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College Board

Educators - Information & Tools For Teachers, Counselors, Higher Education Faculty and Administrators Home > Testing > Students with Disabilities > Application Process > Documentation Guidelines > Guidelines

Guidelines

Basic requirements for disability documentation

The College Board Guidelines for Documentation lists the information that it considers fundamental in determining eligibility. Without the information, it is extremely difficult to determine if a student has a disability that requires accommodations, and whether specific accommodations meet a student's needs on our tests.

Seven guidelines for documentation

Documentation must:

  1. State the specific disability, as diagnosed (Diagnosis should be made by a person with appropriate professional credentials, should be specific, and, when appropriate, should relate the disability to the applicable professional standards. For example, DSM-IV.)
  2. Be current (in most cases, the evaluation and diagnostic testing should have taken place within five years of the request for accommodations)
  3. Provide relevant educational, developmental, and medical history
  4. Describe the comprehensive testing and techniques used to arrive at the diagnosis. Include test results with subtest scores (standard or scaled scores) for all tests. See Documenting Specific Disabilities for a listing of frequently used tests and what they measure
  5. Describe the functional limitations (for example, the limitations to learning impacted due to the diagnosed disability)
  6. Describe the specific accommodations being requested on College Board tests
  7. Establish the professional credentials of the evaluator (for example, licensure; certification; area of specialization)

The College Board's Instructions for Completing the Student Eligibility Form (.pdf/100K) include a broader discussion of the Guidelines.

For more information, see:

Customized Entry Pages

HIGHLIGHT

What are the top 10 mistakes when requesting accommodations? See How to Avoid the Top 10 Mistakes when Requesting Accommodations (.pdf/66K).

Contact

  • Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD)
  • P.O. Box 6226
  • Princeton, New Jersey 08541-6226
  • Phone: (609) 771-7137
  • FAX: (609) 771-7944
  • TTY: (609) 882-4118
  • Email: ssd@info.collegeboard.org
  • Phones are available between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. (ET), Monday through Friday. You may also contact PSAT/NMSQT, SAT, or AP for specific information about each program.

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