Understanding What Are the Four Types of Assessment Accommodations?

October 2, 2025 •

4 min read

According to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), eligible individuals are entitled to reasonable testing accommodations to ensure their true aptitude or achievement is measured. Understanding what are the four types of assessment accommodations is crucial for ensuring fair and accurate testing for individuals with disabilities in both educational and high-stakes settings.

Quick Summary

Assessment accommodations are adjustments to testing that allow individuals with disabilities to demonstrate their knowledge fairly. They are categorized into four types: presentation, response, setting, and timing/scheduling. These supports prevent a disability from interfering with the measurement of a person's actual skills.

Key Points

Accommodations versus modifications: Accommodations level the playing field by changing how a test is administered, while modifications change what is being tested.
Presentation Accommodations: These alter how test materials are presented to students, such as providing large print, Braille, or a human reader.
Response Accommodations: These allow students to respond to test questions in alternative ways, like using a scribe, word processor, or speech-to-text software.
Setting Accommodations: These involve changing the test environment to reduce distractions, such as testing in a separate room or with noise-reducing headphones.
Timing and Scheduling Accommodations: These adjust the time allotted for a test, including extended time, frequent breaks, or testing over multiple sessions.
Match to Classroom Practice: The most effective testing accommodations are those students use regularly in the classroom, as this reduces stress and improves performance.

The Purpose of Assessment Accommodations

Assessment accommodations are designed to level the playing field for individuals with disabilities, ensuring that an assessment accurately reflects their knowledge and skills rather than the limitations imposed by their disability. These adjustments do not change what the test is designed to measure but rather how the test is administered or responded to. By providing appropriate accommodations, educators and testing bodies can promote inclusivity and ensure more equitable outcomes. The determination of which accommodations are necessary is typically based on an individual's specific needs, often documented in an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or 504 plan.

The Four Pillars: What Are the Four Types of Assessment Accommodations?

Accommodations are typically grouped into four main categories: presentation, response, setting, and timing/scheduling. Each type addresses a different aspect of the testing environment to remove a potential barrier for the test-taker.

1. Presentation Accommodations

These accommodations alter the way that information is presented to the student, allowing them to access materials in an alternate format. They are particularly beneficial for individuals with visual impairments or learning disabilities that affect reading comprehension.

Examples of presentation accommodations include:
- Large print or Braille test booklets
- Screen-reading software or audio recordings of the test
- A human reader to read test questions aloud
- Use of magnification devices
- Alternative formats, such as tactile graphics or diagrams

2. Response Accommodations

This category allows students to complete tests or assignments in different ways, particularly helpful for individuals who have difficulty with handwriting, speech, or motor control. Response accommodations enable students to demonstrate their knowledge through a different medium than a traditional written response.

Examples of response accommodations include:
- Providing answers to a scribe who writes or types for the student
- Using a word processor with or without spell-check and grammar features
- Using speech-to-text or voice-recognition software
- Allowing students to mark answers directly in the test booklet instead of a bubble sheet
- Using a calculator on portions of a math test where calculation isn't the primary skill being measured

3. Setting Accommodations

Setting accommodations involve changing the location or conditions of the assessment environment. These adjustments can minimize distractions and support students who struggle with attention, sensory issues, or test anxiety.

Examples of setting accommodations include:
- Testing in a separate, quiet room away from the main group
- Testing in a small-group setting
- Using noise-reducing headphones
- Providing preferential seating in the classroom, such as near the teacher or away from windows
- Utilizing adaptive or ergonomic furniture

4. Timing and Scheduling Accommodations

This type of accommodation modifies the time allowed to complete an assessment or changes the way time is organized. These are beneficial for students who require more time to process information, experience fatigue, or need frequent breaks.

Examples of timing and scheduling accommodations include:
- Extended time to complete the test (e.g., 1.5x or 2x the standard time)
- Allowing frequent or extended breaks during the assessment
- Administering the test over multiple sessions or days
- Changing the time of day a test is taken to align with a student's optimal performance

Accommodations vs. Modifications: A Crucial Distinction

It is important to understand that accommodations are fundamentally different from modifications. While accommodations change how a student accesses or completes a test, modifications change what is being tested. Using a modification, such as requiring a student to learn less material, can alter the validity of a standardized test and potentially reduce learning opportunities.


Aspect	Accommodation	Modification
Goal	Provides equal access to the curriculum and assessments.	Alters the curriculum or assessment content.
Changes	How the material is presented, the setting, timing, or how the student responds.	What the student is expected to learn or be assessed on (e.g., fewer problems, different objectives).
Learning Expectations	Does not alter the core learning expectations or standards.	Lowers or changes the learning expectations and standards.
Example	Providing extended time on a test.	Requiring a student to complete only half of the problems on a test.

Implementing Accommodations Effectively

To ensure accommodations are effective, they should be implemented consistently and thoughtfully. Educators can take several steps:

Match classroom practice: The accommodations used for a test should mirror the strategies a student uses daily in the classroom. This prevents confusion and ensures the student is familiar and comfortable with the support.
Collaborate: The decision-making process for accommodations should involve a collaborative team, including educators, support staff, families, and the student themselves.
Consider student feedback: Students can provide valuable input on which accommodations are most helpful for them.
Plan early: Planning accommodations in advance is crucial for smooth implementation, especially for standardized tests.
Document and monitor: Tracking accommodation usage and effectiveness helps ensure they are working as intended and that all legal requirements are met.

Conclusion

Understanding what are the four types of assessment accommodations is essential for creating inclusive and equitable testing environments. By properly implementing presentation, response, setting, and timing/scheduling accommodations, educators and testing entities can ensure that assessments accurately reflect an individual's true abilities, rather than being hindered by their disability. Providing these supports not only promotes fairness but also empowers students to demonstrate their knowledge with confidence. For further information, the ADA Requirements: Testing Accommodations page offers valuable guidance on the legal aspects and examples of testing supports.

Frequently Asked Questions

An accommodation changes how a student accesses or completes a test without altering the content being measured, while a modification changes what is being assessed. Modifications may lower learning expectations, whereas accommodations do not.

Eligibility for accommodations is typically determined for individuals with a disability that substantially limits a major life activity, such as seeing, hearing, or learning. The need is often documented in an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or 504 plan.

Yes, legally required testing accommodations must be provided for standardized exams by testing entities, as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). These supports ensure the test reflects the individual's ability, not their disability.

Presentation accommodations help students who have difficulty with standard visual or auditory means of accessing information. For example, large print helps students with low vision, and human readers or audio formats assist those with print disabilities.

An example of a response accommodation is allowing a student with poor fine motor skills to dictate their answers to a scribe rather than writing them by hand. This allows the student to demonstrate their knowledge without being hindered by handwriting difficulties.

Yes, extended time and frequent breaks are common examples of timing and scheduling accommodations. They help students who need more time to process information or manage fatigue during an assessment.

The decision about a student's accommodations should be a collaborative process involving educators, support staff, the student, and their family. It should be based on the student's individual needs and their typical learning practices in the classroom.