Getting Extra Time on the SAT or ACT (for Students with Learning Disabilities)

Test Accommodation:: What are they? Do I qualify? How do I get them?

Imagine that you are about to take a test that will have a major impact on the opportunities that are available to you in the future. You made sure to get plenty of sleep the night before, had a big (but not too big) breakfast, had your parents drive you to the testing center to avoid any stressful fender-benders while parking, and have made dozens of other choices in the days and weeks leading up to this moment to give you the best chance possible to succeed. The proctor stands at the front of the class and tells you that you may begin, so you open the test booklet to the first page and work feverishly for the next sixty-five minutes, at which point the proctor tells you that time for the first section is up. You look down at your paper and note, with alarm, that you have barely been able to answer half of the questions in the section.

The above experience is not as rare as it should be. Preparing for and taking standardized tests are harrowing experiences for any student, but, to a student with special needs, they can be difficult to the point of being unfair. To help level the playing field, both the SAT and ACT offer accommodations to students with special needs to ensure that they are on an even footing with their peers. It is essential for students who have special accommodations in their classes at school to also seek out accommodations for these standardized tests.

What are accommodations?

Accommodations are special considerations afforded to students with documented disabilities. The most common accommodation for both the SAT and ACT is extended time (either 1.5 time or double time). However, both the SAT and ACT are able offer other types of accommodations to students with disabilities. This includes offering tests in braille, a reader for students with visual processing issues, a test with larger text, or any number of other accommodations to meet the needs of each student.

Are there any differences between the SAT and ACT accommodations?

While both the SAT and ACT offer similar accommodations for students with special needs, there are two major differences worth noting. First, for extended time on the SAT, students receive the extended time by section. Meaning, the reading section, which is normally 65 minutes long, would be extended to 92.5 minutes for a 1.5 time test. On the other hand, the ACT manages extended time by giving students an overall allotment of time that they can use however they like. For example, a student with 1.5 time on the ACT would be given five hours to complete the English, math, reading, and science sections, divvying up the time as they saw fit rather than simply extending the length of each section. This is an important distinction that should be considered by students who have extended time and difficulty in one or two sections but not others, as the ACT would allow them to conceivably spend more than 1.5 time on sections that give them difficulty while moving through the other sections in normal time.

The second difference is that it is possible for students with accommodations on the ACT to take the test over multiple days. If a student chooses (and qualifies for) this option they would need to complete the sections in 1.5 time rather than getting the bulk time discussed earlier, but it is often a good option for students who have difficulty with the endurance required to take the test in one sitting.

Do I qualify for accommodations?

The easiest way to determine whether a student would likely qualify for accommodations on the SAT or ACT is whether or not the student has been diagnosed with a learning difference, has an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or 504 Plan at school, and already uses the accommodations they are seeking at school. If so, the student should be able to reach out to the Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) Coordinator at their school to start the process of applying for accomodations for the SAT and/or ACT. If not, then meeting with the SSD Coordinator is a good first step to discuss possible options to have the student evaluated for learning differences.

How can I request accommodations?

The SSD Coordinator at the student’s school would be able to walk the student through the process of applying for accommodations. However, both College Board and ACT have detailed pages outlining the process.

Summary

While it will take time to apply for accommodations, it will be time well spent. Standardized tests tend to sacrifice accurately evaluating students with unique circumstances in exchange for efficiency, and accommodations are a way to put students with special needs on an even footing with their peers. However, they can only be of help to students who know they exist and how to get them.

Article Contributed by David Massey, Menlo Park Office Director for AJ Tutoring.

SAT Subject Tests // What are they? Why do I need them?

With the recent changes in the SAT (and to a lesser extent, the ACT), college admissions offices have been redefining guidelines for standardized test scores, with many schools no longer requiring applicants to submit SAT Subject Test scores. So what should a sophomore or junior do with that information? Are SAT Subject Tests even necessary anymore? Should you be registering for SAT Subject Tests this year?  Today, we’ll be tackling some FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) regarding these exams. Let’s start off with some basic information.

