Using Exam Accommodations

Exams will be administered in person.

As with all reasonable accommodations, the purpose of testing accommodations is to ensure a student’s equitable opportunity to demonstrate knowledge of the course material being assessed. Student Disability Services (SDS) staff determines accommodations based on the impact of the student’s disability and current disability documentation. Instructors may be consulted about the application of testing accommodations to their specific course assessment. Testing accommodations are not a guarantee of improved performance, test completion, or a particular outcome. Rather it is presumed that the use of accommodations will enable the student with a disability to equally demonstrate their knowledge or skill on exams and quizzes.

Common Exam Accommodations

• Extended time for test-taking of exams and quizzes that are held within a discrete time frame. Exceptions include exams offered over several days in which students are not expected to work on the exam for the entire timeframe. SDS should be consulted if there is a question about eligibility to use extended time for exams offered beyond a standard exam time frame.
• Reduced distraction testing environment from the large group setting.
• Use of a computer for word processing.
• Use of assistive technology.
• Accessible format.

Exam Proctoring Procedures

College Students

It is recommended that students send their Faculty Notification Letters by the end of week one, or as early in the quarter as possible. Faculty Notification Letters must be sent no later than ten (10) days prior to the first quiz/exam date for the class for each class for which a student is seeking to use accommodations.

After sending the notification letter, it is important that students reach out to their instructor as soon as possible to discuss testing arrangements and procedures in the course. Common topics addressed between the student and instructor include: rescheduling exams in the event that the use of extended time will interfere with another class or scheduled exam, how the student can notify the instructor of their intent to use testing accommodations, and other concerns. Questions from students and instructors about the implementation of a testing accommodation should be directed to SDS.

For instructor-proctored exams, students will receive information about testing logistics (e.g., date/time of the exam, location) from the instructor or SDS. In some cases, instructors make arrangements to proctor their exams with accommodations.

For SDS-proctored exams, SDS will coordinate all testing arrangements, including scheduling students’ exams on their behalf based on their course schedules and SDS’s availability to proctor. Students will receive information about testing logistics (e.g., date/time of the exam, location) from SDS. Students are able to view a  list of the exams scheduled with SDS and the status of each exam request in the AIM Student Portal, under “Alternative Testing”. Students are also able to view the location of their exams in the AIM Student Portal two (2) calendar days before the exam. SDS may proctor exams at locations across campus which will be listed in the status update in AIM. Locations are determined by SDS and may include Ida Noyes Hall, Campus North Residential Commons, and other campus locations.

Students should review the SDS Exam Proctoring Policies.

Graduate Students

Exam proctoring for graduate students is managed by the academic divisions. Questions from graduate students on how to obtain their exam accommodation should be directed to the Disability Liaison for their division or their designee.