Processing Speed and Test Taking
Accommodations (when eligible) on tests are often quite beneficial when processing is slow, and common accommodations include:
Accommodations (when eligible) on tests are often quite beneficial when processing is slow, and common accommodations include:
| Extended time: this can range from a few minutes to hours, depending on the circumstances; most commonly, if a test is 60 minutes, a student may be given 90 minutes for completion. |
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| For students who do not receive formal accommodations, some teachers informally grant a few extra minutes for completion, but it is important to document the frequency and additional time allotted should a need arise for considering eligibility for a formal accommodation | |
| Answer on test booklet instead of bubbling responses on an answer sheet: for children who have difficulty with quick visual tracking or symbol processing, the act of bubbling in answers can be quite laborious and can result in clerical errors, so answering directly on the test book can reduce time and errors |
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| Test over multiple days: Getting through large volumes of information can take a considerably long time, so it can help to spread out exams over multiple days to reduce fatigue | |
| For students who do not receive formal accommodations | |
| Learn to pace self so that tests can be completed in a timely manner; for instance, determine how much of the exam needs to be completed within the first quarter of the time allotted, at the midway point, and so forth. Set alerts and complete practice tests to assist with learning to gauge time. | |
| Only partially fill in bubbles on answer sheets in order to focus spending time on questions; go back and more completely fill in bubbles if there is time remaining; this allows the teacher to view accuracy of responses, but to also see if there is a need for extra time | |
| Review notes briefly each day (or at least weekly) to reduce cramming prior to tests |