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Home > College Board Tests > Services for Students with Disabilities

Introduction

The College Board is committed to ensuring that students with disabilities receive appropriate accommodations on its tests. These tests are:

  • SAT Reasoning and Subject Tests
  • Advanced Placement Tests (AP)
  • PSAT/NMSQT

What is included in this website for students seeking accommodations on College Board tests?

The SSD area for students can be explored by clicking on the links below.

What are some of the first things I need to know if I wish to take College Board tests with accommodations?

To take College Board tests with accommodations, you must ensure that your school has an SSD Coordinator's Form on file with the College Board. Your school can find a blank SSD Coordinator's Form in the Resources and Tools section of the Educators SSD site.

There is one common Student Eligibility Form for all College Board tests. It is a scannable form; therefore, neither you nor your school can download and complete the copy of the form that is part of this website—it is being provided here for information purposes only. View a sample of the Student Eligibility Form (.pdf/329k). Only an original Student Eligibility Form, completed and signed in pencil, can be processed by the College Board. Copies of the Instructions for Completing the 2007-2008 Student Eligibility Form (also found in Eligibility) and the Student Eligibility Form have been sent to all schools. If your school did not receive the Instructions and Form, please ask your school to notify the College Board SSD office by telephone at (609) 771-7137 or by email at ssd@info.collegeboard.org.

Step 1

You must complete Section I of the Student Eligibility Form and forward it to your school.

Step 2

School officials complete Sections II and III and send all three sections to the College Board (detailed guidance for all sections is provided in the Instructions).

Step 3

Because the College Board process includes a thorough review of information on the Form, it takes 5 weeks from the point that the Form information is complete (and, when the College Board needs to review the disability documentation, 7 weeks from the point that the disability information is complete). Deadlines are established prior to the first test you wish to take (test dates and eligibility deadlines are on the last page of the Instructions).

Step 4

You and your school officials will receive copies of an Eligibility Letter that either identifies approved accommodations and provides a SSD Identification Number (SSD Eligibility Code), or explains why the accommodations you requested are not approved for College Board tests.

Step 5

When you register/indicate that you wish to take a College Board test with your approved accommodations, you must provide your SSD Eligibility Code. Your testing site (usually your home school for AP Exams, the PSAT/NMSQT, and some administrations of the SAT; or a national test site for most SAT administrations) will make the appropriate testing arrangements (e.g., setting; proctor; materials).

Step 6

You go to the testing site identified for your tests (either your home school or a site identified on your SAT admission ticket) and test with the accommodations.

Note: When submitting your Student Eligibility Form, make sure that:

  • all the information on the Form is written in No. 2 pencil
  • the original Form is sent to the College Board, and
  • every required field on the Form contains an answer. The College Board cannot process your request for accommodations until the Form is complete and all the disability documentation is submitted.

Is there general information about the process that I should know before completing the Student Eligibility Form?

You may receive accommodations at school, and you may think that you automatically will be eligible for the same accommodations on College Board tests. This may not be the case. Please review the "Eligibility" and "Guidelines for Documentation" sections on page 1 of the Instructions. If your school's services for students with disabilities align with the College Board Guidelines, and your school verifies this on your form, then you are eligible for accommodations on College Board tests.

When you consider seeking accommodations on College Board tests, you may find the Dear Parent Letter (.pdf/43k) helpful. This letter is also available in Spanish (.pdf/50K). It is written to help parents understand the College Board's eligibility process for testing accommodations based on disability.

What happens after Step 4 when you are notified that you are eligible for accommodations on College Board tests?

When you are approved for accommodations, both you and your school official representative (most often the school's SSD Coordinator) are sent Eligibility Letters. These letters include your SSD Eligibility Code, which you should always use when you communicate with the College Board. Periodically, rosters will be sent to your school's official representative of students approved for accommodations and their specific accommodations.

The Student Eligibility Form is a request for accommodations-it is not a test registration form. Each College Board test has unique registration requirements (included in each test's website section).

Online registration is now available if you have approved accommodations for the SAT and SAT Subject Tests. You will need your SSD Eligibility Code to register online.

How often do I need to complete the Student Eligibility Form?

As long as your school verifies annually for the College Board that you continue to receive the same accommodations, you will not need to repeat the eligibility process. If you transfer to a new school, a new Student Eligibility Form will need to be sent to the College Board unless you transfer within the same school district and the receiving school verifies that you continue to receive the same accommodations (see page 3 of the Instructions).

Can I apply directly to the College Board for accommodations on our tests?

Yes, you may send your Student Eligibility Form completed through Section I, and disability documentation directly to the College Board. The College Board will review the documentation to determine if it meets the Guidelines and if the requested accommodations are substantiated. You may find directions in the Instructions for Completing the 2007-2008 Student Eligibility Form and the school would not be involved in providing direct information.