Some students with documented disabilities are eligible for accommodations on College Board exams. Students cannot take the SAT, SAT Subject Tests, PSAT/NMSQT, PSAT 10, or AP Exams with accommodations unless their request for accommodations has been approved by Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD). In general, students approved by SSD for College Board testing accommodations meet the criteria discussed below:

On the other hand, students like these may not need accommodations:

Student Has a Documented Disability

Some examples of disabilities include blindness and visual impairments; learning disorders; physical and medical impairments, such as cerebral palsy and diabetes; and motor impairments. There are many others.

Students must have documentation of their disability, such as a current psychoeducational evaluation or a report from a doctor. The type of documentation needed depends on the student’s disability and the accommodations being requested. In some cases, documentation must be submitted to the College Board. Learn more about Providing Documentation

Participation in a College Board Exam Is Impacted

The disability must result in a relevant functional limitation. In other words, it must impact the student’s ability to participate in College Board exams. Students whose disabilities result in functional limitations in the following areas may need accommodations:

• Reading
• Writing
• Sitting for extended periods 

On the other hand, students like these may not need accommodations:

• Students who need assistance walking in the hallways or participating in physical education.
• Students with a hearing impairment who need assistance taking notes in class. College Board exams are primarily written exams.
• Students with certain psychiatric conditions, such as some specific phobias, that don’t impact them during test-taking.

Requested Accommodation Is Needed

The student must demonstrate the need for the specific accommodation requested. For example, students requesting extended time should have documentation showing that they have difficulty performing timed tasks, such as testing under timed conditions.

Other typical accommodations include Braille and large-print exams, use of a computer for essays, and extra breaks. However, accommodations are not limited to these; the College Board will consider any accommodation for any documented disability.

Accommodation Is Received on School Tests

With few exceptions, students who request accommodation on College Board exams receive that accommodation on tests that they take in school. However, students who receive an accommodation in school or have an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or 504 Plan that includes the accommodation do not automatically qualify for the accommodation on College Board exams — they must still be approved by the College Board’s Services for Students with Disabilities, and in some cases, documentation will be requested for the College Board’s review.

The student’s history of receiving accommodations in school and information provided by the school are important in the College Board’s review of requests for accommodations. Yet College Board exams can differ from classroom tests. When requesting accommodations, schools, and students should consider whether the accommodations that are used for classroom tests are needed for the specific College Board tests that they are taking.

You can find this information on collegeboard.org.

The request process can take seven weeks and does not begin until all required documentation is received. If additional documentation is required or if a request is resubmitted, approval can take seven more weeks.

• Disability Documentation Guidelines
• Accommodations Forms
• Accommodations Dates and Deadlines

Steps to Request Accommodations on the SAT:

1. Before requesting accommodations, contact Mrs. Theresa Elliot,  SSD Coordinator, who requests access to SSD Online. 
2. A parent or guardian signs the Parent Consent Form (.pdf/194KB) and gives it to the school’s SSD Coordinator. The school keeps the form for its records. 
3. The SSD Coordinator opens a request for accommodations using SSD Online and enters contact information for the student as well as information regarding the student’s disability, requested accommodations, and formal plan. In some cases, questions will also be asked about the documentation that the school has on file for the student. 
4. After the request is submitted, SSD Online displays a message stating whether documentation must also be submitted. If so, the SSD Coordinator assembles documentation and checks it against the criteria for the particular disability and for the requested accommodations. 
5. The SSD Coordinator submits any required documentation to SSD. The SSD Online request and all documentation must be submitted to the College Board by the SSD deadline to ensure a decision in time for an exam.
6. SSD reviews all information thoroughly. 
7. The SSD Coordinator can sign into SSD Online at any time to view the status of the request. 
8. The student and SSD Coordinator are notified when a decision is made. In most cases, the student is sent the decision by postal mail. Students with a College Board account who are registered for the SAT can view their decision letter by signing into BigFuture. If the parent’s email is also associated with the student’s account, the student and parent will receive an email when the decision letter is available, not a letter. If accommodations are approved, the decision letter includes an eligibility letter, containing test-by-test details. The decision and eligibility letters also include the student's eligibility code, which is needed for SAT registration.
9. The SSD Coordinator is notified by email and can sign into SSD Online to read the decision letter.

Please contact Mrs. Theresa Elliot, Learning Specialist at theresaelliot@sfhs.com with inquiries and questions regarding applying for accommodations.