Testing Accommodations

As OSU’s student population continues to grow, the number of students who need testing accommodations will also increase. Student Accessibility Services (SAS) is already seeing the trends of outgrowing the University Assessment and Testing Center (UAT) here on campus. While they are not directly associated with SAS, they do a great service by facilitating the provision of testing accommodations for qualifying students. However, due to their limited hours and restricted space, UAT is not always able to meet all of our students’ needs. SAS is dedicated to educating both faculty and students about their responsibilities pertaining to accommodations and providing guidance and support as needed.

As a reminder, professors/instructors are ultimately responsible for providing students with their accommodations after receiving the accommodation letters from SAS.

For those professors/instructors who may not be able to provide a student with testing accommodations due to time or space constraints, professors can utilize the UAT on campus. Please note, again, that every reasonable effort should be made to provide these testing accommodations yourself before deferring to UAT. This practice may require discussions with your Department Head and/or Dean to designate alternative spaces and proctors for these students should UAT not be available. It is reasonable to charge someone else (such as a GA, TA or other department staff) with proctoring the exam if you are unable to do it yourself. 

Things to keep in mind when using UAT:

• When asking a student to schedule their exams at UAT, you cannot ask a student to miss another course to take an exam for your course. You can allow your students to test on a different day at UAT if you choose. You can even provide them with a different exam so as to not compromise the integrity of the original exam. UAT has hours of 8:00am to 5:00pm, Monday through Friday, with the last daily exam time concluding at 4:45pm. This can be difficult for students to schedule their exams on the same day as the rest of the class taking into account the rest of their class schedule and the extra time they are allowed per their accommodations.

• SAS informs students that they should schedule exams at UAT well in advance, however they do not always follow our advice. UAT's policy is that professors submit exam information at least 24 hours in advance. Therefore, students are told to give their professors at least 48 hours' notice. Students are reminded of this policy when signing the Student Responsibility Form with the SAS office prior to their intake appointment, during the intake appointment with an accessibility specialist and again with a follow-up email after completing their intake appointment.

• What happens if a student waits until the last minute to tell me they need to use their testing accommodations?

  Remember, you are always ultimately responsible for providing students with their accommodations.

  If you have previously received an accommodation letter for the student and communicated about the expectations for providing testing accommodations (hopefully you have email documentation of this), make sure you are re-iterating that with the student. Following up any conversation with an email will ensure that you have documentation should the student file a grievance in the future claiming you did not provide accommodations. This is the best practice to make sure that students understand their responsibilities when it comes to your course.

   

  If you have not received an accommodation letter from SAS and the student claims they have accommodations, you can call our office to confirm whether that student is registered with us and has requested their accommodation letter. Keep in mind if the student has not given you enough time to discuss how the testing accommodations will be provided with you or given you enough time to make arrangements for them, you will need to make sure that you let the student know that they did not follow through with all steps and communication as directed and follow this up with an email stating such. Always make sure you document conversations about accommodations.

   

  If it is not at least 24 hours in advance the testing center will not be an option as students are not able to schedule appointments within 24 hours and you would not have adequate time to get those testing materials to UAT.

• What if my student can’t make an appointment at UAT because there are no times available, or they waited to schedule the appointment?

  You can remind students that they were told to give you at least 48 hours’ notice on multiple occasions and that they are responsible for making their appointments at UAT. Make sure that you follow up with an email for documentation purposes.

   

  You can provide testing accommodations in your classroom (if reasonable) or designate an alternate space such as an empty classroom, a conference room or office space for those with minimal distraction testing area accommodations. You can also designate alternative proctors if your schedule does not allow for doing so yourself. These proctors can be TA’s, GA’s or other department staff.

   

  You can also allow students to take the exam on a different day when there may be times available at UAT.

   

  If the student uses assistive technology software for testing such as Read&Write (speech to text sofrware), these students have been instructed to download this software on their laptops and this program can be used with lock down browsers. Read&Write software is also downloaded on select computers at Edmon Low Library should students not have access to a laptop of their own.

• What are some examples of testing accommodations I may see on a student’s accommodation letter?

  • Extended time by 50% or 100% for timed exam/quiz.

  The accommodation of "extended test/quiz time" only applies to TIMED exams. If the quiz/exam is not being timed, this accommodation would not apply.

  Take home exams or exams that are open for an extended time frame (days or weeks with no timer) do not fall under the parameters of this accommodation.

   

  For example: The normal time you allotted for the exam is 50 minutes. If the student has 50% extra time, the time they are allowed for the exam is 75 minutes. If the student has 100% extra time, the time they are allowed is 110 minutes.

  Please keep in mind that giving the entire class more time does not affect the student’s accommodation. Whatever time you allow, you must add the student’s extra time.

  • Provide testing environment with minimal distraction.

  This accommodation allows for students to be able to test in an alternate location to the classroom with a smaller group of students and a quieter environment. This can be accomplished by using an empty classroom or conference or office space.

  • Private room

  This accommodation allows students to test in a private room (with a proctor if necessary) with four walls and a closing door. This is given when students may need to use AT software or speak and read aloud during their exam as to not disturb other students.

  • Student may need to stand/shift/take breaks. Not to count against test time.

  This accommodation allows students to stop the timer on their exam, walk away for access to food/drink/meds, use the restroom, stand or stretch to relieve discomfort or just clear their thoughts and re-focus and then re-start the timer when they are ready to begin the exam again. There is no limit to the number of breaks that a student may use while utilizing this accommodation.

Learn how students schedule exams on the How to Schedule an Exam webpage.