If your student has a documented disability - a learning difference, ADHD, anxiety, a chronic medical condition, a visual or hearing impairment - they may be eligible for testing accommodations on the SAT or ACT. Extended time is the most common, but the accommodations can also include extra breaks, a separate testing room, assistive technology, large-print materials, a human reader or scribe, and more.
Getting accommodations approved isn't difficult, but it isn't automatic, and it isn't fast. The single most common mistake we see families make is waiting too long to start. Here's what you actually need to know.
01A few things parents often get wrong
An IEP or 504 plan does not automatically guarantee accommodations on the SAT. It's an important piece of the puzzle, and it helps, but the College Board conducts its own independent review.
Accommodations don't appear on score reports. Colleges don't see whether your student tested with extended time, extra breaks, or any other accommodation. The score is the score.
Accommodations aren't a shortcut. They're designed to remove barriers for students who need them, but if your student doesn't, it's not a great idea to go looking for them. The College Board and the ACT have gotten much more strict about documentation since the 2019 Varsity Blues scandal, and they're on the lookout for people trying to game the system.
02The SAT process
The SAT is run by the College Board, and accommodations are handled by a department called Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD). Here's how it works:
- Talk to your school's SSD coordinator. This is usually a counselor or learning specialist. They submit a request on your student's behalf through the College Board's SSD Online portal. You can apply directly as a parent, but the school route is strongly preferred and faster. Not sure who to talk to? Check with your student's college counselor.
- Gather documentation. An IEP or 504 plan, any psycho-educational or medical evaluations, and any history of accommodations the student has used in school. Ideally, families will have a specific, documented history along with an up-to-date diagnosis. Very recent diagnoses are red-flagged: be prepared with an explanation.
- Submit early. The College Board says approval can take up to seven weeks, and that's the optimistic case if they come back with follow-up questions. Start the process at least three months before your target test date.
- Once approved, you're good to go for everything. SAT accommodations carry forward automatically to all future College Board exams: the SAT, PSAT, and AP exams. One approval, multiple tests.
03The ACT process
The ACT runs its accommodations through a different system, called TAA (Test Accessibility and Accommodations). The biggest practical difference from the SAT: ACT accommodations are tied to a specific test date. If your student tests in June and then again in October, the school coordinator has to associate the approval with each new date.
The process:
- Register for a specific ACT test date first. During registration, indicate that the student needs accommodations. This means you'll need to register as early as possible so that you have time to resolve any issues that might arise.
- Sign the consent form. The parent or guardian completes ACT's Consent to Release Information form. It gets forwarded to the school's Test Accommodations Coordinator (TAC).
- The school Test Accommodations Coordinator submits the request through TAA along with the supporting documentation. Just like the SAT, you'll want as much history as possible, but if a student does have a current IEP or 504 Plan, the ACT considers that sufficient.
- Wait for the decision. ACT typically processes requests in 5-14 business days, but build in buffer time. The decision goes to the TAC through TAA - not directly to your student - so check in with the school.
ACT also splits accommodations into two categories: National Extended Time (administered at a regular test center on a normal Saturday test date) and Special Testing (more involved accommodations, usually administered at the student's own school over a multi-day window). The TAC will help you figure out which applies.
04What documentation actually needs to show
The ACT automatically approves students with a current 504 or IEP, but students without can still receive testing accommodations. If a student is undergoing a full review, both organizations want to see roughly the same things:
- A current diagnosis from a qualified professional (psychologist, physician, neurologist, etc.)
- Evidence that the disability substantially limits a major life activity, including test-taking
- A clear explanation of why the specific accommodation requested is necessary, not just that the student has a diagnosis
If your student has been receiving accommodations at school for years, start gathering that paper trail now. If the most recent evaluation is more than a few years old, you may need to schedule an updated one, and that often catches families off guard, because comprehensive evaluations can take weeks or months to schedule, complete, and write up.
05What happens if you're denied
It happens more often than you might expect. Both the College Board and the ACT deny first-time requests fairly regularly, usually because the documentation was incomplete or out of date, or because the connection between the diagnosis and the specific accommodation requested wasn't spelled out clearly enough.
A denial is not the end. Both organizations have reconsideration processes:
- For the SAT, your school's SSD coordinator can submit additional documentation or a written rationale through SSD Online. Each new review essentially restarts the seven-week clock, so the sooner you appeal, the better.
- For the ACT, the school's TAC edits the existing request in TAA and adds supporting documents for reconsideration. ACT typically reviews appeals on a similar 5-14 business day timeline as the original request.
Most successful appeals come down to better documentation, so gathering a more current evaluation, a more detailed letter from the diagnosing clinician, or a clearer explanation of why this accommodation is necessary for this student (as opposed to just establishing that a diagnosis exists) is usually sufficient. If the denial letter is vague about what was missing, ask. Both organizations will tell you what they need to see.
06What to do now
If your student is in middle school or early high school and might need accommodations down the line, you don't have to wait:
- Make sure an IEP or 504 is current and on file at school.
- Schedule a fresh evaluation if the last one is out of date.
- Find out who the SSD coordinator (SAT) and TAC (ACT) are at your school. Introduce yourself. They're going to be your most important contacts in this process.
If you're not sure whether your student qualifies, whether the process is worth the effort, or where to begin, we're happy to talk it through. Email questions@dfwtestprep.com and we'd be happy to answer questions.
