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Testing accommodations in New York

Testing accommodations help a student show what they know on a test. Students with disabilities (IEP or 504 plan) get the ones written in their plan. English language learners get their own set from NYSED. Here is what each one is, who decides, and how to make sure they happen on test day.

General information, not legal advice. The CSE or the Section 504 Committee decides a student's testing accommodations, and NYSED's guidance is the official word. Checked November 8, 2026.

In 10 seconds: NYSED groups testing accommodations in four kinds. The plan says which ones a student gets.

What they are, and who decides

NYSED's guide (Testing Accommodations for Students with Disabilities, February 2018, updated September 2025) defines testing accommodations as changes in testing materials or procedures that let students take part in tests in a way that measures abilities rather than disabilities.

📄 Student with an IEP

The Committee on Special Education (CSE) decides and writes the testing accommodations in the IEP. You are a member of the CSE.

🛡️ Student with a 504 plan

The Section 504 Committee decides and writes them in the 504 plan. Parents take part in making and reviewing the plan.

The plan should say each accommodation and how much (for example, how much extra time). The plan says whether each one is for state tests, class tests, or both. IEP or 504 plan, and how to ask: IEP and 504 meeting guide · Special education family guide.

The four kinds, with examples

⏱️ Scheduling and timing

Extended time (the plan says how much, for example 1.5 times or 2 times the usual time)
Breaks during the test
A test given at a set time of day, or over more than one day when permitted

NYSED says students must get the full amount of their extended time.

🚪 Location and setting

A separate room
A small group
Special lighting, seating or equipment

👀 Method of presentation

Tests read aloud (with limits; see the next section)
Large type (NYSED's Regents large type editions are the regular exam enlarged 136%)
Braille
Directions read, repeated or clarified

✍️ Method of response

A scribe, who writes down word for word what the student says
A word processor or computer
Answers recorded in the test booklet
Spell-check device or calculator only under the special rules in the next section

Example with made-up numbers

How much is extended time?

Pretend a class test is planned for 40 minutes.

1.5 times the time: 40 × 1.5 = 60 minutes (20 more minutes) 2 times the time: 40 × 2 = 80 minutes (40 more minutes)

NYSED's 2025 parent FAQ says the grades 3-8 state tests are untimed, so ask the school how extended time is handled on those days. Regents exams have set times, so extended time matters there.

Special rules to know

📖 Tests read on reading tests

Reading a test aloud changes what a reading-comprehension test measures. NYSED's guide shows two kinds of plan wording:

For a disability that moderately affects decoding: tests read “for all State and local tests, except tests of reading comprehension.”
For a disability that severely limits decoding: tests read for all tests, including reading comprehension.

Passages and questions are read word for word, with no explanation. NYSED says “tests read” is permissible on all Regents exams, including ELA, when the plan says so.

🔤 Spell-check on ELA

NYSED says a spell-check device may be used as a testing accommodation on any state test or Regents exam, but for the grades 3-8 ELA tests it is appropriate only for students with disabilities that severely limit their ability to spell, shown by evaluation information.

🧮 Calculators

Calculators must match each test's own rules and the plan. NYSED says calculators with symbol manipulation, and calculators that communicate wirelessly, are never permitted on Regents exams. Ask the school which calculator, and on which parts, your child may use.

🙋 If a student says no

A student may refuse an accommodation on test day. NYSED's guide says school officials must then notify the parents. Talk with your child before the test about why the help is there.

Making sure they happen on test day

Now
Read the plan's testing page. Find the list of testing accommodations in the IEP or 504 plan. Check each one says how much and for which tests.
2-3 weeks before
Ask the teacher or test coordinator. “Which accommodations will my child have on the state test, and where will my child test?”
The week before
Talk with your child. Tell them what will happen (for example, a smaller room or extra time) and that it is their right.
After the test
Ask your child. “Did you get extra time? Was the test read to you?”
If something was missed
Write to the principal and the CSE chairperson (or 504 coordinator). Date it and keep a copy. Ask what happened and what the school will do.

English language learners (ELLs) and former ELLs

NYSED lists these testing accommodations for ELLs on NYS ELA, content-area tests and Regents exams. Former ELLs keep them for up to 2 years after leaving ELL status.

