Many students with cognitive, mental, and physical disabilities become symptomatic during their exams. They complain about physical pain, unnerving anxiety, and lack of focus that takes their time and attention away from their exam. In cases where a student's ability to function during the exam is limited due to disability, the LSAC is committed, by law, to ensure accommodated access to the LSAT exam. In fact, the following commitment appears at the LSAC website:
“LSAC is committed to ensuring access to the LSAT by providing appropriate accommodation for test takers with documented disabilities. We strive to make accommodation decisions consistent with our legal obligations.”
So, if accommodations are available for you, do not hesitate to take the steps to access them. Below is an easy step-by-step guide to help you through the process.
Step 1: Determine the Category of Your Request
The accommodation alternatives available to you are based on two factors:
The accommodation(s) you request and/or
The nature of your disability
Accommodation requests are then categorized based on those factors. Let’s take a look at the three categories of requests:
Category #1: LSAT Accommodation Request Based Only on Prior Accommodations on Certain Standardized Admission Tests
You may be eligible for LSAT accommodation(s) based on your history of prior accommodation(s) on certain other standardized admission tests, especially if your prior accommodation was in the form of extended time, provided you meet all of the eligibility criteria. If you meet ALL of the eligibility criteria for this alternative, the following documentation is required:
Candidate Form (PDF) (If you’re completing your request through your LSAC online account, you do not need to download this form.)
Verification of Prior Accommodation from test sponsor
If you are requesting an accommodation on the LSAT that does not involve extended test time, the following documentation is required:
Candidate Form (PDF) (If you’re completing your request through your LSAC online account, you do not need to download this form.)
Qualified Professional Form (PDF) (If you’re submitting your request through your online account, upload during Step 3 of the request process.)
Category #2: No Severe Visual Impairment & Up to 50% Extended Time OR Visual Impairment & Up to 100% Extended Time
If you do not have a severe visual impairment and you are requesting up to 50% extended time, or if you have a visual impairment which requires taking the test in an alternative format and you are requesting up to 100% extra time, the following documentation is required:
Candidate Form (PDF) (If you’re completing your request through your LSAC online account, you do not need to download this form.)
Qualified Professional Form (PDF) (If you’re submitting your request through your online account, upload during Step 3 of the request process.)
Category #3: No Severe Visual Impairment & More Than 50% Extended Time OR Severe Visual Impairment & More Than to 100% Extended Time
If you do not have a severe visual impairment and you are requesting more than 50% extended time, or if you have a severe visual impairment which requires taking the test in an alternative format and you are requesting more than 100% extended time, the following documentation is required:
Candidate Form (PDF) (If you’re completing your request through your LSAC online account, you do not need to download this form.)
Qualified Professional Form (PDF) (If you’re submitting your request through your online account, upload during Step 3 of the request process.)
You may not know which category request you need to make. In that case, we recommend reaching out to our accommodations specialist about our accommodations service, or if you're especially close to the registration deadline, going ahead and completing our Student Registration Form, which contains our Test Anxiety Diagnostic that will help you identify the emotional, physical, and cognitive symptoms of testing anxiety that you experience.
Step 2: Register for the LSAT
You must be registered for the LSAT in order to register for accommodations. You may register for the LSAT online, by phone, or by submitting an online registration form. For assistance with registration, you can contact LSAC at 215.968.1001.
NOTE: Your request for accommodation will not be processed until you are registered to take the test.
Step 3: Complete the Online and Paper-Based Forms For Your Category
You will need to register for your exam, and then access the LSAT Accommodations Tab in your LSAC account, in order to complete the process. Before you do, it is your responsibility to obtain and submit all required forms and documentation by the receipt deadlines listed on the LSAT Registration Dates & Deadlines page. All Evidence of Disability Forms and documentation should be filled out online and signed (where applicable) so they are ready to be uploaded to your LSAC account.
Be aware that the disability accommodations application is time-consuming and cannot be completed in just one day. For one, there are a variety of accommodations to choose from, and it's best to practice using the set of accommodations you are requesting, and speaking to a test specialist and the professional signing your paperwork, to confirm you are selecting the right accommodations for your specific testing needs.
Completing your request for accommodations on the LSAT requires you to speak with your doctor or other qualified professional; access documentation of your disability; provide a significant amount of personal, medical and health information; prepare a statement of need to justify your request; and provide a letter or statement from your qualified professional about your functional limitation on test day.
