Administering AP Exams with Accommodations

Before students can take AP Exams with accommodations, they must have approval from SSD.

In most cases, the school’s SSD coordinator will work with the AP coordinator to ensure that students with approved requests receive the correct accommodations.

Review the guidelines available on AP Central.

Instructions

  1. Read the AP SSD Guidelines

    Both the SSD coordinator and AP coordinator should begin by reading the AP SSD Guidelines.

    If students approved for accommodations will be taking digital AP Exams, then review details for accommodations on digital exams.

    The AP coordinator should also review "Exams for Students with Disabilities" in the AP Coordinator's Manual, Part 2 (.pdf/8.65 MB).

  2. Order the appropriate accommodations and materials.

    AP coordinators will find information about ordering exams in the AP Coordinator's Manual, Part 1 (.pdf/19.9 MB). In most cases, the AP coordinator can order materials for students testing with accommodations online at the same time that they place an order for standard exams.

    Here are some examples of accommodated exam formats that can be ordered online:

    • Braille with raised line drawings, contracted
    • Large-print (large-block) answer sheet (no bubbles)
    • Large print (14- and 20-point)

    A special materials request form is available on the AP Exam ordering website for these materials:

    • Multiple-day testing exams
    • Listening and speaking/sight-singing scripts for exams in world languages and cultures and Music Theory
    • Large-print exams greater than 20-point (Please order well in advance of the exam date)
    • Assistive technology–compatible test format (ATC)

    See Part 1 of the AP Coordinator’s Manual (.pdf/19.9 MB) for more detailed information about ordering these exams.

    Students should use a human reader for AP Exams if they are approved for prerecorded audio (MP3 via streaming) or are approved for ATC and taking a World Language, Music Theory, or Art History exam. Please order an extra exam to use as a reader’s copy.

  3. Create and Generate the Nonstandard Administration Report (NAR).

    An AP Nonstandard Administration Report (NAR) is needed for each AP Exam a student takes with approved accommodations. Before an AP Exam, SSD coordinators should generate an AP NAR. Follow these steps to get started:

    1. Sign into SSD Online.
    2. Click Create Nonstandard Administration Report in the top-right corner of the dashboard.
    3. Select your school, assessment (AP), and test date.
    4. Select Get Student List to see a list of all students in your school with approved accommodations.
    5. Select the students who will take an AP Exam. (You may select all students, a single student, or a unique list of students, for example, all students taking a specific exam or sitting in one test room.)
    6. Generate the NAR. Select Generate PDF to create a print-ready NAR with instructions, or Generate CSV to download the NAR in a spreadsheet format.
    7. Download the file. Click "Download NAR" or "Download CSV", when they appear, to download the file. Then click on the file link. See the NAR for additional instructions.

    Note: Print extra copies for students taking multiple AP Exams. If a student who has been approved for accommodations is not on the list when you generate NARs, call the SSD hotline at 844-255-7728 (toll free in the United States and Canada) or 212-713-8333.

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    Nonstandard Administration Reports (NARs)

    Guidelines for documenting a student’s need for assistive technology due to a disability.