Testing Accommodations for Students with ADHD

Testing Accommodations for Students with ADHD

Navigating high school with ADHD can feel overwhelming—especially when you’re dealing with long tests, rigid deadlines, and confusing documentation applications.

But having ADHD doesn’t mean you’re lazy or incapable. With the right battle plan, you can thrive academically and in the workplace.

This guide breaks down everything you need to know about preparing for tests with ADHD: how to get diagnosed, what accommodations you’re entitled to, and how to actually study in a way that works for you.

What is ADHD?

Most people know that ADHD stands for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, but few people know what it actually is. They just know it is something that makes kids rambunctious or inattentive.

Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD) puts it this way:

There are actually three types of ADHD: inattentive, hyperactive-impulsive, and combined. The symptoms associated with these three types are listed below.

Inattentive ADHD

• Not paying attention to fine details
• Making accidental mistakes
• Difficulty staying on task
• Difficulty listening
• Difficulty following or understanding instructions
• Avoiding difficult tasks
• Easily distracted
• Often forgetful
• Losing things
• Often daydreaming

Hyperactive-Impulsive ADHD

• Fidgeting
• Getting up often when seated
• Running or climbing (not always when appropriate)
• Talking a lot
• Interrupting conversations often
• Energetic
• Difficulty engaging in activities quietly
• Struggles waiting their turn
• Blurting out answers before a question is finished

Combined

• Any combination of several symptoms of both types
• Active with difficulty concentrating

What Causes ADHD?

Scientists don’t know what actually causes ADHD, but some possible causes may include genetics, exposure to toxic chemicals during development, substance use during pregnancy, head injuries, and developmental environment.

How Common is ADHD?

It is the most common mental disorder affecting children in the United States.

According to Statista, around 12.1% to 17.1% of adolescents 12-17 years old had received a diagnosis of ADHD as of 2022. Worldwide, around 5.6% of adolescents aged 12-18 years old have ADHD.

Accommodations

Testing organizations and universities almost always offer accommodations to students with ADHD.

Some examples of these accommodations are:

• Extra time
• Extra breaks
• Breaks as needed
• Individual proctor
• Individual room/isolated testing
  • Fidget devices
  • White noise
  • Background music
  • Permission to stand, walk, or pace
  • Permission to read test out loud to self
• Ear plugs
• Verbal cues to stay on task
• Multiple days to take the test

These are just examples. Not all testing services or universities offer all these accommodations, so you will need to decide what accommodations to apply for on a case-by-case basis.

Keep in mind that the PSAT, SAT, and AP exams* are all through the same company: College Board. This will make getting accommodations for all of these exams much easier. Once College Board has approved you for testing accommodations, you do not always need to apply again.

*CLEP and ACCUPLACER are as well, but those have slightly different rules.

Sometimes, accommodations that are included all together for one exam are not bundled up the same way for another. For example, extra time does not come with extra breaks for the AP exams. That would need to be requested separately. So be sure to double and triple check with your coordinator or testing administrator to ensure all accommodations are squared away.

How Do I Get Accommodations?

“I think I have ADHD. How do I get accommodations for all these tests?”

I’m glad you asked!

Diagnosis

In order to apply for accommodations at all, you must be diagnosed.

To be diagnosed:

• You must exhibit at least 5-6 symptoms of one or both types of ADHD
• The symptoms must have been present for at least 6 months
• Several symptoms must have been present before the age of 12
• Multiple symptoms must be present in multiple settings
• The symptoms must interfere with functioning in some setting
• The symptoms must not be better explained by any other disorders

If you can prove all this to a qualified health professional, you should be able to get an official ADHD diagnosis.

Documentation

Once that’s done, you will usually need to provide a comprehensive evaluation report from whomever examined you.

This evaluation must be recent and from a qualified evaluator. Usually, it must also include the following:

• Information about you and the evaluator
• A full history of your ADHD and other relevant medical history
• Current impact of ADHD on your life
• How you meet an official standard for ADHD (such as the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, or DSM)
• Discussion of how you meet that standard
• Specific recommendations for accommodations
• Specific reasons for the recommendations made

If you already have accommodations with your school, the documentation may not need to be as extensive as this.

If you are homeschooled, or if your school does not have an SSD coordinator, you will need to gather all your documentation and eligibility information yourself.

Regardless of how you try to get your accommodations or what accommodations you want, start as early as possible. I can almost guarantee you that the process will take longer than you expect (College Board says 6-8 weeks). So start as soon as you read this article, if possible.

