Testing accommodations for students with IEPs
By the IEP Atlas editorial teamLast updated
Short answer
Testing accommodations let a student with an IEP take classroom, district and state tests in a way that removes a barrier without changing what the test measures. The IEP must list any accommodations needed on state and districtwide tests, and the team can only choose from what the state allows. State rules differ, so check the current manual every year.
A testing accommodation changes how a test is given or answered: who reads it, where it is taken, how long it takes, or how the answers are recorded. The test still measures the same skill, and the score counts the same way. Extra time, a small-group room, and questions read aloud on a math test are typical examples.
The hard part is not choosing them. It is matching three things: what the student uses in class, what the IEP says, and what the state allows on its test. This page follows one student through a school year to show how that works.
What the law requires
Two federal rules set the frame.
- The IEP must state any individual accommodations the student needs to measure academic achievement and functional performance on state and districtwide tests. If the team decides the student will take an alternate assessment, the IEP must say why the student cannot take the regular test and why the alternate one fits.[1]
- Each state must write guidelines for testing accommodations. Those guidelines must name the accommodations that do not invalidate a score, and IEP teams must choose only from those for each test.[2]
So the federal rule says what the IEP must include. The state manual says which accommodations are allowed on which test. District tests usually follow the state manual or a district version of it.
One student, one school year
Sam is a fictional 5th grader with a specific learning disability in basic reading. The numbers below are illustrations.
October 14: annual review. Sam reads grade 5 passages at a median of 54 words correct per minute. His listening comprehension is at grade level. On four classroom math tests in September, he scored a median of 52% when reading the test himself. On two tests where his teacher read the questions aloud, he scored 78% and 81%.
The team writes three classroom and testing accommodations:
- Test questions and answer choices read aloud, by an adult or by text-to-speech, on math, science and social studies tests.
- Small-group setting of 6 or fewer students, run by the special education teacher.
- Time and a half on timed classroom tests over 15 minutes.
October to March: daily use. Sam uses text-to-speech on every science and social studies test. His teacher logs each test on an opportunity data sheet: offered, used, or refused. By March, Sam has used it on 14 of 15 tests. He knows how to replay a question and how to pause the voice.
January 20: the state manual check. The case manager checks the current state accommodations manual. Three findings change the plan:
- The state math and science tests allow text-to-speech for questions, so item 1 carries over.
- The reading test does not allow text-to-speech on reading passages for Sam's grade, because it would change what the test measures. Sam can have the questions and answer choices read, depending on the state's rules, but not the passages.
- The state test is untimed, so item 3 does not apply on the state test.
February 3: amendment and platform entry. The team updates the testing section of the IEP to match the state's terms. The testing coordinator enters Sam's accommodations into the online testing platform before the state deadline.
April: test day. Sam takes the math test with text-to-speech in a small group. Nothing on test day is new to him.
May: review. The case manager compares Sam's classroom data with his state score report. The team keeps the read-aloud accommodation and continues his decoding goal, because the accommodation gives access while the goal builds the skill.
Testing accommodation rules at a glance
| Accommodation | Classroom and district tests | State tests | Where states differ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Questions read aloud (math, science, social studies) | Allowed when in the IEP | Allowed in most state manuals | Human reader vs text-to-speech only |
| Passages read aloud on a reading test | Team decision; may change what a reading test measures | Often restricted | Some allow it for narrow criteria, some do not, some flag the score |
| Extended time | Allowed when in the IEP | Varies | Some state tests are untimed; others set fixed extra time |
| Small group or separate room | Allowed when in the IEP | Usually allowed | Group size limits and staffing rules |
| Breaks | Allowed when in the IEP | Usually allowed | Whether the student may return to earlier sections |
| Calculator | Allowed when the skill is not computation | Restricted on non-calculator sections | Which sections and which calculator |
| Scribe or speech-to-text | Allowed when in the IEP | Usually allowed for most sections | Rules for writing sections differ most |
| Large print or braille | Allowed when in the IEP | Allowed; ordered ahead | Order deadlines |
| Word-to-word bilingual glossary | For English learners, by district policy | Allowed for English learners in many states | Whether students with IEPs who are also English learners need both plans |
Use this as a starting map. The state manual is the authority, and it can change between school years. The National Center on Educational Outcomes tracks and compares state accommodation policies, which helps when a student moves between states.[3]
The vocabulary your state may use
Many states sort testing supports into three tiers, though the names vary.
