Testing Accommodations for the GRE
The Graduate Record Exam (GRE) is an important test, required for students hoping to enter into graduate school. It is not easy to get testing accommodations such as extended time for the GRE. Your GRE score can determine your future; it is important that people who have a learning disability get extra time and accommodations on this exam. Don’t you want to achieve the best score you can? Don’t you want to finish the exam within the allotted time? If you find yourself running out of time when taking practice GRE exams, you may be eligible for extended time or other accommodations.
The requirements for applying for extended time and other accommodations on the GRE are extensive and can be expensive. But isn’t your future worth it? If you think you may be eligible for extended time, you must know the requirements and gather the appropriate materials within the given time period. Testing is The Brain Clinic’s primary role in the process and is central to obtaining extended time, but it is not enough. Historical documentation is also crucial; it is your responsibility to get this to Dr. Thomas in a timely manner. Be advised that there is no guarantee the testing will result in a diagnosis of having a learning disability and obtaining extended time or other accommodations.
In order to make the strongest case for extended time or other accommodations due to a learning disability, Dr. Thomas must be provided with:
• School records: These should be sent directly to Dr. Thomas as soon as possible. You will probably have to give the school(s) a written release to do this. Start this procedure as early as you can with as wide a variety of sources as possible. It is best if your records span the length of your academic career, from grade school through college.
• Test reports and letters documenting academic/learning problems in your past: This documentation should include letters from doctors, teachers, school officials, even relatives and parents, attesting to your learning problems (signed and dated).
• A personal written statement detailing the academic/learning problems you have had throughout your past: This statement should be emailed to Dr. Thomas as soon as possible. If you have not had accommodations in the past, you need to explain why. How is it you were not identified as being learning disabled as a child? What struggles did you go through? Did you get informal accommodations from teachers (like extra time on tests), or did someone help you a lot with homework (parent, tutor, grandma)? Include your medical and developmental (childhood) history, which is also required.
The Brain Clinic’s report will more likely be successful if there is a well-documented history of your disability; we need to show that you are not just trying to get an extra advantage by requesting extra time and accommodations. Highlight the problems on the copies; keep originals in your own file. It is inconvenient for testing services to grant you extra time; it costs them extra money and time (to hire people to review your submissions, monitor you on site, rent extra space, etc.). Because of this, it is essential to make a very strong case. Dr. Thomas is the best person to do so, with more than 30 years of experience in this field. At the Brain Clinic, we have performed thousands of these extended time evaluations for extra time accommodations.
Please note that these reports take time to write, as they often end up being lenthy. The report will be finished after submitting the final materials; a report without complications will take about 10 business days to write. A deposit of $500 is necessary to schedule the first appointment and full payment is due by the last testing session. The fee is payable to Dr. Thomas is and refundable if appointments are cancelled with more than 48 hours notice. Reports are released when the bill is paid in full.
Testing Accommodations for the GRE