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Extra Time on Tests

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Extra Time on Tests & Exams

Also known as additional time or extended time

Extra time for tests/exams is an accommodation that provides students with a set amount of additional time beyond the standard time allocated by the class instructor. 

This accommodation is designed to support students who experience disability-related impacts or symptoms during exams. This accommodation is meant to compensate for the time lost due to these impacts. Extended time may support students who have impacts related to processing information, expressing thoughts in writing, managing symptoms, coping with physical discomfort, using assistive technology, etc.

This accomodation is provided when there is a clear link between the symptoms of the disability and a need for additional time for tests.

Extra time for exams is not intended to grant students an advantage in completing exams. Its purpose is not to enhance exam performance, and does not guarantee that a student will finish every exam within the prescribed time. 

The purpose of this accommodation is not for reducing the stress typically associated with exams by providing extra time as a safety net for "just in case." It's not a tool for students to double-check, edit, or refine their responses.

Extra time is set as a percentage, such as 25% or 33% additional time, calculated based on the original time allocated by the instructor. For example, a student with 25% extra time on a 60-minute test would have 75 minutes (60 minutes plus 15 additional minutes) of writing time. You can calculate the length of an accommodated test using the AAS Test Time Calculator (external link) .

AAS follows expert guidelines and current research when considering the appropriateness of reasonable accommodations. For example, recent research indicates that 25% additional time is often sufficient for post-secondary students to complete tests, and “if more than 25% extra time is required, justification should be made by documenting the severe problems underlying this need.”

There may be situations where extra time accommodations are not appropriate, such as if timing is the essential academic requirement being measured. In these cases, instructors are encouraged to connect with the students’ Accommodation Facilitator to discuss potential options.

Harrison, A.G., Pollock, B. & Holmes, A. Provision of Extended Assessment Time in Post-secondary Settings: a Review of the Literature and Proposed Guidelines for Practice. Psychol. Inj. and Law 15, 295–306 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12207-022-09451-3 (external link)