ADA Requirements - Testing Accommodations

What Are Testing Accommodations?

Testing accommodations are changes to the regular testing environment and auxiliary aids and services² that allow individuals with disabilities to demonstrate their true aptitude or achievement level on standardized exams or other high-stakes tests. 

Examples of the wide range of testing accommodations that may be required include:

• Braille or large-print exam booklets;

• Screen reading technology;

• Scribes to transfer answers to Scantron bubble sheets or record dictated notes and essays;

• Extended time;

• Wheelchair-accessible testing stations;

• Distraction-free rooms;

• Physical prompts (such as for individuals with hearing impairments); and

• Permission to bring and take medications during the exam (for example, for individuals with diabetes who must monitor their blood sugar and administer insulin).  

² See 28 C.F.R. §§ 36.303(b), 36.309(b)(3) (providing non-exhaustive lists of auxiliary aids and services).