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Information About Specific Tests
College Board Tests (AP, PSAT/NMSQT, SAT, SAT II)
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 his/her 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.
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, SAT, and AP examinations, s/he must have a current (within the past five years) psychoeducational 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. It is preferable that we receive the report no later than February 1st 2014, so that a new in-school accommodation plan may be put in place for four school months before we submit the College Board online application form in June 2014.
If a student’s in-school accommodation plan has been in place for four school 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 hear 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.
College Board Deadlines for Application Submission:
| 2013-2014 Test Dates | Accommodations Request and Documentation (Where Required) Must Be Received by: |
| SAT and SAT Subject TestsOctober 5, 2013 October 6 | August 16, 2013 |
| PSAT/NMSQTOctober 16 and 19, 2013 | August 28, 2013 |
| SAT and SAT Subject TestsNovember 2, 2013 | September 13, 2013 |
| SAT and SAT Subject TestsDecember 7, 2013 | October 18, 2013 |
| SAT and SAT Subject TestsJanuary 25, 2014 | December 6, 2013 |
| SATMarch 8, 2014 | January 17, 2014 |
| SAT and SAT Subject TestsMay 3, 2014 | March 14, 2014 |
| Advanced Placement (AP)May 5–9, 12–16, 2014 | February 21, 2014 |
| SAT and SAT Subject TestsJune 7, 2014
|
April 18, 2014 |
* In some cases, when documentation is not required, requests for accommodations submitted after the above date(s) may be decided before the test date. However, there is no guarantee that accommodations will be approved and test materials shipped in time for the test.
**AP dates are set to ensure that most accommodation-eligibility determinations can be made before AP Exam ordering deadlines.
Options for applying for accommodations from the College Board
1. School Verification
2. Documentation Review
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.
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.
ACT Tests (PLAN & ACT)
Which test? How much will it cost?
Saint Ann’s advises its students to register for the ACT Plus Writing.
The current fee for the ACT Plus Writing is $52.50. Students applying for National Extended Time Testing will pay for the exam online. Those students requesting Special Testing will be required to submit a check (made payable to ACT) along with their accommodations application.
What constitutes a “current” evaluation?
For the ACT, an evaluation must be current within a three-year period
How late can I submit an application?
ACT applications are submitted based on registration for specific test dates. Therefore, we recommend that students register and submit their first accommodations application for a test date a few months earlier than the date on which they actually plan to take the test. This way, in case an application has been denied the first time around, we have time to appeal the decision. However, technically, the deadline for submitting an accommodations application is three weeks before the date of a student’s first ACT.
Unlike the College Board’s accommodations procedure for the PSAT, a student need not formally apply for accommodations when taking the ACT equivalent of the PSAT, known as “The Plan,” administered at Saint Ann’s on an in-house basis in February of sophomore year. However, should s/he decide to take the actual ACT as a junior, then a formal application to ACT must be filed.
ACT Registration Deadlines:
| Test Date | Registration Deadline | (Late Fee Required) |
| September 21, 2013 | August 23, 2013 | August 24–Sept 6, 2013 |
| October 26, 2013 | September 27, 2013 | September 28–Oct 11, 2013 |
| December 14, 2013 | November 8, 2013 | November 9–22, 2013 |
| February 8, 2014* | January 10, 2014 | January 11–24, 2014 |
| April 12, 2014 | March 7, 2014 | March 8–21, 2014 |
| June 14, 2014 | May 9, 2014 | May 10–23, 2014 |
*No Extended Time National Testing is scheduled in New York for the February test date. Special Testing for students with certain accommodations, however, is available for the February date.
To request free practice tests in alternate formats:
Alternate Format Practice Tests Order Form (1 page, 45KB)
What are the options for accommodations on the ACT?
The two most frequent ACT alternative testing environments for which Saint Ann’s students with learning differences apply are:
How do I choose?
See the testing comparison chart to review the requirements and features of Extended Time National Testing and Special Testing to decide which form of testing is most appropriate for you, and consult with Sarah Drake regarding which of these two tests options should be pursued on the student’s behalf.
|
Center Testing #2: Extended Time National Testing (50% more time) |
Special Testing (Extended Time & Alternate Test Formats Available) |
|
| Who should apply? | Students who:- can test at a regularly scheduled national test center, AND
– can use either a regular type (10-pt.) or large type (18-pt.) test booklet, AND – require up to 50% (as recommended on formal evaluation). |
Students who:- normally use more than time-and-a-half for tests (or use extended time only on writing tests) in school, OR
– require testing over multiple days, OR – normally use alternate test formats such as Braille, cassettes, DVDs, or a reader; OR – normally use a computer or scribe for essays, and/or alternate response modes, (such as responding orally) OR – are testing at an international test center and cannot use a regular type (10-point) booklet or test with standard time limits, or need accommodations the test center cannot provide. · If a student can test with time-and-a-half and paper formats, he/she should apply for Center Testing #2 |
| Description | ACT: Student will be allowed up to 5 hours total to work on the multiple-choice tests at your own pace.
