My child has had an IEP and accommodations for testing since elementary school. They will be taking the SAT in a few months at a different school than theirs. Do I need to do anything such as contacting the school to make sure that they are aware of this? My child has extended time as part of their accommodations. I am worried about the stamina aspect for such a high stake test. They will be sitting for a long time and they refuse to have snacks. Any ideas on how to make this manageable?
Have your child’s accommodations been approved for the SAT…by the College Board?
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Yes, they are
I would definitely contact the testing coordinator at the school where he’s taking the test to make sure they offer the setting your kid needs for the test.
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Agree with Mwfan1921. My son had received accommodations and they had a specific testing area, schedule, etc. that you will know ahead of time, not just the posted room list that the kids receive when they get there that morning.
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Thank you. Will do that.
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Thank you. Will do that. Would you have any suggestions for stamina for such a long test?
Good question! The length of the test is probably one of the hardest things about it, even for any student who is comfortable with the material and does not qualify for accommodations. I did have my son practice a few times a month - got practice tests from a tutoring center or a book from the library (I apologize, he did these a few years ago so the format which I believe is now on the computer may vary from your child’s situation) and had him sit through a full length test just so he knew what he was getting into. Of course, this was at home, in a space where he was comfortable already, but he could get a feeling for tackling the problems over 4 or 5 hours. Then he could also time it - most of the time, we were really glad he had the extra time allotted mainly so he would not feel stressed out and rushed.
My son is not a big snacker either but I did make sure he had something in case he wanted it, and water of course. As any test taker - making sure you are satisfied with a good breakfast, ample sleep the night before (not test prep!), and allowing plenty of time to arrive and find your room can never hurt. Do check and see if he has a school counselor or teacher (or the SAT Board) who can advise - if there are any other qualifications he may be able to bring as I am not sure what those could be: Extra scratch paper, some other kind of fidget toys or comfort item??
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Can you clarify this? It is critical for students to have a snack and drink enough during a standardized test such as the ACT or SAT. ESPECIALLY with extended test time. Your child will do themselves no favors by not eating during the test. Frankly, I’d ask your child if he or she wants to do their best. If so, they need to eat. Food is energy. No one can think properly when they are hungry.
OP, the high school will be aware that your student has accommodations and will direct them to the appropriate testing room.
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Must agree with the food thing here. The time span is so long. Perhaps confirm if there are items they are comfortable to eat that meet the requirements (I think just need to fit in the plastic ziploc with the calculator and pencils!) - I think I’ve packed my kid an egg bagel sandwich, granola bars, etc.
Thank you for the suggestion. “Asking them if they want to do their best” may help convince them.
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it costs very little to send him off with a small baggie with a granola bar, a box of raisins, and some baby carrots. He eats it- great. He brings it home- no harm no foul. It’s not worth making an issue out of it…
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If he plans to take out any snacks during the exam he should discuss with the proctor before the exam starts to be sure there will be no issue.
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They can eat snacks during their breaks, of course.
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Not sure about SAT but the ACT allows students with “special accommodations” to take the test over multiple days.
My understanding is you need a psych report that specifically recommends multiple days and includes evidence to support the recommendation.
It can be much harder to schedule multiple day testing as well. But it is an option for some
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I helped give the PSAT on the digital platform last October as a test school. the students with extended time/breaks were in my room. I only had 4 students. The one had extra time for the subject tests. Another had extra break time too. So if test length was 35 mins , they got their extra time and then normal break was 10 minutes, they got 20 minutes. PLEASE PLEASE ask your counselors if they need all this time.
Unless, the SAT changed it - you could not move onto the next section until the time ran out. So one of my students finished in the 35 mins, sat there for additional time and then had to sit through the entire break time. It was like 45 minutes later before they started the next session, they aren’t allowed on phones or books, so they were so bored.
Does that make sense ? Yes, to extended time, but maybe not to extended breaks - talk to your IEP person
Did the college board start administering these in the U.S. again?
You need to do 2 things.
- Reach test coordinator with documents.
Make sure testing center and staff are available for accommodation (room is available and supervising adult too.) - Send your child with copy of accommodation letter by the College Board in hands and instruction to go over accommodations with room attendant before the test.
We had situation when on AP exam room attendant was not aware about most recent accommodations and refused them. (It was opportunity to write in booklet for multiple choice…) We were offered later to retake but my child refused…
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To be clear, subject tests no longer exist. Just to avoid confusion. I’m guessing this was a few years ago?
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@Chris247 when did you do these tests…and where? The subject tests were discontinued in the U.S.
And ASAIK, there have never been subject tests for the PSAT.
Please clarify.