The Disability Access Office and FAS Registrar’s Office are piloting a testing center for any students who are approved for exam accommodations. Use of the testing center is optional and is available to FAS departments who administer term-time exams.
Final exams will continue to be managed by the Exams Office in the FAS Registrar’s Office and are not part of this pilot.
- If you choose not to use the testing center, you will continue to implement testing accommodations for term-time exams in the classroom.
- If you opt in to use the testing center, you must complete a Testing Agreement for your course and remind students with testing accommodations to schedule their exams with DAO. Detailed instructions are included below. Testing Agreements must be submitted at least 5 days prior to your first scheduled exam.
Student Responsibilities
- Students are responsible for initiating the process by submitting their Accommodation Action Plan at the start of the semester.
- The FAS Testing Center will provide students with instructions and reminders throughout the semester. Students should contact testingcenter@fas.harvard.edu with questions.
- Students are responsible for scheduling their exams no less than 3 days before the main exam is scheduled to take place.
How to Use the Testing Center
STEP 1: Instructor completes the FAS Testing Agreement
To complete the testing agreement, click on the link in the red box on the Accommodation Action Plan. Alternatively, follow the instructions below to navigate to the testing agreements for all of your courses.
You only need to fill out one Testing Agreement for each course. Along with opting into using the testing center, the Testing Agreement gives you the opportunity to communicate how you want your exam to be administered.
If you would like to request for additional faculty and Head Teaching Fellows to have access to complete the Testing Agreement, please email dao@fas.harvard.edu with the course title and ID and the following information for each additional instructor:
- Full Name
- HUID
- Harvard email address
Instructions for Completing a Testing Agreement
STEP 1: Click on the link located in a student’s accommodation action plan or log into the Accessible Information Management System (AIM). You will be asked for your Harvard Key.
STEP 2: Click on Continue to View Student Accommodations.
STEP 3: To the left of the page under Home, click on Alternative Testing.
STEP 4: Click on Alternative Testing Agreement located top right of the page, or scroll down to see the number of courses you have without completed agreements and click on Courses without Alternative Testing Agreement.
STEP 5: Scroll to select your courses. Click on Specify Alternative Testing Agreement under the course you want to complete an agreement for.
STEP 6: UnderAvailable Options for… select Testing Center Will Proctor Exams, then under Confirm Task use the drop-down menu to Confirm to Proceed. Click on Submit Your Selection.
STEP 7: Complete the agreement and enter the first exam date and time. You will be able to add additional exam dates after submitting the agreement. Click Submit and Continue to Specify Exam Dates.
Note: Space at the Testing Center is limited. Students cannot reserve an exam time at the testing center until you submit Exam Details for each test. Please input all exam dates and times for the semester as soon as you have completed the Alternative Testing Agreement.
Note: You can upload your exams for each date ahead of time or up to three business days before the exam date.
STEP 9: To add additional exam dates, scroll down to Add Additional Exam Date and input the details for each exam.
STEP 2: Student schedules their exam
Students are responsible for scheduling their exams at the FAS Testing Center no less than 3 business days before the main exam is scheduled to take place. Students who do not schedule their exams at least 3 business days before the main exam is scheduled may be required to take the exam with the rest of the class and forgo using their accommodations.
IMPORTANT: Every effort is made to ensure students take accommodated exams on the day of the main exam. However, we cannot guarantee that accommodated exams will always happen on the same day as the main exam, and we will work closely with faculty on these details.
STEP 3: Instructor uploads the exam(s) to Accessible Information Management System (AIM)
- Digital exams: You can upload your exam as soon as you have completed the Testing Agreement. You should upload your exam to AIM at least 3 business days before the exam. Please see instructions below.
- Physical exams: If you have physical copies of your exam, please email testingcenter@fas.harvard.edu to make an appointment. Exams should be dropped off at least 3 business days before the exam at the testing center in the basement level of the Student Organization Center at Hilles (SOCH, 59 Shepard St) between 10:00am-4:00pm, Monday to Friday.
Instructions for Uploading Digital Exams in AIM
STEP 1: After logging into AIM, go to Alternative Testing (1), then Alternative Testing Agreement (2), then click on View/Modify Alternative Testing Agreement (3) under the course you want to upload an exam for.
STEP 2: On the next page, click List Exam Dates, and select Modify by the exam date you’re uploading a file(s) for.
STEP 3: Click Choose File within the Upload Additional Exam File box. Ensure that the Exam Date is correct.
Note: Only Word and PDF files should be uploaded.
STEP 4: Click Update Exam Date to save your file upload.
Completed Exams
The Testing Center will email instructors when completed exams are ready for pick-up from the Student Organization Center at Hilles (59 Shepherd Street), lower level. Testing center staff cannot deliver exams or send them electronically.