If you have a documented disability, you may be eligible for accommodations when you take the SAT and other College Board tests.

If you need accommodations, get them as early as possible in your high school career. Since College Board’s accommodations will last until after you graduate, the earlier you get your accommodations the more you will be able to use them – especially on AP Exams and the PSAT, which you may begin taking as a sophomore or even a freshman.

Fill out and print the SAT College Board Test Accommodation form and return to your counselor.

College Board Approval Required

Accommodations must be approved by the College Board’s Services for Students with Disabilities for students taking the SAT (as well as other College Board tests including, but not limited to, the PSAT/NMSQT, PSAT 10, SAT Subject Tests, and AP Exams). Scores will be canceled if accommodations are used without College Board approval.

Start Early

It can take up to 7 weeks for accommodations to be approved. If you plan to take the SAT in October, for instance, talk to your counselor to start the process in the spring of the previous school year—well before summer break. See the SSD calendar for all test dates and deadlines.

Have You Taken Other College Board Tests?

If the College Board has already approved you to take the PSAT or AP Exams with accommodations, you don’t need to make another request.

Register for the SAT with Accommodations

Once you’re approved for accommodations, you will receive a seven-digit SSD Eligibility Code. You’ll be asked to enter this code when you register for the SAT online. If you register by mail, include a copy of your SSD Eligibility Letter in the envelope with the SAT registration form.

What Are Common Accommodations?

The accommodations you can get will vary based on your needs and situation. Here are some of the most commonly given SAT accommodations:

• Extended time (50% extra is most common, anything more than 100% is considered rare) on either one section or the entire test

• Computer for typing essays

• Extra or extended breaks

• Reading/seeing accommodations (e.g. large print, Braille, magnifier)

• Scribe for essays

• Reader for the test

• Different setting – e.g. preferential seating, small group, or a private room

• For a more exhaustive list, see this College Board guide.

As an example, a student with ADHD might take the test with a small group of students to minimize distractions. Or a student with a learning disability in math might receive extended time on the math sections. Or a student with diabetes might request frequent breaks to be able to track their blood sugar during the test.

There are many different potential combinations of condition and accommodation, and they will change based on your particular situation.

What Kind of Disability or Condition Do I Need to Have to Qualify?

To get approval of your accommodations by College Board, they need to verify you have a documented disability or condition that impairs your ability to take the SAT.

For the SAT, students with disabilities like the following are often accommodated, though this is not an exhaustive list:

• ADHD

• Autism Spectrum Disorders

• Communication Disorders

• Head Injuries

• Hearing Impairments

• Learning Disorders

• Physical/Medical Disabilities

• Psychiatric Disorders

• Tic Disorders/Tourette’s

• Visual Impairments

Note that limited English proficiency is not considered a condition that College Board can provide accommodations for. For the fine print on College Board’s eligibility standards, see their website.

Temporary Medical Conditions

Students with temporary conditions are sometimes eligible for temporary assistance. However, temporary medical or physical conditions, such as a broken arm, are not disabilities.

If you have a temporary condition that is impairing your ability to take the SAT - for example you broke your right wrist and that’s your writing hand - it is possible to get accommodations, but it will be much more difficult. The odds increase if you are signed up for an AP Exam and will not heal by the late test date, or if you are a senior who hasn’t taken the SAT yet.

Use the Correct Form

The process will be different for you. Instead of working with your school counselor, you will submit a different form, which you can access online here.

Who Should Request Assistance

In most cases, students with temporary conditions should re-register to take the test at a date when they have healed.

In certain circumstances, the College Board approves assistance for individuals with temporary physical conditions. These are examples of students who might be eligible:

• Seniors taking the SAT. SAT takers in other grades must re-register.

• AP Exam takers whose impairment will not be resolved by the late testing dates.