- Universal tools or features: available to every student, such as highlighters or zoom in the online test.
- Designated supports: available to any student when an educator decides, such as a separate setting. Some states require these to be in the IEP or 504 plan anyway.
- Accommodations: available only to students with an IEP or 504 plan, such as text-to-speech on some tests.
When a state uses these tiers, write the IEP in the state's terms. That makes the testing coordinator's job easier and avoids test-day surprises.
Common mistakes with testing accommodations
- Weak: an accommodation listed for the state test that the student never uses in class. Better: use it on classroom tests all year so the student is fluent with it.
- Weak: "Read aloud on all tests." Better: name the subjects, and say whether passages are included.
- Weak: copying last year's testing page. Better: recheck the current state manual each year before the platform deadline.
- Weak: listing extra time for an untimed test. Better: list breaks or a separate setting if stamina is the real barrier.
- Weak: waiting until test week to tell the testing coordinator. Better: share the list by the district's deadline, often in winter.
College entrance and other outside tests
Tests like the SAT, ACT and AP exams are run by outside organizations. They have their own request process and their own approval rules. An IEP or 504 plan helps, but approval is not automatic. Start requests months before the test date, and keep records of the student's classroom use of each accommodation.
Where testing accommodations sit in the IEP
The testing section is separate from the classroom accommodations, but they should match. The pillar guide on IEP accommodations covers choosing and writing classroom supports. Use the IEP accommodations list for written examples, and check any borderline item against accommodations vs modifications. A change that alters what a test measures is a modification, not an accommodation.
The glossary defines testing accommodations, read-aloud, text-to-speech and the alternate assessment. If a student should practice asking for supports on test day, the self-advocacy goals page has goal templates for requesting an accommodation.
Frequently asked questions
Do testing accommodations change a student's score?
An allowed accommodation does not change how the score is reported. The state has already decided it does not affect what the test measures. A change the state does not allow can invalidate the score, which is why teams check the manual first.
Can students with 504 plans get testing accommodations?
Yes. Students with 504 plans can receive testing accommodations on state tests, listed in their 504 plan and chosen from what the state allows. The process is similar to the IEP process, with a different team and document.
When should testing accommodations be added to the IEP?
At the annual review, and by amendment if something changes. Check the state's platform deadline, which is often weeks before the test window. Use every testing accommodation in class first, so the student knows how to use it.
Use it in IEP Atlas
- Testing accommodations in the IEP glossary
- Accommodation in the IEP glossary
- Modification in the IEP glossary
- Alternate assessment in the IEP glossary
- Self-advocacy goal examples
Related guides
- IEP accommodations: how to choose, write and track them
- IEP accommodations list by need area
- Accommodations vs modifications: 30 side-by-side examples
- Dyslexia accommodations in the classroom and on tests
- Accommodations for English learners with IEPs
- Writing accommodations for the IEP: 20 examples, including dysgraphia
- Math accommodations for the IEP: 16 examples, including dyscalculia
Sources
- 34 CFR §300.320: Definition of individualized education program, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
- 34 CFR §300.160: Participation in assessments, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School
- National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO), National Center on Educational Outcomes, University of Minnesota
Written and checked by the IEP Atlas editorial team under our editorial policy. This guide describes general practice and federal rules. It is not legal advice; your state may add requirements, and the IEP team makes the decisions for each student.