SAT ACCOMMODATIONS
Applying:
Before students with disabilities can take the SAT, SAT Subject Tests, PSAT/NMSQT, PSAT 10, or AP Exams with accommodations — such as extended time or the use of a computer — their request for accommodations must be approved by Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD).
Most families choose to request College Board accommodations through their school — instead of using the paper Student Eligibility Form. SSD Coordinators are often special education coordinators, guidance directors, or school counselors who assume responsibilities related to testing accommodations on College Board exams.
To submit a request without their school’s involvement, families must request a paper Student Eligibility Form from their counselor or SSD.
It can take about seven weeks for an accommodations request to be processed.
Once a student’s accommodations are approved by the College Board, they remain in effect until one year after high school graduation (with some limited exceptions) and can be used on the SAT, SAT Subject Tests, PSAT/NMSQT, PSAT 10, and AP Exams. Students do not need to request accommodations from SSD a second time.
Resources
College Board SSD phone number:
212-713-8333
College Board SSD e-mail:
ssd@info.collegeboard.org
SAT Accommodations:
Extra Time & Extra Breaks
When requesting extended time, these two factors must be specified:
The amount of extended time needed
The subject areas or test sections for which extended time is needed
Extended time options include:
Time and a half, or 50 percent additional time (4 hours and 30 minutes on the new SAT; 5 hours and 45 minutes on the new SAT with Essay)
Double time, or 100 percent additional time (6 hours on the new SAT; 7 hours and 40 minutes on the new SAT with Essay)
More time (for instance, in rare circumstances, 150 percent additional time (7 hours and 30 minutes on the new SAT; 9 hours and 35 minutes on the new SAT with Essay)
When students take the SAT with 100 percent or more additional time, the exam is administered over two days and in the student’s school instead of at a designated test center.
Students might not need extended time for every section or test. For instance, a student with a disability impacting mathematical calculation may not need extended time for a critical reading section.
Students approved for extended time in reading will be provided extended time for all test sections because all test sections require reading.
Students who are approved to test with extended time are also automatically approved to test with extra breaks.
Additional accommodations for breaks are available but need to be applied for separately:
Extended breaks between sections or subjects are usually twice the standard time.
Breaks as needed are given to some students with medical conditions. They are granted as requested by the student during the exam. Students notify their proctors by raising their hands, and the timing of the test pauses. When students are ready to continue, they again notify their proctors, and the timing continues.
Extra or extended breaks are appropriate for students who cannot test for an extended period of time and who need more breaks than those given to all test-takers. Often, students with physical or medical disabilities request extended breaks or breaks as needed if they will need to test blood sugar, take medication, rest, or use the restroom. Some students who request extended breaks will need additional accommodations, such as permission to eat or take medication or permission to test blood sugar. These must be requested specifically.