MCAT Testing Accommodations
MCAT Testing Accommodations
Most MCAT accommodation denials are not about your disability. They are about the report.
Whether you’re preparing to request accommodations or you’ve already been denied, that’s the thing worth understanding first. Applications get rejected for insufficient documentation, for reports that didn’t address every benchmark, and sometimes because a reviewer didn’t read carefully or applied reasoning that doesn’t hold up against their own published criteria.
Two people with identical conditions and nearly identical reports can get two different outcomes. That isn’t a reason to give up. It’s a reason to get the report right the first time.
The MCAT is the hardest one to get
I’ve secured testing accommodations for the LSAT, GRE, SAT, CA Board of Psychology exams (CPSE, EPPP), the CA Bar Exam, the GED, the ACT, and university-based accommodations in almost every region of the United States.
The MCAT is the hardest of them, by a wide margin. In most cases, the reason for a rejection comes down to the report the doctor provided.
What the review team requires
The MCAT accommodation review team weights documentation in three tiers. In their own words:
Required. Necessary to complete your review. A missing document in this category is likely to result in an incomplete application — and a delayed determination.
Strongly Recommended. Typically necessary for a full review. An omission here may also result in an incomplete application and a delayed determination.
If Applicable. May not be necessary — but submit it anyway, so your application is complete and you stay on schedule for your review cycle.
Every standardized exam has its own documentation policy. Some are as stringent as the MCAT. Some are considerably more lax. I work through each requirement and make sure it’s addressed before anything is submitted.
Why applications get rejected
Most rejections come from not following the pre-established policies, or from a failure to obtain proper documentation.
Sometimes the testing agency hires outside consultants to review your report. When that happens, a rejection is often based on unfamiliarity with neuropsychology, a failure to read the report carefully, or in some cases simply inaccurate information.
There are also cases where a newly assigned diagnosis, or some other complicating factor, makes the request harder. That’s real. It’s also workable, if the report anticipates it.
Don’t let the blog posts talk you out of it
You’ll find posts from people who couldn’t get MCAT accommodations, concluding it isn’t worth trying. Those posts become self-fulfilling prophecies.
What they usually leave out is the part above: it is often the neuropsychologist you hired and the report they submitted that caused the rejection — not your disability.
I’ll give you a realistic appraisal of what to expect in your case. Sometimes that appraisal is discouraging. It will be honest either way.
If you’re denied, we appeal — at no additional charge
Every testing organization is required by law to follow the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act. They are not required to accept any and all reports or diagnoses that don’t follow their guidelines.
So it’s a fight. It’s a much easier fight when the person who wrote your report understands the process.
Appeals are included in the fee.
If your request is denied, the work of appealing it is already paid for. Your cost does not go up because someone else didn’t read carefully. I see you through the entire process and exhaust the options available.
What it costs
Accommodation evaluations are quoted individually, because the work depends on the case. Call and you’ll be told the number before you commit to anything. Here’s how fees work, including why an evaluation costs what it does.
If it isn’t workable for you, say so. If an evaluation isn’t right for you at all, I’ll tell you that too.
The documentation policies themselves
Read the source material. You should know what you’re being measured against.
- MCAT accommodations: ADHD, learning disorders, psychiatric
- MCAT accommodations: traumatic brain injury
- ADA requirements for testing accommodations
- ADA disability rights: post-secondary accommodations
Start here
Call. 321-208-1554 or 321-298-8668 or please email us gerard@drgchambers.com
Tell us your test date, your diagnosis if you have one, and whether you’ve been denied before. You’ll be told what’s involved, what it costs, how long it takes, and an honest read on your odds.
If your test date is close, say so first. Review cycles have deadlines and they do not move.