Alternative Testing is defined as an accepted accommodation for students with certain disabilities. Testing accommodations feature extended test time, exams in accessible formats (enlarged font, text-to-speech, and speech-to-text), and the use of certain adaptive equipment such as word processors or a scribe.

No. Testing accommodations provide access to the testing materials- they do not change what the student is being tested on, nor what they are to demonstrate knowledge of.

Students with disabilities/ accommodations are required to learn the same content at the same level of proficiency as students without disabilities/ accommodations.

Students have 15 minutes to arrive at the Testing Center before they are marked as a No Call-No Show (NCNS). If a student arrives after 15 minutes, the Testing staff will refer to the instructor’s instructions stated in the Alternative Testing Agreement. The student may receive clearance to test; however, instructors may insist they stop at the specified time. Instructors must be clear in communicating this policy in their course’s Testing Agreement. 

Instructors are responsible for clearly communicating all approved materials and exam changes to the SDRC Testing Staff. This can be done by email, phone, or by edits on the course’s Testing Agreement. 

NOTE: The Testing staff will contact you for approval. If we cannot reach the instructor, the Testing coordinator will evaluate the situation and use their best judgment.  

Email the updated exam to SDRCTEST@sc.edu, then notify the Testing coordinator at 803-576-8457.  

Yes. The Testing Agreement can be modified throughout the semester. Instructors can login to Faculty AIM login to make those changes. The updated Agreement will be emailed to both instructor(s) and students.  

1. Upload the exam via the Instructor’s AIM portal or the link sent in the reminder email. Reminder emails are sent out two (2) days in advance of the exam date. Note: If you are unable to upload the exam, please email the Test Proctoring account at SDRCTEST@sc.edu. Please indicate if there are different versions of the exam. 
2. Drop off the exam at the Testing Center or the Disability Resource’s Main office. Exams should be dropped off before the end of business hours (5 pm). We are located in the Close Hipp Building in suite 203 and 102, respectively.
3. Email the exam to the Proctoring account at SDRCTEST@ sc.edu. Please indicate any specific instructions in the email. Please note that professors must provide their exams in an accessible format, if needed. 

Submitting exams on time would naturally ensure that accommodations are prepared for our students. Some exams also require conversion into alternative and accessible formats for students (e.g. braille). 

Of course, an on-time submission aligns with the expectation of equal access for all students. It also helps in our process as we plan for the next day. Receiving exams at the last minute increases the potential of errors occurring due to the reduced time to review and prepare exams for students with specific testing accommodations. 

A proactive approach provides a reduced stress level for students, instructors, and Testing Staff.  We ask that instructors communicate any delay with the SDRC Testing Staff.

Instructors may proctor a registered student directly. The Testing Center provides proctoring services because faculty cannot accommodate the exam(s) and/ or students elect to utilize this option. Formerly, some instructors make arrangements for students to test during office hours, in class with extended time, or in a separate testing location. The student makes the decision on their preferred testing environment. 

We request that you fill out the Alternative Testing Agreement, even if your course is online. This allows students the opportunity to still "schedule" their exams with our office, and you will receive notifications and reminders about their approved accommodations.