In Fall 2020, most students will be writing their exams remotely.

At the AES Exam Program, we’ve shifted our focus from providing accommodations on campus to supporting both students and instructors during this transition to online learning. We are here to help.

During the summer months, we learned that many students are not comfortable advocating for their own accommodations. We also learned that many instructors still want AES to identify which students need accommodations for each exam. We’ve adjusted our processes with these things in mind.

How to Request Exam Accommodations in Fall 2020

For the Fall 2020 term, students should continue to request their AES exam accommodations the same way they always have:

• Request your Letters to Professors and deliver them to your instructors early in the term. Be prepared to have a conversation with your instructors about your disability-related needs.
• Use the AES online request form in your AES Exam Service channel to request exam accommodations whenever they are needed.
• Return to the AES Exam Service channel to check for updates on your accommodation requests. (Each exam request is a link; click on it to open the dialogue box.)
• AES will put any relevant information about your exam accommodations into the exam note box approximately 5-7 days prior to your exam date.

AES Accommodation Request Deadlines Apply

As in any term, accommodations must be requested inside of AES deadlines, which are:

Non-finals: 14 full days prior to the exam date

Finals (and any exam written after December 3, 2020): November 19, 2020

Tips for Accessing Your Accommodations Remotely

If your exam is:

1. A take-home or open-book exam:
   • Submit your request for accommodations using the Exam Service channel in your AES PAWS tab.
   • When the form asks for the start and end time of the exam, what AES really needs to know is the expected duration. If the class is expected to finish the exam in 60 minutes or in 3 hours, just choose start and end times that reflect that duration.
   • Give us as much additional information as you have in exam note box. (e.g., If the class has 24 hours to complete the exam within.)
   • Extra time accommodations typically do NOT apply to these types of exams. Students are usually given a longer timeframe in which to complete a shorter exam. (e.g., You may be given 24 hours to complete an exam that is designed to take three hours. In which case, you can certainly take extra time if you require.)
   • Reader/scribe accommodations typically do NOT apply to these types of exams either. This is essentially an assignment or paper and should be tackled as such. However, if you feel you do need a reader and/or scribe, email us at aesexams@usask.ca.
   • All other accommodations should be manageable in your own home, such as lighting, access to a sofa, etc.
2. Timed online exam:
   • Submit your request for accommodations using the Exam Service channel in your AES PAWS tab.
   • AES will let your instructor know that you need the timer adjusted for your exam.
   • We encourage you to try using Read&Write software in place of a human reader and/or scribe, if that is one of your accommodations. More information about Read&Write.
     • If you will be using the software, please do NOT check off the accommodation of reader and/or scribe on your request form.
     • If you need a live reader and/or scribe to work with you, check that off on the request form and AES will schedule staff to work with you over WebEx.
   • All other accommodations should be manageable in your own home, such as lighting, access to a sofa, etc.

Learn more about the exam changes for all students.

NOTES:

A few classes will be held on campus (primarily in professional colleges). However, AES staff is required to work remotely and cannot set up accommodations on campus this fall. If you require accommodations for an on-campus exam, your college will set those up for you. Please reach out to your college or to aesexams@usask.ca for assistance.

The professional Colleges of Medicine and Dentistry, as well as the Western College of Veterinary Medicine, arrange exam accommodations for their students. If you are in one of these colleges please contact your college for accommodations as needed.

As always, please check with your lab instructor/coordinator before submitting an accommodation request to AES. Many lab exams will continue to be accommodated by the instructional staff for the lab.

Questions? Ask us! Since we’re working remotely, it’s easiest to reach us by emailing this address: aesexams@usask.ca