• Examinees with physical disabilities (e.g., visual impairments, hearing impairments, motor disabilities, illness, injury)
• Examinees with disabilities other than physical (e.g., learning disabilities)
• Examinees whose religious practices do not allow them to take tests on Saturdays (only applies to paper-based administrations)

In all cases, examinees requesting alternative testing arrangements must (a) complete a test registration and submit correct payment, (b) mail or fax a completed Alternative Testing Arrangements Request Form, and (c) mail or fax any required documentation. (Please note that there are separate request forms for computer-based testing and paper-based testing.) The Alternative Testing Arrangements Request Forms are available to download as PDF documents by selecting "Print Bulletin and Forms (PDF)" on the VCLA and VRA Web site. Write your name and telephone number on each piece of correspondence you provide.

All timely and complete alternative testing arrangements requests and accompanying documentation are reviewed on a case-by-case basis upon receipt. In some cases, the submitted documentation may not be sufficient to make a determination regarding the requested accommodation(s) or may not support the requested accommodation(s). Additional information or test results may be needed.

You must submit an Alternative Testing Arrangements Request Form each time you register. However, you only need to submit all the required documents the first time that you request alternative testing arrangements. Evaluation Systems will keep your documentation on file for one year. If you register for subsequent test dates within that year, you only need to submit your completed registration, correct payment, and a completed Alternative Testing Arrangements Request Form, as long as your condition and the recommended accommodations have not changed. Please be aware that your request form and supporting documentation may be shared with the Virginia Department of Education in order to process your request. The documentation will be kept confidential to the extent required by law.

Some alternative testing arrangements may be accommodated at selected sites only. In some cases, you may be contacted directly to discuss suitable testing arrangements. Before the test date, you will receive information regarding your request. You should contact Evaluation Systems at the time you receive this information if you have any questions or concerns about it.

Requests for additional time. The four-hour test session is designed to allow sufficient time to complete any of the VCLA or VRA tests. Examinees may find the four hours of testing time to be more than enough to complete the test, even if they have needed extra time on other tests they have taken in the past. Please keep in mind that for the VCLA you are automatically given as many as four hours to take one subtest if

• for computer-based testing you submit a separate registration for each subtest or
• for paper-based testing you register for only one subtest per test administration.

To meet the testing requirement, you do not have to pass both subtests at a single administration. The test is not timed by section. You may decide how much time you want to set aside for each subtest.

If, however, you have a documented disability and you feel you need extra time for testing, you may submit a request for alternative testing arrangements when you register for the VCLA and/or VRA. Also, if you are registering for paper-based testing, you may wish to register for only one test per test date, which will allow you to use the second test session for additional time to complete the test, providing your request for additional time is approved. Registering for two tests on the same test date limits the additional testing time you can be allowed because testing must be completed within one test administration day. Please note that all requests for additional time require appropriate documentation and are subject to approval by the Virginia Department of Education.

If you are taking the VRA and you are granted extra time, thereby beginning your test session in the morning rather than the afternoon, for test security reasons you will be required to remain in the testing room until after the regular afternoon testing session is under way; that is, you will not be allowed to be dismissed from your testing room before 1:00 p.m., even if you complete the test earlier than that time.

Computer-Based Testing

When you submit a request for alternative testing arrangements, you should wait to receive confirmation of your resolution before scheduling your appointment at the testing center. If you schedule your appointment before receiving this confirmation, you will be required to cancel and reschedule it in order to ensure that your accommodations will be appropriately applied. This could result in a delay of your desired testing date.

When your request for alternative testing arrangements has been resolved, you will be contacted regarding the resolution and given important information about scheduling your test appointment. In order to ensure that your approved accommodations are appropriately applied to your testing appointment and available for your testing session, you must schedule your appointment by phone. Appointments scheduled through the Web site provided in your authorization to test will not reflect any approved alternative testing arrangements.

Scheduling your appointment. Once you have received confirmation that your alternative testing arrangements request has been resolved, you must call the phone number provided to you and identify yourself as a candidate who needs to schedule a computer testing appointment for the VCLA with accommodations. If you do not indicate that you have been approved for accommodations at the time that you call to schedule your appointment, you will be scheduled for an appointment without your approved accommodations.

When you call to make an appointment, you should be prepared to identify your preferred test date and assessment center location. Please be aware that some accommodations will require significant advance notice to make appropriate arrangements; therefore, you should call as early as possible to schedule your appointment in order to ensure you are able to test within your preferred date range. Some accommodations may require contacting the testing center 2-3 weeks before your desired testing date to make arrangements for necessary staff, space, and materials; please plan accordingly.

Paper-Based Testing

Some accommodations (e.g., Braille tests) have specialized production requirements associated with them, and more time for production may be required than is available after the regular registration deadline. Although every effort is made to process all requests in a timely manner, the earlier you submit your request, the more time will be available for specialized production, if needed. Certain production requirements may necessitate rolling over your registration to a future test administration.

The following alternative testing arrangements may be requested because of a disability (e.g., visual impairment, hearing impairment, motor disability, illness, injury) and can be accommodated at all test sites:

• Wheelchair-accessible facilities
• Frequent breaks (e.g., for those with hypoglycemia or diabetes)
• Use of a magnifying glass, color overlays, or a straightedge (e.g., for those with a visual impairment) for paper-based testing
• Use of a pen for a written assignment (e.g., for those with a motor impairment) for paper-based testing
• Written copy of the oral directions (e.g., for those with a hearing impairment) for paper-based testing

To request any of the alternative testing arrangements listed above, you must

1. complete your test registration and submit the correct payment; and
2. submit a completed Alternative Testing Arrangements Request Form indicating the nature of and reason for the request.

