Testing

Accommodated Testing Policies

Accessibility is a shared responsibility. To ensure effective and equitable service, Testing Services has established the following policies. Both faculty and students must understand their own roles as well as each other's before utilizing our services. By doing so, they agree to adhere to these policies:

  1. Scheduling and Arrival: 
    1. Schedule on time: Registrations during the term must be made at least 3 days in advance. Final Exam registrations must be made at least one week in advance.
    2. Schedule your appointment for when your class will be taking the exam. See policy 1e regarding scheduling conflicts for situations when it may be appropriate to schedule a test outside of your class time. Faculty must approve of all test times.
    3. Online classes: if the class is taking their test online-at-home, so too should the student with testing accommodations. It should not be taken with Testing Services. It is the responsibility of the faculty to ensure all online exams are configured to support a student's testing accommodations. 
    4. Rescheduling: Discuss an alternate time with your faculty before rescheduling. Then, cancel your current appointment in Accommodate and book a new one based on what your faculty will allow.
    5. Cancellations: Students may cancel their appointment at any time through Accommodate.
    6.  Scheduling Conflicts:
      1. If you have a time extension accommodation that would cause your test to run over into another class period, then you need to decide with your instructor to begin your test earlier or take it at another time. You must make these arrangements prior to registering for the test, and your instructor has the right to choose when the alternate time will be. Your instructor may ask you for a copy of your class schedule to confirm this request.
      2. If your exam falls outside of our testing hours, you must decide with your instructor to take the exam during our testing hours. Hours available for accommodated testing can be found on the Testing Services home page. Again, you must make these arrangements prior to registering for your test and your instructor may choose the time you will take the exam.
      3. If Testing Services does no longer has seats available during your class time, you must decide with your instructor at a time when seats are available at our center. These arrangements must be made prior to completing a registration with our services, and your instructor must approve the time you will take the exam.
    7. Late Registrations: Students may submit a late registration request to request a seat with Testing Services after the 3-day deadline has expired. These requests do not guarantee the student a seat with Testing Services, and faculty have the option to deny the late request. Information about completing a Late Registration Request can be found on the Testing Services website (uc.edu/testingservices).
    8. Arrive On Time: Begin your test at the scheduled time. If you arrive late, Testing Services requires written permission from your faculty and must have available space for a late session to administer the test.
  2. Identification:
    1. Photo ID Required: Present a current photo ID (UC ID, driver’s license, state ID, or passport) to Testing Services staff.
  3. Personal Items:
    1.  Allowed Items: Bring only pens, pencils, and any materials specifically required by your instructor.
    2. Prohibited Items: Cell phones, watches, fitbits, earbuds, and bulky clothing (hats, coats, gloves, scarves) are not allowed. You may bring a drink if it’s in a sealable container without writing or labels. Food must be left at the front desk and accessed as needed in the lobby. Food is not allowed in the test rooms.
    3. Lockers: Use lockers to store belongings before your test starts. You cannot access your locker once your test begins. Accessing your locker during the test will be reported to your instructor. Lockers are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
    4. Before Entering the Test Room: Confirm with staff that you have no prohibited items on your person. You may be asked to turn out your pockets and/or raise your sleeves. Proctors may visually inspect any items you bring into the test room. It is the student’s responsibility to understand the rules about what is and isn’t allowed before your appointment.
  4. Breaks:
    1. Breaks may require an accommodation.
    2. No Leaving the Test Center: You cannot leave the Testing Services area during your exam. If breaks are permitted, they will be specified by your instructor or accommodation. Restrooms and snacks can be accessed in the lobby.
  5. Ending Your Exam:
    1. Time Management: Stop writing and turn in your exam when your allotted time is up. We will let you know how much time you have for your test at the start, and you can ask the proctor for confirmation. Test rooms have clocks for reference.
    2. Stop When Time’s Up: Stop writing immediately when time is up. Continuing after the designated end time is academic misconduct and will be reported to your instructor.
    3. Testing Services will not forcibly remove test materials from a student. If you refuse to hand in a test after time has been called, it will be reported as academic misconduct to your faculty. While not allowed, it is possible that a student continues to write their test after time has been called and staff attempt to retrieve the materials. Testing Services may still report the incident as non-academic misconduct if faculty do not move forward with the academic misconduct process.
  6. Surveillance and Conduct:
    1. Video/Audio Surveillance: You will be monitored through video/audio surveillance during your test. Recordings may be reviewed and shared with relevant university personnel in accordance with FERPA law if misconduct occurs. Testing Services does not retain footage beyond conduct violations and cannot provide footage without a misconduct-related event.
    2. Conduct Expectations:
      1. Incorrect Test Papers: Inform a proctor immediately if you receive the wrong test or exam paper.
      2. Incorrect accommodations: if you have been told and/or are being administered testing accommodations that do not match the ones for which you are approved, you must inform the proctor immediately. 
      3. Disturbances: Do not talk to or disturb other test takers. If you encounter a disturbance in a test room, report it to a proctor immediately. 