Accommodation	What NYSED says	On the ELA test?
Extra time	Principals may use any reasonable extension, such as “time and a half.”	Yes
Separate location	Alone or in a small group in a separate room.	Yes
Bilingual glossaries or dictionaries	Word-for-word translations only; no definitions or explanations. Not on world language tests.	Yes
Translated test editions	Where NYSED makes one, the student uses the English and translated editions side by side and records answers in only one. Grades 3-8 math and grades 5 and 8 science: Arabic, Bengali, Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Haitian Creole, Korean, Russian and Spanish (paper editions). Regents exams: some exams in several languages; ask which.	No (there are no translations of ELA tests)
Oral translation	For a language with no translated edition: an oral, direct translation, with no clarifications or explanations.	No
Answers in the home language	A student using a translated edition or oral translation may write answers to open-ended questions in the home language.	No
Next-day completion (Regents)	A principal may approve it for an ELL with two Regents exams on the same day.	Ask

The English test itself. NYSED said ELL accommodations were not permitted on the NYSESLAT; students with an IEP or 504 plan got the accommodations in their plan. The new WIDA ACCESS (from spring 2027) has its own accessibility rules: ask your school.
ELLs with an IEP or 504 plan get both: the ELL accommodations and the ones in their plan. See Learning English and having an IEP.
More on ENL: ENL family guide, help on state tests.

Which accommodations might fit? An explainer

⚠️ This is NOT a decision tool. Only the CSE (IEP) or the Section 504 Committee decides testing accommodations, using evaluations and your child's needs. Use this only to learn the words and prepare questions for the meeting.

Tick what you notice. You will see accommodations a team sometimes talks about for that kind of need, and a question to ask.

My child needs much more time than classmates to finish work.
My child loses focus with noise or many people around.
Reading the words (decoding) is very hard for my child.
My child has trouble seeing small print.
Writing by hand is very hard or takes a very long time.
Spelling is very hard even after a lot of teaching.
My child gets very tired or anxious in long tests.
My child is learning English.

Nothing is sent or saved. The committee decides.

Checklist before a state test

I have a copy of the current IEP or 504 plan and found the testing accommodations.
Each accommodation says how much (for example, how much extra time) and for which tests.
I asked the school which accommodations my child will get on the state test.
(ELL) I asked about a translated edition or glossary in our language.
My child knows what to expect.
After the test, I asked my child if every accommodation was given.

Check marks stay only on this device.

Questions people ask

Is an accommodation the same as a modification?

No. An accommodation changes how a student takes a test. A modification changes what is expected. State tests use accommodations.

Does a 504 plan give testing accommodations?

Yes. NYSED says the Section 504 Committee decides the testing accommodations for a student with a 504 plan.

Will the report say my child had accommodations?

Ask your school how it records them. The score is reported the same way.

Can a former ELL still get extra time?

Yes, for up to 2 years after leaving ELL status, NYSED says schools must provide former ELLs testing accommodations on NYS tests.

Official sources

Rules can change. If a link and this page ever disagree, the official page wins.

NYSED, Testing Accommodations for Students with Disabilities: Policy and Tools to Guide Decision-Making and Implementation (February 2018, updated September 2025): https://www.nysed.gov/sites/default/files/programs/special-education/testing-accommodations-guide.pdf (checked Nov 8, 2026)
NYSED, guide page: https://www.nysed.gov/special-education/testing-accommodations-guide (checked Nov 8, 2026)
NYSED, English language learner and multilingual learner assessment testing accommodations: https://www.nysed.gov/bilingual-ed/english-language-learner-and-multilingual-learner-assessment-testing-accommodations (checked Nov 8, 2026)
NYSED, Grades 3-8 math and grades 5 and 8 science tests: alternate languages: https://cbtsupport.nysed.gov/hc/en-us/articles/20674817907981-Grades-3-8-Mathematics-Tests-and-the-Grades-5-8-Science-Tests-Alternate-Languages (checked Nov 8, 2026)
NYSED, Directions for administering Regents examinations 2026 (DET 563; large type, ELL time extension, next-day completion): https://www.nysed.gov/sites/default/files/programs/state-assessment/2026-regents-examinations-det563.pdf (checked Nov 8, 2026)
NYSED Regents translated editions: https://nysedregents.org/translatedexams.html (checked Nov 8, 2026)
NYSED, Former English language learner services: https://www.nysed.gov/bilingual-ed/schools/former-english-language-learner-ell-services (checked Nov 8, 2026)
NYSED, 2025 parent FAQ about grades 3-8 tests: https://www.nysed.gov/sites/default/files/programs/state-assessment/2025-faq-for-parents-3-8-tests.pdf (checked Nov 8, 2026)