If your student has a documented disability and will be taking the SAT or ACT, applying for testing accommodations is an important step — and one that requires advance planning. Both College Board (which administers the SAT) and ACT Inc. have formal, school-mediated processes for reviewing and approving accommodations. While the two processes share a similar philosophy, they differ meaningfully in their portals, timelines, terminology, and testing formats.
This guide reflects the most current policies and procedures for requesting accommodations in 2026, drawing directly from College Board’s accommodations website and ACT’s accommodations pages. It is intended for students, parents, and school officials navigating either process.
To view this information in a video format, click here.
SAT Test Accommodations
College Board’s accommodations program is administered by its Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) office. All requests for the SAT, PSAT/NMSQT, PSAT 10, PSAT 8/9, and AP Exams flow through the same system, meaning a student who receives approval for one College Board exam does not need to reapply for another.
Eligibility
Students may be eligible for accommodations if they have a documented disability that substantially limits a major life activity relevant to the testing environment. College Board evaluates three core eligibility criteria:
- Is the disability documented?
- Does the disability affect exam participation?
- Does the student receive similar accommodations for school tests?
Note: Simply having an IEP or 504 plan does not guarantee the same accommodations on College Board exams. Each request is reviewed independently against College Board’s documentation guidelines.
Step-by-Step: How to Request SAT Accommodations (May 2026)
| # | Action | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | Contact the School's SSD Coordinator | As soon as a student knows they will need accommodations, they (or their parent/guardian) should reach out to the school's SSD Coordinator. The coordinator manages all College Board accommodation requests on behalf of students. |
| Step 2 | Sign the Parent Consent Form | Before the SSD Coordinator can open a request in SSD Online, a parent or guardian must sign the Parent Consent Form (students 18+ sign themselves). This form authorizes the release of records to College Board. |
| Step 3 | SSD Coordinator Opens a Request in SSD Online | The coordinator logs into SSD Online and enters the student's information, disability details, and requested accommodations. If the student is requesting the same accommodations as in their IEP or 504 Plan, additional documentation may not be required. |
| Step 4 | Submit Documentation (If Required) | SSD Online will indicate whether documentation is needed. If so, the coordinator assembles documentation per College Board's guidelines and submits it through SSD Online. Review can take up to 7 weeks if documentation is required. |
| Step 5 | Receive the Decision | The SSD Coordinator receives the decision in SSD Online. The student typically receives notice by postal mail. An approval includes an eligibility letter with the student's SSD number (needed for SAT registration) and test-by-test details. |
| Step 6 | Register for the SAT | Students must get College Board approval before registering for the SAT with accommodations. Once approved, they register using their SSD number and confirm whether they want to use their accommodations. Accommodations cannot be added or waived on test day. |
Timing & Deadlines
Because review can take up to 7 weeks when documentation is required, College Board strongly encourages families to begin the process early — ideally during freshman year of high school, or at the very least well before the relevant test date.
- For the October SAT or PSAT/NMSQT: Begin working with your SSD Coordinator the spring of the prior school year.
- Requests submitted fewer than 14 days before a test date may not be decided in time for that test date.
- Approved accommodations remain in place for all future College Board exams until 1 year after high school graduation.
- If accommodations change (e.g., student’s IEP is updated), a new request must be submitted.
Requesting Without Going Through the School
Families who cannot or choose not to work through the school can submit a paper-based request directly to College Board using the Student Eligibility Form. However, College Board notes this path is typically slower and less efficient than working through the school’s SSD Coordinator. Students who are homeschooled or not enrolled in school should contact SSD directly.
ACT Test Accommodations
ACT Inc. manages accommodations through its Test Accessibility and Accommodations (TAA) system. Unlike the SAT process, students must register for a test date first — and then work with their school to submit an accommodations request. As of 2026, the ACT has also introduced changes to its Special Testing program, with shorter testing windows and adjusted deadlines.
Eligibility
To be eligible for ACT accommodations, students must have a documented disability or condition (including English Learner status) that substantially impacts their performance on the test. ACT expects the requested accommodations to align with those the student receives in school.
- Students with IEPs or 504 plans are generally eligible, provided the disability has a functional impact on testing.
- Students not enrolled in a school with formal IEPs (e.g., private school students) must submit independent professional documentation.
- English Learner supports are also available through the TAA system; EL approvals are valid for 2 years.
Step-by-Step: How to Request ACT Accommodations (2026)
| # | Action | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Step 1 | Register for the ACT on MyACT | Log in to MyACT (my.act.org) and link a valid high school to your account before registering. During registration, select 'Yes' when asked if you need accommodations. If you select 'No' by mistake, contact ACT immediately to update your registration. |
| Step 2 | Forward the Confirmation Email + Consent Form to Your School Official | After registering, you will receive an email from ACT. Forward this email to your school's Test Accommodations Coordinator (TAC) along with a completed and signed Consent to Release Information to ACT (PDF form). This authorizes your school to submit the request on your behalf. |
| Step 3 | School Official Submits Request via TAA | Your school's TAC logs into the TAA system, verifies your record (or creates one), and submits the accommodations request with any required documentation. Requests must be submitted by the published deadlines — for most 2026 test events, this is the regular registration deadline. |
| Step 4 | ACT Reviews the Request | ACT reviews requests within 5–14 business days. The TAC receives an electronic Decision Notification in TAA. Students are not automatically notified and should check with their TAC. |
| Step 5 | Review the Decision with Your School Official | If approved, the TAC shares the decision and confirms the testing arrangement. If denied, the TAC can submit a Reconsideration Request with additional documentation before the published deadline. |
| Step 6 | Print Your Admission Ticket | Upload your photo in MyACT (if not done already) and print your admission ticket. Verify that your accommodations are listed. Your admission ticket will show either an 'Accommodations' label (National Testing) or 'Special Testing' label depending on your approved accommodations. |
National Testing vs. ACT Special Testing
Once approved, ACT places students into one of two testing tracks depending on the nature of their accommodations:
National Testing |
ACT Special Testing |
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Practical SAT and ACT Accommodations Tips for Students and Families
Start Early — Very Early
Both College Board and ACT recommend beginning the accommodations process well before your target test date. For College Board, documentation review alone can take up to 7 weeks. For the ACT, the review is faster (5–14 business days), but the student must register first, and the request must be submitted before the regular registration deadline starting with June 2026 test events.
