There are a variety of exam accommodations that may be listed on the studentās faculty accommodations notice. During the Welcome Session, the student and Coordinator will determine which are the most appropriate and reasonable for them. The following examples are just some of the accommodations that may be put into place to provide access. Select examples of exam and testing accommodations include:
- Extended time for completing exams
- Access to food and beverage while taking exam
- Limited breaks during exam
- Reduced distraction environment
- Use of materials (e.g. assistive technology, word processing)
- Adapted exams (large print, electronic)
- Use of scribe or reader
Procedure for Receiving Accommodations
Students previously registered with Disability Services and who have exam accommodations may schedule exams in the Testing Center. However, ADA students are not required nor obligated to take exams in the Testing Center.
STEP 1:
You must pre-approve your chosen dates with your instructor before registering online using the Test Accommodations Request. Thus, you will have to have a conversation with your instructors to plan accordingly. When you register, you will need to enter two possible dates with starting and ending times.
The request should be completed at least 2 business days prior to the date the exam will be scheduled to ensure testing space is available and staff are available to adapt exams.
STEP 2:
Be sure you have your Accommodation Sheet with you at all times, so you can select the correct accommodations at the time of registration. These are the accommodations that the Coordinator approved for you.
Before test accommodations are arranged and confirmed, the request will be checked for accuracy. Once submitted, the request comes to the Disability Services Coordinator for review, and a confirmation email is sent to you and your instructors which will include the actual test date with accommodations.
Scheduling Considerations
Due to the high volume of exams and limited space in the area, students are strongly encouraged to schedule as early as possible, especially for midterms and final exams. On occasions when Disability Services is unable to provide space for students to take an exam due to late delivery of the online Test Accommodations Request, the student will need to make arrangements with the faculty member.
The student should remind instructors when asking them to complete the instructor portion of the online Test Accommodations Request, that exams need to be made available to the Testing Center or Disability Services prior to the scheduled exam date; a minimum of two weeks in advance if the exam needs to be put in an adapted format, and a minimum of one week in advance for all other exams
Exams will not be scheduled at the same time as the studentās regular class is scheduled. Exceptions will be made with instructor approval, or when the student has back-to-back classes and an extended exam time conflicts with his or her class schedule. View the Testing Center’s hours of operation.
Equipment Needs
When completing the online accommodation request, students should ensure that requests include any equipment needs (e.g., word processors, speech to text, screen readers Dragon Naturally Speaking) or assistive technology.
Students using the Disability Services equipment must know how to use the equipment or software before taking exams. No instructional assistance will be provided during the exam. Students unfamiliar with equipment may schedule time outside of completing exams to do an equipment review with Disability Services.
Tardiness, Changes, Cancellations
If the student arrives more than 15 minutes late for the scheduled start time, he or she may not be allowed to take the exam. For those students not allowed to take the exam, the faculty member will be notified that the student was late and the exam will be returned to the faculty member. Students will need to work with the faculty member to reschedule the exam.
If the student is allowed to take the exam, the allotted time for the exam may be adjusted. Students should verify with Disability Services prior to the start of the exam what the stop (end) time will be.
If a change in exam arrangements is necessary, the student should notify Disability Services as soon as possible. If the student cancels an exam, the faculty member will be notified and the exam will be returned to the faculty member. Students requesting to reschedule an exam must provide written or verbal approval from the instructor to Disability Services staff.
Exam Security Procedures
The following procedures apply to all students when taking exams at the Testing Center
- Only materials indicated by instructors on the Exam Accommodation Form will be allowed in the exam room.
- Food or drinks will only be allowed in the exam rooms when approved as an accommodation.
- Students who qualify for breaks during exams may use the restroom and drinking fountain but may not leave the building until they have given their completed exam to a Testing Center staff member.
- All exams will be proctored. Should a student leave the exam room for any reason it will be documented and the instructor will be notified.
- All materials must be held by the proctor until student returns from his or her break.
- Students who do not qualify for breaks for accommodations should plan on remaining in the exam room until the exam is completed. The Testing Center/Disability Services staff will notify instructors of students who arrive late, do not show at all, or of any other discrepancies related to the exam.
- If students are suspected of, or caught cheating while taking an exam, instructors will be notified.
Additional Notes
Remember that the ‘Gold’ sheets were discontinued at the end of the Spring 2013 semester. This may be a challenge, so make sure you know when your tests are going to be given and make time before you leave campus to register (especially if computer access is limited off campus).
If you have questions or need assistance with the new process, please feel free to stop by or contact adaservices@highland.edu. We do realize this is a change and with change comes a transition period. During this time, we ask for your patience, as we continue to move forward to serve you better.