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Testing Accommodations

What are test accommodations?

Test accommodations are adaptations that can help ensure that a test measures what it is designed to measure. The purpose of test accommodations is to provide applicants with access to the test. The purpose is not to ensure improved performance, a passing score, test completion, or other specific outcome(s). Providing accommodations to boost test performance is unfair to other applicants and compromises the mission and regulatory objectives of the OAA. Consistent with the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act, test accommodations are individualized and considered on a case-by-case basis.

Prescription Medicine, Prescription Eye Wear, Water, Snacks and Certain Other Items Do Not Need Prior Approval
The OAA allows applicants to bring into the exam room certain items related to medical or health needs without prior notice to the OAA. For example, an applicant can bring their prescription medicine into the exam room subject to security screening. Applicants are also allowed to have water/drinks that are in a clear plastic container as well as snacks at their testing table, subject to security screening. Over-the-counter medication is also permitted as long as it is packaged within the guidelines set forth in the exam Applicant Agreement. The Applicant Agreement, signed and submitted as part of the exam application, also provides a list of items that are automatically permitted in the exam room.

Applicants May Notify the OAA About Medical Aids or Devices Before the Exam
An applicant may bring into the exam room a pre-approved medical aid or device. Please follow the instructions on our Medical Aid or Device webpage. Notifying the OAA of a pre-approved medical aid or device is advantageous to the applicant during the security check screening process.

IF an applicant plans to bring a medical aid or device into the exam room, and the medical aid device is not on the list of pre-approved items, the applicant must notify the OAA prior to the exam so the OAA can plan appropriately. However, the applicant does not need to submit accommodations documentation if the use of the medical device does not affect test time, test conditions, or other facets of test administration. Applicants can notify the OAA of a non-preapproved medical aid or device by emailing bleinfo@csc.state.co.us. Memory aids are not considered medical aids or devices and are not allowed in any OAA exam room.

Applicants Seeking Disability-Related Accommodations Must Follow the Process in These Guidelines
Applicants seeking disability-related accommodations must provide evidence that their condition rises to the level of a disability and provide information about functional limitations and barriers to accessing the exam. Having a diagnosis or meeting the diagnostic criteria for a particular disorder does not automatically mean that an applicant is disabled or is entitled automatically to test accommodations. OAA does not always require a recent diagnosis from a medical professional in order to be granted an accommodation, and accommodations decisions are not made solely on the basis of a diagnosis. The OAA does, however, require evidence that an individual is disabled, and that the disability may have a significant impact on their ability to access an examination.

Individuals with a disability usually can document functional challenges in a variety of different settings, such as school, the workplace, and other daily life activities. For example, if the applicant is working in a job, it is helpful for the OAA to see verification of workplace accommodations that the applicant requires due to the applicant’s disability. Because OAA staff does not meet in-person with applicants—unlike disability services staff at a university—the OAA must rely on the documentation the applicant provides to make accommodations decisions.

 

Specific Circumstances

1. ADHD or learning disorders. Psychologists and doctors may diagnose someone with ADHD or a learning disorder—but as explained above, this diagnosis itself is not required.

  • The applicant’s documentation must adequately describe the applicant’s current functional limitations to major life activities—not what the applicant’s performance was like in elementary school or many years ago.
  • If the applicant’s documentation indicates that the applicant has difficulty sustaining attention over time—yet the applicant is seeking significantly longer seat time on the exam—the applicant and the applicant’s evaluator must explain why this accommodation would be appropriate. Simply providing evidence that the applicant has been diagnosed with ADHD or a learning disorder is not sufficient to demonstrate that the applicant needs an accommodation for equal access to the exam.

2. Temporary disabilities or circumstances. Documentation about a temporary disability such as a broken arm, or temporary circumstances such as pregnancy, will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

3. Anxiety. It is perfectly normal and very common to be anxious during an exam (“test anxiety”). However, accommodations are not provided solely for common test anxiety. If the only impact of the applicant’s condition is anxiety due to test-taking, then it is likely that the ADA would not require an accommodation.

4. Lack of English language proficiency. The OAA does not provide disability-related accommodations to individuals based on lack of proficiency with the English language or when the need for accommodations is based on speaking English as a second language (ESL). The exams are administered in English.

5. Deaf. If the applicant is deaf or otherwise hard-of-hearing, a written copy of the check-in procedures and rules can be provided to the applicant. However, since the exam is entirely written, with nothing to listen to in answering exam questions, the applicant should not need a sign language interpreter while taking the exam. The OAA does not translate the exam into any other language, including ASL. As indicated above, accommodations must be relevant to the specific task and setting.

6. Blind or low vision. If the applicant has a visual disorder that cannot be corrected with eyeglasses or other visual aids the applicant may already have, there are many possible accommodations that the OAA could provide, based on an applicant’s specific needs. Be sure to provide information about the applicant’s actual functional limitations, any assistive technology the applicant regularly uses, and what accommodations, devices, or technologies the applicant may need in order to access the exam.