      4. Borrowing/Lending: Do not lend or borrow items from other students after the test begins.
      5. Smoking/Vaping: Smoking or vaping is not allowed in Testing Services.
      6. Test Integrity: Do not engage in actions that could damage test integrity or security, including cheating, tampering, or misuse of technology. Cheating includes but is not limited to talking, copying, or using prepared notes. It also includes changing your identity with another person. Photography, video recording, scanning, copying, or reproducing test materials is prohibited. Students who are caught violating these policies will be reported to their faculty and/or the office of Student Conduct and Community Standards.
  7. Policy Violations:
    1. Breaches of these policies will be reported to your faculty. Violations may also be reported to the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards as non-academic misconduct. Testing Services may file a report even if your faculty does not.
  1. Faculty review student Accommodation Letters within their Accommodate account. Instructors should review and acknowledge these forms at the beginning of each term. If an instructor has questions about an accommodation listed on the letter, they should contact Accessibility Resources for clarification. Accommodation letters are maintained in Accommodate.
  2. Ensure use is within scope of Testing Services:
    1. Eligibility:
      1. Approved Accommodations: Testing Services are only available for students who are registered with Accessibility Resources and have approved testing accommodations due to a disability.
    2. Purpose:
      1. Classroom Tests Only: Testing Services are intended solely for classroom tests, not for other types of assessments or assignments.
    3. In-Person UC Classroom Tests:
      1. For In-Person Courses Only: Testing Services are for students with accommodations taking exams for in-person UC courses.
      2. No Modality Changes: If a class has an online-at-home exam, students with accommodations should also take the exam online-at-home. The testing modality should remain consistent.
      3. Faculty Responsibility: It is the faculty's responsibility to ensure that any online tests are set up with the appropriate accommodations for students, whether taken at home or in the test center.
  3. Test Registration & Approval
    1. Approve/Deny student registration requests within Accommodate. Faculty will receive an email when a student makes a registration request. Faculty must approve or deny a student’s registration from their Accommodate account.
    2. Work with students who have scheduling conflicts. Before you deny a request, understand that students are expected to register for appointments at the same time the class will be taking the exam, but there are instances where this might not be possible. In some instances, you will need to work with the student to find a resolution to these scheduling conflicts:
      1. Class Overlap: If accommodations overlap with another class, arrange an alternate test time that fits both the student’s schedule and Testing Services’ hours (8:00am to 8:00pm, Monday through Friday). Alternatively, you may proctor the exam yourself with the accommodations.
      2. Testing Services Hours: If the test time is outside Testing Services' hours, collaborate with the student to find a suitable alternate time. Tests must be completed by closing time, including any extended time.
      3. Full Capacity: If Testing Services is full during your class time, arrange an alternate test time with the student. If no suitable time is available at Testing Services, faculty are responsible for providing the test and accommodations to the student outside of Testing Services resources. 
    3. Communicate to students with denied requests. If you deny a student registration request, you should engage with that student to discuss why the request was denied, and next steps regarding how the student will receive their test and accommodations.
  4. Submit Test Materials to Testing Services
    1. Faculty will make every effort to submit test materials to Testing Services by 5pm EST the day before the test appointment. Tests received after this time may cause delays. Testing Services will provide email reminders for test submissions through the day before the test. If a test is not received by the student’s appointment time, the student will be returned to class, and it will be the instructor’s responsibility to administer the exam with accommodations.
    2. Proctoring Information (formerly coversheets) must be submitted using the Exam form in Accommodate. Every test, even those without test documents, must have this information uploaded into Accommodate. Test materials, such as the actual test document and any supplemental materials, can still be submitted by any one of the following convenient methods: 
      1. Preferred Method: 
        1. Upload through Accommodate: Submit all proctoring information, test papers, and any supplemental materials along through the Exam form in Accommodate. This is the best and most recommended method.
      2. Alternate Methods:
        1. Email: Send test papers and supplemental materials to testdel@ucmail.uc.edu
        2. Drop-off: Drop off your materials in-person at 1505 French Hall West.
        3. Campus Mail: Send materials to Location 0078. Note: Campus mail is not recommended as it may be less reliable.
  5. Test Corrections: Submit any exam corrections to Testing Services by 5pm the day before the exam. Late submissions may not be processed in time, and Testing Services cannot guarantee the corrections will be relayed to the student before the end of their appointment.
  6. Permission for Late Arrivals:
    1. Written Permission: Provide written permission if a student needs to start their test late. Testing Services will need this permission along with available space to accommodate the late session.
  7. Reporting 
    1. Testing Services will report to faculty breaches of policy and confirmed or attempted acts of misconduct. Testing Services will cooperate fully with any conduct investigations.
    2. Testing Services may file reports of non-academic misconduct with the office of Student Conduct and Community Standards. Testing Services may file these reports even if faculty choose not to file an Academic Misconduct report. 

*These policies and responsibilities are subject to change.