Candidates

An applicant may request a change in certification procedures or process due to disability, handicap or other reason. Candidates must complete the Request for Special Exam Accommodations Form and submit it to the BOC office via email, mail or fax.

Reasonable Accommodations

Reasonable accommodations provide disabled candidates with a fair and equal opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge and skill in the essential functions being measured by the exam. Reasonable accommodations are decided on the basis of the individual’s specific request, disability, documentation submitted and the appropriateness of the request.

Reasonable accommodations do not include steps that fundamentally alter the purpose or nature of the exam. The most frequent requests involve providing the candidate with extended time, a reader, a writer and/or a separate room.

Qualified Individual with a Disability

A “qualified individual with a disability” is one who has a disability and satisfies the requisite skill, experience, education and other requirements of the service, program or activity of which the individual is being measured and, with or without accommodations, can perform the essential functions of the service, program or activity.

An essential function is one that individuals are required to perform, and removing that function would fundamentally change the service, program or activity. A person must be a “qualified individual with a disability” to be protected under the ADA.

Proper Documentation

Candidates requesting a change in exam procedures or processes due to disability, handicap or other reason must complete the Request for Special Exam Accommodations Form. The candidate is responsible for demonstrating that the request should be granted. The BOC will accept either of the following types of documentation:

1. Medical Documentation
   Documentation must be from an appropriate licensed professional or certified specialist who diagnosed the disability and include recommendations for reasonable accommodations. Recommendations should be based on testing that is not older than four years prior to the application. Documentation must be on the professional’s letterhead. Documentation must provide a diagnosis of the disability and the exam used to determine the disability.
   
   OR
2. Proof of Receiving Accommodations at College/University Level
   Documentation must be provided on the college/university’s letterhead and may include an individualized education plan (IEP).

The confidentiality of all documentation submitted by the candidate is protected. The BOC will review the request and notify the candidate via email of its determination within two to three business days of receipt.

Requests for Reasonable Accommodations

1. In order to be given consideration, appropriate documentation (including the Request for Special Exam Accommodations Form form) must be received by the BOC no later than 5 p.m. CT, offset UTC-6 hours on the exam registration deadline date of the requested exam window.
2. Candidates approved for reasonable accommodations are notified via email of the accommodation(s) granted to them. Candidates not approved for reasonable accommodations are notified via email of the denial of their request.
3. If a candidate’s request for accommodations is not approved, the candidate may initiate an appeal. Appeals must be made in writing to Credentialing Services. The candidate is responsible for demonstrating that the appeal should be granted. Appeals must be received no later than 5 p.m. CT on the exam registration deadline date for the exam window the candidate is requesting. Failure to appeal within the allotted time will render the original decision final.
4. The BOC will not pay any costs that a candidate may incur in obtaining the required diagnosis and recommendation. However, the BOC will pay for any reasonable exam-related accommodations that are provided to the candidate.