Registering for alternative testing arrangements because of a physical disability. If you require arrangements other than those listed above and the alternative testing arrangements are being requested due to a physical disability (e.g., visual impairment), you must

1. complete your test registration and submit the correct payment; and
2. submit a completed Alternative Testing Arrangements Request Form identifying the disability and the specific arrangements requested; and
3. submit a signed statement by a licensed professional, written on that person’s professional letterhead, whose license or credentials are appropriate to diagnose the disability (e.g., ophthalmologist for visual impairment). The statement must indicate the following:



1. The disability for which alternative testing arrangements are being requested
2. The recommended test administration modifications that are specifically related to the disability and are reasonable in the context of this licensing test

Registering for alternative testing arrangements because of a disability other than physical. If you are requesting alternative testing arrangements due to a disability other than physical (e.g., learning disability), you must

1. complete your test registration and submit the correct payment; and
submit a completed Alternative Testing Arrangements Request Form identifying the disability and the specific arrangements requested; and
2. submit a signed statement by a qualified professional, written on that person’s professional letterhead, whose license or credentials are appropriate to describe or diagnose the disability. The statement must indicate the following:
1. The disability for which alternative testing arrangements are being requested, with supporting documentation in the form of one of the following, which must be included as part of the statement or as separate documentation:



• A full educational history with complete documentation of special education services, including other disability-related testing modifications, received within the past five years, along with the name, date, and results of the diagnostic test(s) or evaluation(s), designed for purposes other than screening, administered within the past five years, used to document the disability (test results should demonstrate a significant discrepancy in your performance and your expected capability level and demonstrate the current functional impact of your disability)
  
  
  and
• Results of a psychological, neuropsychological, or psychoeducational diagnostic test battery, designed for purposes other than screening, administered within the past five years, interpreted by a qualified professional whose license or credentials are appropriate to diagnose the condition (test results should demonstrate a significant discrepancy in your performance and your expected capability level and demonstrate the current functional impact of your disability)
  
  
  or
• Results of an evaluation interpreted by a licensed professional verifying physical abnormalities as evidenced by a computerized axial tomography (CAT) scan, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), electroencephalogram (EEG), or brain topography mapping test administered within the past five years
  
  
  and
2. The recommended test administration modifications that are specifically related to the disability and are reasonable in the context of this licensing test.

Please note: If your test(s) or evaluation(s) were administered prior to the past five years, a full battery of testing may not be required. Instead, you may wish to consult with a qualified professional to determine which diagnostic test(s) related to your disability would indicate the current functional impact of your disability.

 Documentation Checklist

Before submitting your Alternative Testing Arrangements Request Form and any required documentation, use the checklist below and the information above to confirm that your documentation is complete.

You may wish to share this information with the qualified professional with whom you have consulted.

This checklist does not apply to candidates registering for an alternative test date for religious reasons (see “Registering for an Alternative Test Date for Religious Reasons” below).

Your documentation must meet all of the following requirements:

• It must include a signed statement by a qualified professional, written on that person’s professional letterhead, whose license or credentials are appropriate to describe or diagnose the disability.
• It must include a diagnosis of the disability or disabilities.
• Where documentation of test(s) or evaluation(s) is required, it must include the name, date, and actual results of diagnostic test(s) designed for purposes other than screening. The diagnostic tests should

• be current, i.e., completed within the past five years;
• demonstrate a significant discrepancy in your performance and your expected capability level;
• demonstrate the current functional impact of your disability.

• It must include recommended test administration modifications that are specifically related to the disability and that are reasonable within the context of this licensing test.

Documentation, in itself, does not automatically support the granting of alternative testing arrangements.

Appeal of denial of request for alternative testing arrangements. Evaluation Systems will notify examinees of the determination made with regard to their requests for alternative testing arrangements. You may appeal the denial of some or all of your requests for alternative testing arrangements. Before you submit your appeal, it is suggested that you review “Registering for Alternative Testing Arrangements.” This section describes the documentation requirements for different types of alternative testing arrangements requests. If after reviewing the information in this section you still wish to proceed with an appeal of the decision, you may do so by submitting your appeal, in writing, to:

VCLA and VRA Office
Evaluation Systems
Pearson
P.O. Box 660
Amherst, MA 01004-9015

Telephone: (866) 613-3292 or (413) 256-2888

Fax: (413) 256-7075

The appeal should include the following information:

• Your name, address, and social security number
• The date of the appeal
• The date of the test administration upon which the appeal is based
• Any documentation, in addition to the documentation that you submitted with your Alternative Testing Arrangements Request Form, that supports your alternative testing arrangements requests
• A brief summary of the reasons why your alternative testing arrangements requests should be granted
• Your signature

Your appeal should be submitted as soon as possible. Please be advised that an appeal that is received less than 30 days before the test date for which an examinee is registered may not be processed by that date.

After your appeal is reviewed, you will be notified as to whether your appeal has been granted or denied. All appeal determinations are subject to the approval of the Virginia Department of Education, and all appeal determinations are final.

Registering for an Alternative Test Date for Religious Reasons

1. complete your test registration and submit the correct payment; and
2. submit a completed Alternative Testing Arrangements Request Form for Paper-Based Testing; and
3. submit a signed letter from a member of the clergy, written on that person’s professional letterhead, stating that your religious practices prohibit Saturday testing.

The deadline for submission of your Alternative Testing Arrangements Request Form for Paper-Based Testing and supporting letter is the regular registration deadline.