Factors Related to Extended Time Use by College Students With Disabilities

Abstract

Extended time to complete course examinations is the most commonly provided accommodation to students with disabilities in postsecondary institutions. However, there is a paucity of studies that examine the use and influence of extended time in true testing situations. The present study examined test accommodation used by 596 students with disabilities at a large research university. These students completed a total of 3,726 exams in 1,517 unique courses. Results indicated that extended time was used in approximately half of the tests, and of these, a nearly there was an even split between the use of less than and more than 50% additional time. In a statistical model predicting whether a participant used extended time at least once in a course, having a learning disability, having attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and taking a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) course were statistically significant predictors of whether a participant used extended time in a course. Implications and areas for future research are presented.