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 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 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 MUST be substantiated by the student's medical documentation and documented disability)

• Extended testing time

• Distraction-reduced room

• Scribes

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

• Large print tests

Guidelines and Policies for Testing Accommodations

• 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.

• 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. Students are required and responsible for making an appointment at least THREE BUSINESS DAYS (excluding weekends and holidays) PRIOR to ACTUAL TEST DATE with the Test Proctor by emailing DTests@ctcd.edu

  • 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: Monday through Thursday 7:30am-5:30pm and Friday 7:30am-11:30am (excluding weekends/holidays). When emailing DTests@ctcd.edu to schedule a test appointment, student's 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 the above listed 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.

• If your test day is on:	Test appointment must be made during normal DSS business hours by (excluding holidays/weekends):
  MONDAY	WEDNESDAY
  TUESDAY	THURSDAY
  WEDNESDAY	FRIDAY
  THURSDAY	MONDAY
  FRIDAY	TUESDAY

• Once a student has scheduled his/her exam (within the required timeframe - 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 are administered during regular class/test time (this means taking the test at the same time as the rest of the class; unless it is after normal DSS office hours - all testing must be completed during DSS business hours). Students are expected to be on time for their scheduled appointment. Any variations on future and scheduled 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.

• Students are NOT permitted to take their cell phones, lap tops, tablets, smart watches, or any other non-approved devices into the testing room. These items must be left with the DSS Test Proctor.

• 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 and the instructor will be notified.

• 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.

• Completed exams will be returned to the instructor by the method selected by the course instructor when DSS Testing Center requests an exam:

  • Scanned and emailed back to the instructor

  • Faxed back to the instructor

  • Picked up by the instructor