Testing Accommodation Policy

The Office of Disability Access Services provides adaptive testing accommodations for students with disabilities in cooperation with each professor, instructor or teaching assistant. In order to receive services, a student must be currently registered with the Office of Disability Services and have provided documentation of a disability and recommendations for specific testing accommodations.

Although you are registered with Disability Access Services, it is not mandatory that you use this service for every exam or testing situation; you do not have to take every test or quiz through our office. If you prefer, you may choose to work out individual accommodations with your professor, instructor or teaching assistant. If you choose to do this, there is no need to complete the Adaptive Testing Request form for those particular exams/quizzes.

Important Reminder

When choosing to use your accommodations, you must make an appointment with each of your instructors to discuss your needs. If you do not meet with your instructors, you risk not having some or all of your accommodations provided in a timely manner.

Testing Service Requirements

Register with Disability Access Services at the beginning of every semester.
Notify each instructor and teaching assistant of your registration with Disability Access Services and your specific accommodations (through the notification memo that our office provides to you). Note: You do not have to disclose the details of your disability.

Testing Procedures

NOTE: These guidelines apply to all students using testing accommodations, including students taking exams at the Campus Testing Center.

Students requesting extended time, or other eligible testing accommodations, have a few options for testing. Students have the option of testing in the Campus Testing Center (412 SSB) or in the Disability Access Services office (144 MSC). Students should discuss with their professors their preference for a testing location so that they can schedule exam appointments well in advance and in environments free of distractions.

Exams must be scheduled with DAS at least 7 working days prior to the exam date. You may do this in person, over the phone, or via email.
The Disability Access Services office is open from 8am-5pm. Exams must be completed by 5pm, unless alternative arrangements are made. The DAS office will have extended hours during midterms and final exam weeks. If you need to schedule an exam that ends after 5pm, please contact the Campus Testing Center at 516-6396.
Adaptive Testing Forms should be given to your professors 3-5 days before the exam.
If you have concerns about getting the test forms in on time, please contact DAS so that we can assist you.
It is your responsibility to ensure that each Adaptive Examination Request Form is filled out correctly and timely. If any changes need to be made to any form that has already been turned in to our office, the testing coordinator must be notified by the instructor to make the necessary change(s).

Final Exams, Midterms, and Quizzes

All Finals Exam forms are due in the Disability Access Services before Thanksgiving break for the fall semester and before Spring Break for the spring semester. Forms turned in after these dates will not be accommodated!
Quizzes and in-class writing assignments present challenges due to short notice. It is important that you make your instructors aware of testing policies and the necessary advance notice. Arrangements with your instructors should be made accordingly. If a course requires repetitive quizzing and you take these quizzes with DAS, you may fill out one test form with the date left blank and our office will make copies of that form and enter the subsequent dates.

Testing Protocol

All exams are administered by Disability Access Services during the class time. Any variations must first be approved by the professor and then coordinated with DAS.
If your instructor has arranged for you to pick up the test prior to your test time, make sure it is in a sealed envelope with the instructor's signature across the seal.
You are responsible for providing pencils, pens, calculator, Blue Book, or other materials necessary for the exam. DAS will not provide these items unless it is a documented accommodation. All materials will be inspected thoroughly by the DAS before the exam begins. Only materials checked on the Adaptive Examination Request Form will be allowed in the testing room.

Tardiness

Tardiness for an adaptive exam will be treated as tardiness for a regular exam. The time will be deducted from the allotted test time. Student arriving over 30 minutes late will have to reschedule the exam (at the professor’s discretion).
Time extensions may not be used for study or review.

Rescheduling or Canceling

If the instructor allows you to reschedule an exam, please contact DAS to request assistance. Make-up exams should be completed within 24-48 hours of the original exam, unless there are extenuating circumstances. In this case, you may be required to provide documentation to justify an extension.
If you are scheduled to take an exam through DAS and then decide to take the test with the class, please call our office to cancel before the test time.
If you are taking your exam at DAS and the exam room becomes unacceptable for any reason, such as a noise disturbance, etc., please inform the testing coordinator as soon as possible. Do not wait until after the exam is completed!

For further guidelines, please review the Adaptive Testing Request Form available in the Office of Disability Access Services.

Academic Dishonesty

The same University of Missouri-St. Louis Academic Dishonesty Policy (Standard of Contact of the Collected Rules and Regulations) applies when taking exams through the Disability Access Services.

Academic dishonesty is a serious charge with serious consequences if guilt is found. Discipline includes suspension and possible expulsion from the University of Missouri. Any effort to gain an advantage not given to all students is dishonest whether or not the effort is successful. When in doubt about plagiarism, paraphrasing, quoting, or collaboration, consult the course professor or instructor. Your instructor will be notified of any incident of academic dishonesty that occurs while taking an exam through Disability Access Services. Your instructor may choose to follow the University of Missouri-St. Louis academic dishonesty policy.

Completed Exams or quizzes

The staff of Disability Access Services will administer and return all completed exams and/or quizzes to the instructors. At the request of the instructor, the exam or quiz will be emailed, faxed, inter-campus mailed, or picked up. The exams and quizzes (hard copy and scanned) will be shredded and deleted one week after the exam or quiz has been given. Under no circumstances will students be allowed to hand deliver or receive a copy of the exam or quiz without permission of the instructor.

Disability Access Services