Frequently Asked Questions: Testing & Accommodations for College Students

Answers to the most common questions about testing and accommodations for college students.

What's the difference between getting accommodations in college versus high school?

In high school, the school district is responsible for identifying a disability and providing services under IDEA. In college, that responsibility shifts entirely to the student — you must self-identify, request accommodations, and provide documentation to your school's disability services office under the ADA and Section 504. It's a self-advocacy process, not an automatic one.

What kind of evaluation do I need to get accommodations approved?

Most colleges and testing organizations require a comprehensive psychological or psychoeducational evaluation that establishes a current diagnosis and explains how it functionally affects academic performance — not just a label. An old diagnosis or school records alone are usually not enough; documentation needs to connect the condition to the specific accommodations requested.

I already have documentation from high school — do I need to be retested for college?

Often, yes. Colleges and testing organizations typically want documentation that reflects current functioning, and an evaluation done years earlier in a different academic context may not meet that bar. If your last evaluation was in early high school or doesn't address college-level demands, updated testing is usually the safer path.

Does my college accommodations evaluation also cover the LSAT, MCAT, GRE, GMAT, or bar exam?

Not automatically. Each of those exams is administered by its own organization — LSAC, AAMC, ETS, GMAC, or a state Board of Bar Examiners — and each has its own documentation standards tied to that specific exam's format and demands. A separate accommodations request, often with its own supporting evaluation, is typically required for each one.

How long does the accommodations process take?

It varies by exam and organization, but between the evaluation itself, preparing documentation, and the testing organization's own review, the process often takes several weeks to a couple of months. GMAC, for example, cites 8 or more weeks from initial consultation to approval for the GMAT. It's worth starting well before your registration deadline.

I don't have a diagnosis yet — where do I start?

Start with a diagnostic evaluation for whatever you suspect may be affecting you — ADHD testing, autism testing, or twice-exceptional testing if giftedness is also part of the picture. That evaluation becomes the foundation for any accommodations request that follows, whether at your college or on a standardized exam.

Do you offer anything beyond testing, like therapy or coaching?

Yes. Testing establishes documentation, but many students also want support with the anxiety, adjustment, or executive functioning challenges that come with college. Dr. Jacobson's therapy practice offers in-person and online therapy for college students across 44 PSYPACT states, along with ADHD coaching focused on practical, day-to-day skills.

What if the issue is mainly academic, not something testing or therapy addresses directly?

When academic struggles are tangled up with ADHD, a learning difference, or anxiety, Therapeutic Tutoring for College Students — offered through our sister practice — pairs subject instruction with clinical insight into how a student actually learns, addressing both the material and the underlying obstacle.