Unlimited Time Policy

The University Testing Center is dedicated to providing an accessible and equitable testing environment for all students. We work in close collaboration with the Services for Students with Disabilities office to ensure that students with documented disabilities receive appropriate accommodations for their exams. Our goal is to ensure that all students have a fair opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge.

Extended Time Accommodations

Extended time on exams is a common and important accommodation for students with documented disabilities. The specific amount of extended time is determined by the Services for Students with Disabilities office based on the individual student's documented needs and is typically calculated as a multiplier of the standard exam time (e.g., 1.5 times or 2 times the class time).

Policy on "Unlimited Time"

While we are committed to providing necessary accommodations, requests for "unlimited time" for exams present significant logistical and fairness challenges.

Fairness and Test Validity: Standardized time multipliers are the established best practice for ensuring that accommodations provide equal access without fundamentally altering the nature of the assessment or creating an unfair advantage. Unlimited time can change the construct of what is being measured by an exam.
Operational Constraints: The University Testing Center operates within specific hours to serve all students and manage resources effectively. Providing proctoring for an undefined or unlimited duration for individual students is not feasible within these operational hours and would impact our ability to serve other students and fulfill faculty requests.
Classroom Equivalence: In a standard classroom setting, instructors are typically unable to provide unlimited time due to course scheduling and their own availability. Our proctoring services aim to provide reasonable and equivalent accommodations.

Therefore, the University Testing Center does not typically proctor exams with an "unlimited time" accommodation. We adhere to the extended time multipliers as determined and documented by the Services for Students with Disabilities office.

Our Commitment to Collaboration

We understand that each student's situation is unique. We are committed to working collaboratively with students, instructors, and the Services for Students with Disabilities office to ensure that all students receive fair and appropriate testing accommodations within established best practices and operational guidelines.

If there are exceptional circumstances or questions regarding this policy, please contact the University Testing Center or the Services for Students with Disabilities office for further discussion.