ADA Requirements - Testing Accommodations

What Kinds Of Tests Are Covered?

Exams administered by any private, state, or local government entity related to applications, licensing, certification, or credentialing for secondary or postsecondary education, professional, or trade purposes are covered by the ADA and testing accommodations, pursuant to the ADA, must be provided.¹

Examples of covered exams include:

• High school equivalency exams (such as the GED);

• High school entrance exams (such as the SSAT or ISEE);

• College entrance exams (such as the SAT or ACT);

• Exams for admission to professional schools (such as the LSAT or MCAT); 

• Admissions exams for graduate schools (such as the GRE or GMAT); and

• Licensing exams for trade purposes (such as cosmetology) or professional purposes (such as bar exams or medical licensing exams, including clinical assessments).

¹ This document does not address how the requirements or protections, as applicable, of Title II of the ADA, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, the assessment provisions in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and their implementing regulations, apply to, or interact with, the administration of state-wide and district-wide assessments to students with disabilities conducted by public educational entities.