ACT and SAT Accommodations: One Size Does Not Fit All

For students with LD and/or AD/HD, needed accommodations can be critical on test day. By reducing the impact of attention problems or learning difficulties, accommodations allow for a fair comparison among students. Beyond general preferences for the ACT or the SAT, students can, and should, consider the available accommodations when choosing which test to take.

Types of Accommodations Offered on the ACT and SATIn most cases, students will request the accommodations they already receive in school. The need for these accommodations is already well documented, and testing companies are unlikely to approve accommodations not given in school.

Accommodations offered may include:

• Extended time (either 150% time or double time)
• Multiple-day testing
• Extra or extended breaks
• Small-group testing
• Access to a reader or audio cassette/DVD
• Access to a computer to type the essay

Students and their parents should strategize about which accommodations to request. While extra breaks on the SAT may sound like a great idea, keep in mind that they will add an additional hour onto an already grueling test—so it’s important not to request accommodations that aren’t truly needed. Students shouldn’t hesitate to seek out the advice of a school counselor, who typically is the person submitting the application to the testing companies.

While most students should select a test based on their own preferences and their performance on practice exams, in some cases the accommodations awarded may sway a student toward one exam or the other. The accommodations-administration procedures should be considered as well. For example, the most commonly requested accommodation, extended time, is administered differently for the two tests. In many cases, students with LD and/or AD/HD may find the ACT to be a better choice because of the format of its standard extended-time administration. While the SAT observes strict timing of each section with structured breaks, the ACT allows students to move from one section to the next at their own pace within one overall time limit. Further, students may choose the length of their breaks, as well as whether to take one between each section. This flexibility can be a real advantage, especially for students who have trouble maintaining focus over long periods.

Learn more about which test—the ACT or the SAT—is a better fit for your teen.

Please note: Students receiving accommodations in school do not automatically qualify for accommodations on the ACT and SAT. They still have to go through the application process. School accommodations definitely increase the chances of approval from the SAT or ACT, but they are not a guarantee. Always be prepared for the possibility of taking the test without them, at least until you’ve received notification to the contrary!