Accommodations: College Board Tests

PSAT/NMSQT and SAT

Who is eligible to apply for accommodations from the College Board?
The basic requirements for eligibility include the following:

• The student must have a documented “disability.”
• The disability must impact the student’s ability to perform to their capacity on standardized tests.
• The student must demonstrate a need for the specific accommodation that is being requested. (For example, students requesting extended time must show not only that they have a disability, but that they have difficulty with test-taking under timed conditions.)
• For temporary physical conditions, such as a broken arm, there is a temporary accommodation process to which students may apply. In such cases, students do not apply through the College Board’s Services for Students with Disabilities Accommodations Office (SSD).

**Please note, that inclusion of an accommodation on an in-school accommodation plan does not automatically qualify a student for accommodations on College Board tests.

How do I apply for accommodations?
To request accommodations, an application must be submitted on the student’s behalf to College Board’s SSD Office. At Saint Ann’s, it is the responsibility of the Testing Accommodations Coordinator to submit accommodations applications for our students electronically by using the College Board’s SSD Online Disabilities Accommodation Management System. Please contact Sarah Drake to make a plan for requesting testing accommodations.

If students are requesting accommodations without the assistance of Saint Ann’s staff, they may submit a paper Student Eligibility form. In our experience, however, it is much to the students’ and parents’ advantage to have the support and experience of the Testing Accommodations Coordinator in this process.

What constitutes a “current” evaluation?
According to College Board policy, in order for a student to receive accommodations for PSAT/NMSQT or SAT examinations, they must have a current (within the past five years) neuropsychological evaluation.

More information can be found at: http://professionals.collegeboard.com/testing/ssd.

How late can I submit a new evaluation to Saint Ann’s?
The sooner we receive documentation from you, the better, so that we may create an in-school accommodation plan. It is preferable that new in-school accommodation plan will have been in place for more than four months before submitting applications with College Board.

If a student’s in-school accommodation plan is based on a diagnosed disability and has been in place for four months before the date upon which the College Board accommodations application is submitted, the Testing Accommodations Coordinator may be permitted in certain cases (see below, School Verification) to submit the application/request without being required to provide the College Board with the eligibility documentation. In such cases, it is the responsibility of the Testing Accommodations Coordinator to guarantee that the eligibility documentation on file at school satisfies the College Board’s documentation guidelines.

See http://professionals.collegeboard.com/testing/ssd/application/dates or chart below for application deadlines for specific tests

How long does it take to learn whether the application was approved?
It generally takes five to seven weeks for the College Board to process accommodation requests; after which, you will receive a letter from them informing you of their decision.

What happens if my accommodations application is approved?
– You’ll get an SSD Number (see below).
– Your accommodations will stay in place for all standardized College Board tests you take throughout your high school career (with some exceptions—see Sarah Drake for details).

What is an SSD Number and why do I need it?
Once approved for accommodations by the College Board, you will be assigned an SSD Number.  This number is your accommodations ID number and you will need it in order to register online for College Board exams.  Therefore, it is important to keep in on file in a handy place.

Accommodations Request Deadlines:

Two paths for applying for accommodations from the College Board

1. School Verification
The Testing Accommodations Coordinator verifies that the student’s application meets the College Board’s criteria for eligibility, and that the documentation on file at school meets their Guidelines for Documentation. Note that some accommodation requests cannot be processed under the School Verification protocol. The Testing Accommodations Coordinator will inform the student and parents in such cases.

2. Documentation Review
A College Board review panel evaluates a student’s documentation to determine if it meets the College Board’s criteria and guidelines. Students may also directly request that the College Board’s SSD Office make the eligibility determination. Again, it is to the student’s advantage to apply with the help and guidance of the Testing Accommodations Coordinator.

The Testing Accommodations Coordinator will inform students and parents as to which one of the two protocols their application is best suited.