DSS TESTING POLCIES

Disability Support Services (DSS) administers exams for students with an approved accommodation for extended time and/or a distraction-reduced environment. Students approved for testing accommodations (extended testing time and/or separate testing area) have two testing options:

• Take exams at DSS testing center for tests that cannot be taken online at home or for classes/labs that will be held on campus (for students who elect to utilize their approved testing accommodations - students are required to schedule tests at least 3 business days in advance with DSS)

• Take exams in class under normal testing conditions for classes/labs that will be held on campus (for students who elect not to utilize their approved testing accommodations - students that elect to take the exam in the classroom without accommodations are not entitled to a re-take on the exam as the student elected to forfeit the use of approved testing accommodations for the exam)

Possible Exam Accommodations (will require approval from DSS Coordinator and/or instructor and MUST be substantiated by the student's medical documentation and documented disability – accommodations are also dependent upon the nature of the exam and what the exam is designed to test/measure)

• Extended testing time

• Distraction-reduced room

• Test scribes

• Test reader or test reading software

• Use of adaptive software (ZoomText) or hardware (CCTV, adaptive mice, keyboard)

• Large print tests

• Braille tests

• Sign language interpreter

• Alternative answering sheet

• Calculator

• Dictionary

• The student is responsible for discussing all testing accommodations with each course instructor.  Discussion should take place at least three business days prior to testing date. ONLY students are permitted to schedule testing appointments and advance scheduling of test appointment is required for EACH test the student elects to take at DSS (parents and/or course instructors are NOT permitted to schedule any tests for students).

• All test appointments MUST be scheduled and completed during normal DSS business hours. Students that elect to use their approved testing accommodations (extended testing time and/or separate testing area) are required to test at the DSS Testing Center unless the test is online and can be taken at home. For online tests taken at home, the instructor(s) will be responsible for extending testing time for the student. Students are required and responsible for making an appointment at least THREE BUSINESS DAYS (excluding weekends/holidays/summer hours) PRIOR to ACTUAL TEST DATE with the Test Proctor by emailing DTests@ctcd.edu for tests that need to be taken at the DSS Testing Office. When emailing DTests@ctcd.edu to schedule a test appointment, students are required to provide the following information to the Test Proctor: student's name, class name & number, instructor's name, test date, and time of exam.

  • Test appointments that do not meet the 3 business days notice or are scheduled after business hours will NOT be accepted by the DSS Test Proctor and the test will NOT be scheduled or administered at the DSS Testing Center. The 3 business days notice is required for all tests to allow the DSS Test Proctor adequate time to make appropriate testing arrangements for each scheduled test - exceptions will NOT be made.

  • Failure to comply with these policies will result in the test not being scheduled at the DSS Testing Center, the student being sent back to class, and student not being permitted to take the test at DSS.

  • DSS does NOT send out test appointment reminders to students.

Test appointment must be made during normal DSS business hours (excluding holidays/summer hours/weekends). DSS is open Monday – Thursday from 7:30am to 5:30pm and Friday from 7:30am to 11:30am.

If your test day is on:            Appointment must be made by:     

                                                                   MONDAY                                  WEDNESDAY

                                                                   TUESDAY                                  THURSDAY

                                                                   WEDNESDAY                            FRIDAY

                                                                   THURSDAY                               MONDAY

                                                                   FRIDAY                                     TUESDAY

• Once a student has scheduled his/her exam (within the required time frame - 3 business days prior to test date), the DSS Test Proctor will then contact the instructor to request the exam.

• Students must scan their student ID at check-in and no personal items are allowed in the testing room.

• All tests at DSS will be administered during regular class/test time (this means taking the test at the same time as the rest of the class; unless it is before/after normal DSS office business hours - all testing must be completed during DSS business hours). Any variations on test times/dates must first be approved by the instructor and then coordinated with the DSS Test Proctor. If students fails to take the exam as scheduled or shows up late for scheduled test appointments, they must contact their instructor. Make up tests will be at the discretion of the instructor, not DSS.

• Students are NOT permitted to take their cell phones, lap tops, tablets, smart watches, or any other non-approved devices into the testing room and should not bring these items to DSS.

• All bathroom breaks should be taken prior to testing. Breaks during the test will NOT be permitted UNLESS the student has provided DSS with medical documentation stating the necessity of short breaks in accordance with the student's documented disability.

• The test sessions will cease immediately if academic dishonesty occurs while testing at the DSS office and the instructor will be notified by DSS.

• Students cannot use auxiliary test aids such as calculators, formula tablets, textbooks or notes unless authorized by the instructor to the DSS Test Proctor.

• Students must turn in the test within the allotted extended testing time. Once the student has submitted his/her test to the DSS Test Proctor, DSS cannot give the test back to the student.

Appointment Test time: Students will be required to be on time for their scheduled test at the DSS testing office. Students that are more than 15 minutes late will not be permitted to test at the DSS testing office and will be required to discuss this with their course instructor. DSS office will email the instructor informing him/her that the student missed his/her test appointment due to late arrival. Approvals for a make-up test will be at the discretion of the instructor.