What are SAT Subject Tests?

Your parents may have known them as Achievement Tests. Your much older siblings may have called them SAT II tests. But regardless of their changing name, the 20 different SAT Subject Tests remain hour-long, multiple-choice, content-based exams designed for students who have completed the honors level of that particular subject. For example, a student who has completed Honors Biology at school may consider taking the Biology SAT (unless you’ll take AP Biology later—see below).

SAT Subject Tests are all scored out of 800, and they range in subjects as diverse as Modern Hebrew to Chemistry. As you might imagine, there are many language exams offered (nine total), and most of the language exams have both a listening portion and a reading portion.

When are they offered?

The most popular SAT Subject Tests are offered six times a year—on the same dates that the SAT is offered (Aug, Oct, Nov, Dec, May, June), so they may not be taken on the same date as the SAT. Many of the less popular tests, including ones like World History, Latin, or Japanese are offered fewer times a year. For current dates, check this link. Students should generally take them in either May or June, at the end of the academic year, to maximize their in-class preparation.

Do I need to take SAT Subject Tests to get into college? 

Many schools are no longer requiring the submission of SAT Subject Tests, but what does this mean for applicants? Only a handful of schools currently require the submission of SAT Subject Test scores, including Carnegie Mellon and Harvey Mudd. Some colleges, like Tufts or Wellesley, require either the submission of ACT scores OR the SAT with two different SAT Subject Test scores. Other schools “strongly recommend” the submission of these scores (e.g., Duke and Georgetown).

Our suggestion? If you are targeting a top-50 university or liberal arts college, you should plan on taking at least two different SAT Subject Tests. Although they are not a required element of your application, they could give further proof of your readiness to take on college-level material, particularly in your intended major, and perhaps balance out a lower grade in that subject on your transcript.

Additionally, SAT Subject Tests may give you some more options come application season. Some schools, such as NYU, Brandeis University, and the University of Rochester, are allowing students to submit SAT Subject Test scores in lieu of SAT or ACT scores.

Which ones should I take?

Our general advice for all students is to take the Math Level 2 SAT. Not only is higher level math critical to success in STEM fields, selective colleges also want all of their admitted students to be proficient in math.

After Math Level 2, students should be taking exams in the subject(s) of their academic interest. If you’re hoping to become a social science major, take the World History or the U.S. History exam. If you’re a prospective English major, signing up for the Literature SAT makes sense. If you’re going to be a Chemical Engineer when you grow up, definitely take the Chemistry SAT (and maybe even the Physics SAT).

If you’re taking an AP course, you may want to take the corresponding SAT Subject Test since you’re probably studying for the AP exam in May anyway. For example, you may want to take the World History SAT in June if you’re enrolled in AP World History, even if you have no intention of becoming a history major—you are already studying the subject; you might as well take two tests!

What kinds of scores should I aim for?

Broadly speaking, if the test is in your area of potential major and you are applying to a very selective school, you should be aiming for a 750+ on that particular exam. However, our best advice to you is to look at the percentiles. Keep in mind that many native speakers take the language exams. For example, a score of 790 out of 800 sounds very impressive. But if you earned that result on the Korean SAT, you’d only be testing higher than 42% of all test takers (for the Chinese exam, a score of 790 means that you’re only in the 48th percentile—the bottom half of all test takers!). This is why it’s often not worth it to take the Chinese or Korean SAT since high scores do not mean much in terms of percentiles.

Summary

The bottom line is that SAT Subject Tests are an important but not critical part of your college application.  Like AP exams, they are another way for admissions offices to assess your mastery of certain subjects using a standardized test. Applicants to the top colleges should definitely consider taking these exams, but maintaining a high GPA and earning a great SAT or ACT score will always take precedence.