer to qualified professionals who have evaluated you individually.
• A history of academic success doesn’t mean you don’t have a disability.
• Flagging accommodated scores in a way that signals a disability is not allowed.

Step 4: Submit through the right channel

High school entrance: SSAT and ISEE

Both tests now handle accommodations through E3n at admission.org. You request accommodations in your family account, upload documentation (an IEP, 504 or private school plan, a professional evaluation, or past approval on a similar test such as the SSAT, ISEE, HSPT, SAT, ACT or PSAT, dated within three years) and wait for approval before registering. The ISEE also requires a Current School Statement completed by your school.

College admissions: College Board and ACT

College Board (PSAT, SAT, AP): the fastest route is through your school’s Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) coordinator, who submits the request online. Families can also apply directly with a paper Student Eligibility Form and documentation. Once approved, bring your eligibility letter to every College Board exam.

ACT: register in MyACT, link your high school and answer “yes” when asked whether you need accommodations. Then forward ACT’s email and a signed consent form to your school official, who submits the request through ACT’s TAA system. ACT sends decisions to your school. If your school won’t submit a request, you can ask ACT for an exception.

Graduate and professional school

LSAT: request accommodations through your LSAC JD Account by the deadline for your test date. If you were approved for accommodations such as extended time (up to 100% additional time), breaks or a reader on the SAT, ACT, GRE, GMAT, MCAT or certain other tests, LSAC will generally approve the same or equivalent accommodations with verification from that test sponsor.

MCAT: register for a standard seat, then apply through the AAMC’s online Accommodations Application System with a personal statement and a current comprehensive evaluation. Applications aren’t accepted by email.

GRE: complete ETS’s accommodations request form. If another testing agency, such as the SAT, ACT or GMAT, has approved your accommodations, you can submit that approval letter instead of documentation.

GMAT: apply on mba.com. For 50% additional time or an extra rest break, a confirmation of prior accommodations form may be an option. You can’t add accommodations to an appointment you’ve already scheduled.

Step 5: Follow up, appeal and practice

• Watch for requests for more information and respond quickly.
• Read any denial carefully. It often points to missing or outdated documentation you can supply. Most organizations offer reconsideration or appeal.
• Check your admission ticket to confirm your accommodations appear correctly.
• Practice under your approved conditions, so test day feels familiar.

Our learning differences and disabilities hub covers your rights, the shift from high school to college and how to decide about disclosure.