Work Through Your School
Both processes are designed to run through the school. The school’s SSD Coordinator (College Board) or Test Accommodations Coordinator (ACT) has access to the respective online portals, knows the deadlines, and can streamline paperwork. Students and families should not attempt to manage the technical submission on their own.
IEP / 504 ≠ Automatic Approval
One of the most common misconceptions is that school-based accommodations automatically carry over to standardized tests. They do not. Both College Board and ACT require a separate, formal application. However, having an IEP or 504 plan makes the process significantly smoother and may reduce or eliminate the need for additional testing documentation.
Know the Testing Format Before You Apply
The SAT is now fully digital (delivered through the Bluebook™ app). Some accommodations work differently in the digital environment. For example, text-to-speech is built into Bluebook, but a human reader may still be available for qualifying students. Confirm with your SSD Coordinator that your requested accommodations are available and appropriate for the digital format.
The ACT offers paper, online, and BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) testing options. Students approved for certain accommodations may be placed in a different test format than originally selected. Check your admission ticket carefully before test day.
Re-Testing with Accommodations
If you plan to retake the SAT, no new application is needed — your College Board approval carries forward automatically. Simply confirm your accommodations during re-registration.
For the ACT, previously approved accommodations can be reused, but you must re-register for the new test date and then notify your TAC so they can associate your existing TAA record with the new date. A new request is not required if your accommodations haven’t changed.
Bring Your Eligibility Letter on Test Day
College Board recommends bringing your eligibility letter to every College Board exam — even if you have used the same accommodation before. For the ACT, review your admission ticket carefully; it will show whether you are in National Testing or Special Testing.
Thank you for this clarity and comparison
You’re so welcome, Sandy!
How can I get a printer-friendly version?? laura_werner@caryacademy.org
Hey Laura,
Let me see if our admin team can whip something up. I’ll email you as soon as we have something.
Matt
Matt,
Yes a printer friendly version would be very helpful! sdennis@gilman.edu
Thanks
I’m adding a button to the post with a downloadable pdf. In the meantime, I will email you a printer-friendly version. 🙂
Hi Matt,
As always, an excellent resource! Do you have similar guidelines for requesting accommodations for the TOEFL?
Laura
Hi there, Laurie! Unfortunately, we don’t have a similar resources for the TOEFL…but now I feel we should create one. I’ll take a peek at the existing procedure for TOEFL accommodations requests. Stay tuned for a potential post!
Matt, this is incredibly helpful. Thank you so much for taking time to put together this handy resource. If not too much trouble, could you please email a print-friendly doc to me as well?
Hi Trang! You can download a PDF by clicking the button at the top of this page. But I’ll go ahead and email it to you now just in case. 🙂
Informative read! Thank you!
Thank you, Melissa! Glad that it was helpful!
Great stuff, Matt! Printed for my files and forwarded to some of my local high school counselors. This is an amazing resource for them – and for them to just hand to parents. Thanks!
So glad you’re loving the post, Anne. You’re so welcome!
This upsets me, my daughter has had a 504 plan since freshmen year and took the SAT last month and did not do so well, she stated if she would have had more time perhaps she would of had a different outcome but now she is to take it in November and obviously to late to ask for reasonable accomadations
I’m so sorry to hear about your situation, Carmen. It actually may not be too late to request accommodations for either the November or December SAT – definitely reach out to the SSD coordinator at your daughter’s high school and submit your request ASAP.
Matt, do know of any consultants that can help assist one on one in navagating the process for my dyslexic son?
Hi there, Doug!
I would recommend going to the IECA website and searching for a consultant who specializes in learning disabilities. You’ll be able to sort by geographic region and specialty: https://www.iecaonline.com/quick-links/parents-students/learning-disabilities/. I hope this helps!
Hi, Matt. Thank you for this. I have passed on this information to many students and friends. I have a question – any idea, from a psychology standpoint, what disabilities and/or diagnoses would most likely benefit from multi-day testing (with or without extended time)? I know it could be very helpful for certain populations of students, but I’m not certain – except for a gut feeling – which ones it should be recommended to (or recommended that they apply for it). Any thoughts you have would be greatly appreciated.
Hi Heidi! Thanks for the thoughtful comment. This is beyond the scope of my expertise, but I can provide some anecdotal thoughts.
In my experience, the majority of students who qualify for multi-day testing have ADHD and/or language-based learning disabilities AND have a history of taking school-based assessments with double-time (or a similar increment).
However, regardless of the nature of the disability, the evaluator (public or private) can provide a clinical recommendation for multi-day testing based on educational or cognitive testing. So long as there is evidence that multi-day testing can ameliorate the functional limitations of the student’s disability, the student may qualify for the accommodation.
I am not seeing the button to download this as a PDF. Do you mind emailing me a PDF version? This is excellent; thank you!
Hi Tina, here is the link to a PDF version: https://downloads.compassprep.com/guide_Accommodations.pdf