Studying with ADHD

Some examples of useful study tools are:

• Gamifying your studying
• Breaking the content up into bite-sized chunks and keeping track of progress on those
• Choosing specific times or places to study based on medication, energy levels, etc.
• You and a friend quizzing each other on the material
• Deep working
• Using the Pomodoro Technique
• Asking a friend to keep you accountable
• Making up mnemonics
• Creating a “memory palace”
• Record your notes or listen to your books
• Schedule your studying minute-by-minute, what you will study and when

I’ll explain why a few of these work in a second. As you read, keep in mind that different things work for different people. You will probably need to try a few different things before you find what works for you.

Gamification

Study gamification is becoming more and more popular. People have been wondering, “What is it that makes video games so addictive? Can we use whatever makes video games fun to make learning fun?”

Here are some ways you can make learning fun, like playing a video game:

• 📱 There are many apps that can provide different levels of gratification for completing tasks, like Habitica or Todoist.
• 🏆 You can create your own points system where you get points for doing tasks, and you use points for rewards like snacks or breaks.
• 🏎️ You can turn it into a race, challenging yourself to do something in less time than you normally would.
• 🎲 You can make it competitive by placing a bet with a friend, such as “whoever gets distracted first buys lunch.”

The reason gamification works is that it uses rewards and competition to take a boring, forced task into a fun challenge with actual stakes. Studies have shown that gamification can increase focus and motivation to complete tasks.

Work Techniques

Deep work and the Pomodoro Technique can also be helpful.

Deep Work

Deep work is when you commit to focusing on one task for hours at a time, without any distractions. It’s hard to achieve, but if done right, you can achieve a “flow state” where you lose track of time and forget about everything except that work—until it’s done or something interrupts you. It can be exhausting, but it’s great for doing practice tests or in-depth studying sessions.

Pomodoro Technique

The Pomodoro Technique is the opposite of deep work. This technique recognizes that it can be hard or overly taxing to focus on one thing exclusively for hours, so it incorporates lots of breaks. You work for 25 minutes, then take a 5-minute break. You do this four times, then take a longer 15-to-30-minute break.

The important part of this technique is consistency. When you sit down and start your timer, you don’t move or stop working until that timer goes off again. You are building the habit of focusing. This works well for learning new information.

Some people lose all focus if they take a break. They come back and they can’t get back on track. These people will prefer the deep work method. Some people can’t even focus for 30 minutes without trying to pick up their phone or surf the internet. These people might need the Pomodoro Technique to build the habit of focusing. And some people might use both for different tasks.

Memorization Techniques

There are a couple of ways to get better at memorizing information as well. Some examples are making up mnemonics, building a “memory palace,” or quizzing with a friend.

Build the Habit of Studying

One thing that can help a lot with studying is learning to associate certain things with studying.

• Pick a single place to study, and when you are in that place, only study—no scrolling.
• Create a playlist that you only listen to while studying. Or, you could listen to our curated Study Sounds playlist on Spotify!
• Pick a specific time of day to study when you know you are alert, maybe when medication kicks in.

• Pick a study snack that you only eat while studying.
• If you like tea, fix yourself some green tea every time you want to lock in and study.
• Turn your phone off while you’re working, either until you finish a specific task or until a predetermined time.

When you do any of these things, you are creating cues that will automatically tell your brain, “Focus, it’s time to work.” You will find yourself becoming more focused just when a song from that playlist starts playing, or when you smell tea in a cafe. You won’t even need to think about studying anymore, saving you from needing to psyche yourself up to get work done.

Final Word

Living and learning with ADHD can be difficult, but it’s not impossible. You’re not lazy or hopeless—your brain just works a little differently. With the right tools, accommodations, and study habits, you can ace your exams, do well in college, and excel in the workforce.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help, advocate for yourself, or try new strategies.

And always remember: you are not alone.
 

By Benjamin Willis

Benjamin is a 19-year-old, wheelchair-dependent college student. He has a neuromuscular disease called Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) Type III, and he serves as a member and the Sergeant at Arms of the Texas Governor’s Committee on People with Disabilities. Benjamin is currently pursuing a degree in Interdisciplinary Engineering, combining Electrical and Mechanical disciplines, at Texas A&M University. His long-term goal is to design accessible vehicles for people with disabilities.

Edited by Aaron Lanni

Aaron is the content manager and lead editor for Mometrix Academy. He regularly produces, updates, proofreads, and edits content to ensure it meets Mometrix’s quality and accessibility standards.

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