ADHD testing accommodations can be stressful to arrange. This is especially true when your questions don’t seem to be addressed anywhere.
Here are some of the questions and concerns we see most frequently:
Q: Will the school I apply to find out I took a test with accommodations?
No. Schools only receive the score report.
Q: Can I get accommodations for the LSAT because I have ADHD?
If you’ve already used ADHD accommodations at school or work, and a qualified professional can verify the diagnosis within three years, then it is fairly easy to get your accommodations approved. It is a lengthy process, so plan at least three months in advance of your test to complete your paperwork and submit it.
If you haven’t already used accommodations, or haven’t had a recent evaluation, there are a few extra hurdles to jump. You’ll need to find a neuropsychiatrist to complete a nurse psychiatric evaluation, which will identify any and diagnose you with any learning disabilities that may warrant accommodations. This can be complicated, especially with health insurance concerns.
Once you have an evaluation and diagnosis, there are a few forms you’ll have to complete to apply for LSAT accommodations. These will include a personal statement about your testing experiences with and without accommodations, the effort you put into studying, the test taking strategies you have applied, and how accommodations will allow you to be successful on test day.
Q: I’m an adult who was never diagnosed with learning disabilities, but I am struggling to process the test information and have other symptoms that indicate I might have a learning disability. What should I do?
The best place to start is an initial evaluation to discuss whether your learning challenges are impairing your cognition on test day. You can also make an appointment with a qualified professional (your internist, or a psychiatrist or psychologist) to discuss your symptoms and possible treatments right away.
Q: How difficult is it to be approved for accommodations? Is there a high chance that I’ll be denied?
In our experience, no student who we have assisted in applying for accommodations has ever been denied access to accommodations on test day. That being said, students do have their accommodations denied in cases where their paperwork is not legible, or the documentation provided by their qualified professional does not provide evidence of disability or a reasonable explanation for why the requested accommodation is needed. We have frequently been hired to assist students who have previously been denied accommodations for these reasons.
Q: What types of accommodations are available for students with ADHD?
The most common forms of reasonable accommodations are below:
50% extra time to take the examextra breakslonger breaksworking in a separate and quiet room100% extra time (this accommodation is more difficult to receive because you most prove that 50% extra time is insufficient)
These and other specific accommodations may be possible based on your doctor’s recommendations and a carefully prepared application.
Q: Is it common for students to take tests with accommodations?
The short answer is yes.
The long answer is that we don’t have statistics on how many students in total take tests with accommodations. However, at least 50% of the students who work with Ginsburg Advanced Tutoring are eligible to test with accommodations due to diagnosed learning challenges.
Students who do not end up taking their exams with accommodations to manage their ADHD symptoms usually choose not to apply for accommodations due to financial barriers related to getting re-evaluated and receiving an updated diagnosis (neurocognitive and neuroacademic testing can be expensive), or because there is not enough time to apply for accommodations in advance of their test day—it is, as we’ve said, a lengthy process!