IOWA CITY, Iowa—Students who apply for accommodations on the ACT test due to diagnosed disabilities will soon benefit from a new system that will simplify and speed up the application process.
ACT today announced a new Test Accessibility and Accommodations System that will debut next month. The new system will streamline the process, providing a faster and more user-friendly experience for students who apply for accommodations on the college readiness test.
“ACT is making these enhancements to improve the experience of students who require accommodations on the ACT due to special needs,” said ACT Chief Commercial Officer Suzana Delanghe. “Our goal is to minimize the burden on these students and their families and further level the playing field for them, so they have an equal opportunity to show what they have learned.”
The improved benefits of the new system will include the following:
- Initial online registration
- A single online request form to complete
- An updated procedure that eliminates unnecessary documentation
- Greater transparency, allowing the school to follow the progress of the application online
With the new system, students who apply for accommodations on the ACT will be able to register online first and then work with their guidance counselor or other school official to request accommodations. As they complete the online request form, school officials will be prompted to provide only the documentation needed for the student’s particular diagnosis, eliminating the need to send unnecessary support materials.
ACT officials believe the changes will speed up the application process considerably, getting decisions to students approximately 10 days sooner, on average, than what is currently possible. The new system was successfully piloted in state testing programs where the ACT is administered to all students.
Approximately 200,000 students applied for accommodations on the ACT during the 2015–2016 school year, a 13 percent increase from the year before. Students who apply for accommodations represent 3.5 percent of all students who register for the test. Accommodations provided by ACT to qualified students with a documented disability include extra time, large print and alternate test formats such as Braille, reader, DVD and scribe.