ACT Plus Writing: 5 hours & 45 minutes to work on all five tests
Student will be assigned to an extended time room (usually 10 or fewer examinees). |
|
| Steps to Apply | To apply for this form of testing for the first time, the student must submit the Application for ACT Extended Time National Testing. The application explains the eligibility criteria, documentation required, registration deadlines, and how to request a test date change or re-register if the student has been previously approved. | The request form explains the eligibility criteria, documentation that must be on file at school (and in some cases, submitted directly to ACT), testing schedules, submission deadlines, and retest restrictions. Special Testing for both ACT (No Writing) and ACT Plus Writing only during the designated three-week testing windows listed on the request form.
To request Special Testing, do not complete a registration folder or register on the Web. Instead, download the ACT Special Testing form, fill out the student identification sections, and be sure the form is signed by both the student and a parent. The application form and a check in the amount of $52.50 made payable to ACT should be submitted in a timely fashion to Sarah Drake.
|
| Application Link | Download 2013–2014 Extended Time Application for National Testing (6 pages, 179KB) | Download 2013–2014 Request form (6 pages, 66KB). |
| To register by mail | Register by mail: Paper registration folders are also available for students who do not have access to the internet or prefer not to register online. In such cases, submit the accommodations application form with your completed registration folder along with a check for your fee payment to Sarah Drake. | To request Special Testing, do not complete a registration folder or register on the Web (see above). |
| Once student is approved | Student must reprint his/her admission ticket upon which “Extended Time” will be thence be printed. |
Administering Tests to Students with Accommodations
Students whose only accommodation is 50% extended time are considered “Center-Based Testers.” This means that these students will register to take SATs and ACTs at designated national test centers (http://sat.collegeboard.org/register/test-center-code-search or http://www.actstudent.org/regist/centers/).
Students whose accommodation is 100% extended time, or 50% extended time along with additional accommodation(s), are considered “School-Based Testers,” and will test at Saint Ann’s.
When a student with accommodation(s) registers for an SAT or an ACT, s/he will need to provide his/her SSD# (Accommodations ID # for CB, or Student Reference Number for ACT). Students who are Center-Based Testers will be asked to designate their first and second choices of test site. Students who are School-Based Testers will be instructed to see the “relevant school official.” This person is Sarah Richards, Testing Coordinator.
Please notify Sarah Richards as soon as you have registered for an SAT or are planning to register for an ACT, so that she can begin to arrange for the necessary number of proctors and testing rooms.
SAT
All SAT Reasoning and SAT Subject tests are adminstered on pre-determined Saturdays (http://sat.collegeboard.org/register/sat-us-dates), but students taking the SAT Reasoning Test with 100% extended time will test over a two day period, the Saturday test date and the next day, Sunday. Students taking two subject tests are advised to take the one for which they feel most prepared first. When they finish that test, they can decide if they have the stamina for the second test, and proceed accordingly. The reason we are recommending such a strategy is that, according to CB policy, once a students starts the second test, if s/he decideds to cancel the score of that second test, the score of the first test must automatically be cancelled as well. SAT scores are usually available 2.5 weeks after the test.
ACT
Once a student has been approved for school-based testing and has taken one ACT at Saint Ann’s, any subsequent ACT test registrations can be completed by Sarah R. The student will need to notify Sarah at least one week before the registration deadline, and give her a check made out to ACT for $50.50. Sarah will submit the Request for ACT Special Testing form on the student’s behalf. Paper registration for school-based testing can only be handled in this way. There is no on-line registration for school-based testers. The only way one can register for school-based testing is to have Sarah R. submit the first page of the ACT Special Testing form on the student’s behalf.
School-Based Testers taking the ACT are given a 3-week window (which starts on the designated ACT national test date: http://www.actstudent.org/regist/dates.html) during which they can arrange their test with Sarah R. It is especially important to consult with Sarah R. when a student plans to take the ACT, because of that flexibility with scheduling. Sarah R. will work with the student to set up a test schedule that is reasonable and practical. ACT scores become available 3-8 weeks after the test.