> Kwantlen Polytechnic University > Services for Students with Disabilities > Faculty Resources > Test and Examination Procedures

Services for Students with Disabilities

• Contact Us
  • Drop-In
  • Appointments
  • Email
  • Hours of Operation
• Faculty & Staff
• Accessing Services
  • General Accommodations
  • Documentation of Disability
  • Alternate Exams and Tests
  • Adaptive Technology and Equipment
  • Student Intake
  • Student Responsibilities
• Transition Resources
  • Transition to Post-Secondary
• Forms
• FAQs
• Faculty Resources
  • Introduction
  • Services for Students with Disabilities
  • Confidentiality
  • Accommodation Assessment
  • Test and Examination Procedures
  • Disability Information and Strategies
  • Further Resources
• Student Employment
• Access Policies
• Financial Assistance & Equipment Loans
• Disability Information
• Related Links
• ACE-IT Mentoring
• Parents - Valuable Information

Test and Examination Procedures

Instructors are requested to provide special arrangements for in-class examinations and tests.

• Accommodations are based on an assessment conducted by Services for Students with Disabilities faculty or staff.
• Each test and examination accommodation is meant to give equal opportunity to students with disabilities.
• Accommodations are specific to the individual and not to the disability.
• All accommodations are governed by medical documentation by a certified specialist in the student's area of disability.

Steps for Test Accommodations

• The student must meet with a Disability Advisor early in the term to discuss his or her academic needs.
• If judged appropriate, the student will receive an "Instructor Letter" to be given to the instructor of each course in which he or she is registered.
• The student should meet with each instructor to discuss the academic accommodations listed on the "Instructor Letter" to reach agreement on appropriate exam accommodations for that course. The instructor may contact a Disability Advisor for further consultation.
• Space and invigilators are arranged by the instructor/department unless they cannot provide the service.
• When an instructor is unable to provide exam accommodations due to class limitations, SSD may be contacted to make these arrangements.
• Instructors should be given at least 1 week's notice by the student to arrange for each class test requiring academic accommodations. Alternately, if an instructor is unable to accommodate the test, 1 week's notice is given to SSD to make these arrangements on behalf of the instructor.

Formal Examination (Quizzes, Mid-terms and Finals)

• A formal examination is defined as an examination that is a quiz, mid-term, final, deferred final, or supplemental examination scheduled and administered during exam weeks within the dates specified in the Kwantlen exam schedule.
• Instructors/Students need to provide Services for Students with Disabilities with at least one week's notice (seven days) in order for the student to receive any accommodations for the exam.
• Instructors must also provide the Disability Advisor with the exam at least two days before the exam date.

Steps for Formal Examination Accommodations

1. The student must meet with a Disability Advisor early in the term to discuss academic needs.
2. If appropriate the student will then receive an "Instructor Letter" form and an "Exam Accommodation" form to be given to the instructor for each course in which they are registered.
3. The student should meet with each instructor to discuss the academic accommodations listed on the " Instructor Letter" as appropriate exam accommodation for that course. The instructor may contact a Disability Advisor for further consultation.
4. The instructor may make accommodation arrangements directly with the student (similar to the process for class tests) or have SSD arrange academic accommodations. In the latter case, the student understands that he/she must complete and submit a signed 'exam accommodation' form approved by the course instructor and returned to the Disability Advisor.
5. SSD will make appropriate exam arrangements and will confirm them with the student and instructor.
• The exam form must be received by SSD a minimum of one (1) week before the exam is to be written to allow rooms/proctors to be booked.

Delivery, Safekeeping and Return of Exams

An Instructor is required to provide SSD with a copy of the exam at least 2 days before the scheduled exam time and date. The exam is held in a locked desk until the student and proctor arrive. The proctor administers the exam according to the exam accommodations specified by the 'Request for Student Accommodation' form.

• Exam return
  • Electronic exams: returned to instructor's Kwantlen email address
  • Hardcopy exam: Returned to instructor's campus mailbox

Examples of Examination Strategies

• Provide for the use of specialized adaptive equipment, such as text readers
• The use of tape recorders, calculators, or word processing equipment may be required.
• Use of spell-check
• Some students may require a scribe.
• Students who are deaf may want to use an interpreter to voice their answers.
• The majority of the students with visual impairments will be writing their examinations in the testing room in Services for Students with Disabilities department or an alternate space because of adaptive equipment needs.
• The alternate format of the test or exam may be altered if the course work can be appropriately assessed in an alternative manner.
• Students may sometimes have a need for additional time, for example in the case of visual or motor impairment.
• Computer-scored answer sheets may be difficult for a student with poor eye-hand coordination. The student may benefit from writing answers on a separate sheet of paper and having the items hand scored. Some students are able to manage with computer-scored answer sheets if the sheets are enlarged.
• Word lists can be used for recall of terminology.