If this step is daunting for you, that's understandable-- it is for a lot of test takers. That's why we developed our accommodations service to help you easily complete each step of the process and ensure your application will meet the requirements established by LSAC's panel of disability experts. Go here to schedule a consult with our accommodations team today.
Step 4: Wait For Your Accommodations Decision
LSAC will generally respond to your request for testing accommodation within 14 business days of its receipt. If your request is not approved in full, a decision letter will be posted to your online account that explains the rationale for LSAC’s decision.
Step 5: If Denied, Consider an Appeal
Accommodation requests are denied because the application elements are incomplete or illegible, or because clear justification has not been provided to support a current functional limitation. This is an important safeguard to the accommodations process, because it ensures that students who do not have cognizable disabilities do not abuse the system.
If your request was denied, it's a good idea to contact an education attorney to appeal. You will have 24 hours after the decision letter is posted to your online account to notify LSAC that you intend to appeal. You will have four calendar days after the letter is posted to your online account to submit your appeal to LSAC. The result of the appeal will be provided within one week of the submission of the appeal.
LSAC, “encourages you to register and submit all required documentation well in advance of registration deadlines so that you can receive timely notification of our decision.”
This reminder will allow you to carefully plan and prepare for the test, or if need be, an appeal. If you choose to register during the late registration period, your ability to appeal any denial of test accommodation in time for your test date may be affected.
Note that LSAC reserves the right to make the final judgment regarding testing accommodations.
Step 6: Register for Your Exam, and Confirm Your Accommodation with Your ProctorU Proctor.
LSAC states on their website that they “will make arrangements with the test center and send both you and the test center supervisor confirmation of the accommodation granted.” Note that recent LSAT-Flex registrations have required accommodated students to all test on a pre-determined day, which may result in a conflict with your school or work schedule. Be prepared to be flexible and do not expect to be able to test on the actual day that LSAC indicates for that month's exam.
Important Facts You Should Know Before Applying for LSAT Accommodations:
1. If you need a modification of any of the policies related to the administration of the test due to a disability, you MUST seek an accommodation. You may not make unauthorized changes to approved accommodations, the test center location, the test date and time, or to other test conditions made by test center personnel. Doing so may result in the invalidation of your test score.
2. Test takers with similar accommodations may be tested in the same room for in-person examinations if you do not request a private, distraction-free room.
3. LSAC does not annotate the score reports of individuals with disabilities who take the LSAT with testing accommodations, including the testing accommodation of extended time, so the schools you apply to will not know that you took the test with accommodations. All accommodated scores are reported in the same manner as non-accommodated scores.
4. If your request for accommodations is denied, unable to be processed, or late, you will remain registered to test under standard conditions.
5. You will be automatically approved for accommodations based on prior approval of LSAT accommodations.
Candidates will be automatically approved to receive the same accommodations they previously were approved to receive on their last administration of the LSAT (within 5 years) upon timely registering for the exam, without having to submit a request for accommodations. No supporting documentation will be required from these candidates.
If you are seeking different or additional Category #2 or #3 accommodations than you were previously approved to receive on other standardized postsecondary admission tests (i.e., a greater amount of testing time or a two-day exam), then you will also need to submit the following to support your additional requests:
6. You can contact LSAC and ask them questions
Email: accom@LSAC.org Phone: 215.968.1001 Fax: 215.504.1420
US mailing address:
LSAC Accommodated Testing PO BOX 8512 Newtown PA 18940-8512 USA
7. You can file a complaint with LSAC about your testing experience or proctor
Complaint emails sent to accommodationcomplaints@LSAC.org must include the candidate’s LSAC account number in the subject line. A copy of any complaints sent by mail or fax must also be sent by email to accommodationcomplaints@LSAC.org.
We're here to help.
As a disability and education attorney, I developed Ginsburg Advanced's testing accommodations service to help students with disabilities easily complete each step of the process and ensure their application will meet the requirements established by LSAC's panel of disability experts. Go here to schedule a consult with our accommodations team today.
Let's end the stigma against individuals with disabilities and work together to overcome the the obstacles to a legal education.
Shana Ginsburg, Esq.
Founder and CEO,
Ginsburg Advanced Tutoring, LLC
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