If a student learns differently, manages a medical condition, or already uses supports at school, those same supports do not automatically follow them into the SAT or ACT testing room. Both testing organizations run their own separate approval process, and each has its own portal, vocabulary, and clock. The good news: the process is predictable once you understand it – and families who start early almost never get caught short.

This guide walks through how each one works, where they differ, what’s changing in 2026, and the timeline that keeps your student calm and prepared.

The one thing families most often get wrong

A school-based IEP or 504 plan is the foundation of an accommodations request – but it is not the request itself, and it does not guarantee approval. College Board (the SAT) and ACT each require a formal, separate application that they review against their own standards.

Here’s the reassuring part: students who already receive a given accommodation at school are often approved, and an existing IEP or 504 often means little or no additional documentation is needed. The plan doesn’t transfer automatically, but it makes everything that follows much smoother.

The second essential point: both processes are designed to run through your student’s school, not around it. The staff member who handles these requests has portal access, knows the deadlines, and can move things faster than a family working alone. Loop them in early.

SAT: The College Board Process

College Board handles accommodations through its Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) office. One approval covers the whole College Board family of tests – the SAT, the PSAT/NMSQT, PSAT 10, PSAT 8/9, and AP Exams – so a student approved for one does not reapply for the others.

1. Reach out to your school’s SSD coordinator. As soon as you know accommodations may be needed, this is your first call. Every College Board request runs through this person.
2. Sign the consent form. A parent or guardian signs the College Board’s Parent Consent Form before anything can be opened (students 18 and older sign for themselves). Some schools use their own equivalent consent process.
3. The coordinator opens the request in SSD Online. They enter the student’s information, the disability, and the specific accommodations requested. When the request matches what’s already in an IEP or 504 plan, additional documentation is often unnecessary.
4. Submit documentation if the system asks for it. SSD Online indicates whether more is needed. When a documentation review is required, plan for it to take up to seven weeks.
5. Receive the decision. The coordinator sees it in SSD Online; the student is typically notified by mail. An approval comes with an eligibility letter listing the accommodations and an SSD/eligibility code – keep this, because it’s needed to register.
6. Register for the SAT. Approval must be in hand before registering with accommodations. The student enters their eligibility code and confirms they want to use their accommodations. They cannot be added or dropped on test day.

A key advantage of the SAT path: once approved, accommodations stay in effect until one year after high school graduation, with limited exceptions. Retaking the test requires no new application – just confirm the accommodations when you re-register. If a student’s needs change (say, the IEP is updated), a fresh request is required.

Worth noting on format: the SAT is now fully digital, delivered through the College Board’s Bluebook app, and each student is timed individually. Some accommodations work differently on screen than they did on paper – text-to-speech, for instance, is built into Bluebook. Confirm with your SSD coordinator that an approved accommodation is available and meaningful in the digital environment.

Families who can’t work through a school can apply directly with the College Board’s paper Student Eligibility Form, but this route is slower and always requires documentation. Homeschooled students should contact SSD directly.

ACT: The ACT process works

ACT manages accommodations through its Test Accessibility and Accommodations System (TAA). The single biggest structural difference from the SAT: with the ACT, your student registers for a specific test date first, then submits the accommodations request.

1. Register on MyACT and request accommodations during sign-up. Log in at my.act.org, link a valid high school, and select “Yes” when asked about accommodations. (If you accidentally choose “No,” contact ACT right away to fix it.)
2. Send your confirmation to the school coordinator. After registering, ACT emails you. Forward that email to your school’s Test Accommodations Coordinator (TAC) along with a signed Consent to Release Information to ACT.
3. The coordinator submits through TAA. The TAC verifies or creates the student’s record and submits the request, along with any required documentation, by the published deadline. A brand-new TAA account can take up to five business days to be validated, so coordinators shouldn’t wait until the last minute.
4. ACT reviews. Requests are normally processed in about 5-10 business days, though Special Testing requests often take longer. The decision lands in TAA – students are not notified automatically, so check in with your TAC.
5. Review the outcome with your coordinator. If approved, the TAC confirms the arrangement. If denied, the TAC can file a Reconsideration Request with more documentation before the deadline.
6. Print the admission ticket. Upload a photo in MyACT and print the ticket. It will show whether the student is in National Testing or Special Testing – read it carefully.

After approval, the ACT places students in one of two tracks:

English Learner supports are also available through TAA, and EL approvals are valid for two years.

When a student retakes the ACT, previously approved accommodations can be reused – but they must re-register for the new date and tell their TAC to link the existing TAA record to it. No new request is needed if nothing has changed.

The differences that actually matter

2026 Updates

ACT has tightened its Special Testing program. Two changes are worth putting on your radar:

1. Deadlines moved earlier. Beginning with the June and July 2026 test events, accommodations requests must be in by the regular registration deadline – not the late deadline that applied to earlier events like April.
2. Shorter Special Testing window. Starting with the June 2026 test event, the Special Testing window shrinks from two weeks to one week. Less room for scheduling means even more reason to submit early.

This guide reflects College Board and ACT policies as published in 2026 and is intended as general information, not professional advice. Always confirm current deadlines and requirements with your school coordinator and the official College Board and ACT websites.