For prospective law school students, accommodated testing can have a significant effect on LSAT scores, so it is important to be aware of options that may be available on exam day. Below are answers to four key questions that test-takers should know when considering applying for LSAT accommodations.
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1. Who is eligible? The Law School Admission Council has its own independent process for determining whether a test-taker is eligible for an accommodation, and each situation is addressed individually. There are no universally applicable rules to determine whether a test-taker is eligible. Furthermore, each type of accommodation has its own eligibility requirements.
Having received an accommodation on a prior standardized test or in another academic context such as college is a strong indication that a test-taker with learning disabilities or other cognitive impairments will receive an accommodation on the LSAT. Having received such an accommodation in the past, though, does not guarantee that you are eligible for an accommodation on the LSAT. These students are often required to undergo additional testing as a part of their request for accommodation.
Other accommodations are more straightforward, such as those for sight- or hearing-impaired test-takers, or those with medical conditions unrelated to their cognitive abilities.
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2. What types of accommodation are available? LSAC offers many different types of accommodation, but most involve either medical conditions, physical or cognitive conditions or learning disabilities.
Examples of accommodations available for medical conditions include permission to bring and eat food or drink and permission to take medication during the test.
Examples of accommodations available for physical and cognitive conditions and learning disabilities include extra time on the test, a larger-print test booklet, an alternate method for recording one’s answers instead of the standard multiple-choice bubble sheet and a private or small-group testing room.
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3. When should an application for accommodation be filed? Apply early. Most forms of accommodation take a long time to process and may require outside documentation of a disability or medical condition. After submitting your accommodation request, you may be required to submit supplemental documentation.
The official deadline for submitting accommodation requests is the registration date for the relevant LSAT test, usually approximately six weeks before the LSAT administration date. However, since accommodation requests often require doctor visits and independent testing, any test-taker planning on applying for accommodations should begin to prepare the relevant documentation well in advance of this deadline.
4. Will accommodations be reported to law schools? Any test you take with an accommodation will be reported to law schools in the exact same way that tests taken without accommodations are reported.
In other words, schools will not know whether you received accommodated testing and will treat all scores equally. This is a relatively recent change in LSAC policy, and it means that there is no downside to receiving a testing accommodation.
Do you have questions about accommodations? Let me know in an email or tweet me.
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4 Things to Know About Accommodated LSAT Testing originally appeared on usnews.com
