ADHD and the ACT: Why the ACT may be a smarter choice for ADHD students

For many years, the SAT was really the only choice for college-bound students.  The ACT was largely unknown beyond the west coast, and many, if not most, colleges didn’t accept it.  This circumstance has changed dramatically in the last few years.  The ACT is accepted almost everywhere, and it has gained in popularity with students.  While the standard version of the test isn’t for everyone, the accommodations available to students with disabilities make it an attractive choice for ADHD students.

I’ve mapped out the differences between the SAT and ACT in terms of the available accommodations useful for ADHD students.  While the options are largely identical in name, in practice the ACT has significant advantages.

Available accommodations SAT ACT
Extended time (time & ½) Yes (5 hours, 11 minutes) Yes (up to 5 hours; 5 hours, 45 minutes with writing)
Extended time (double time) Yes, very difficult to qualify Yes, very difficult to qualify
Multiple day testing Yes, for double time only Yes for special circumstances
Extra breaks Yes, between each section Yes, between each section
Extended break time Yes, twice length of standard breaks Yes, breaks are student paced
Small group testing Yes No (but if receive extended time, will be small group setting)

Specifically, the ACT allows students granted extended time to largely work at their own pace within a five hour total time limit (five hours and 45 minutes if taking the ACT with writing).  This means students can take breaks after each section as needed, and for as long as they prefer.  If a student finishes the test before the time limit, he or she is free to leave.   This flexibility may be invaluable for an ADHD student.

In contrast, with standard accommodations the total testing time for the SAT is five hours and 11 minutes (the experimental section is eliminated for students with extended time).  However, if a student also receives extra and/or extended break time, which may be critical for an ADHD student, the total testing time could be increased by an hour or more.  While snacks are allowed, a student in this situation could find him/herself not eating lunch until 3 PM!  The stress of such a long day can be very difficult for an ADHD student, and his/her performance on later sections will almost certainly be negatively impacted.

While I don’t recommend choosing the ACT solely because of the available accommodations, the advantages should certainly be considered when choosing which test to take.  For those students who prefer the format of the SAT, they should absolutely take the SAT.  In the end, the ability to get more questions correct is the most important variable.

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Today’s guest post was contributed by Jenn Cohen, owner of Jenn Cohen Tutoring and President and Chief Word Nerd of Word-Nerd.com, an SAT vocabulary website.  She specializes in tutoring ADHD students for the SAT, PSAT and ACT.  You can find her on Twitter @satprepforadhd and @SheldonWordNerd.

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7 thoughts on “ADHD and the ACT: Why the ACT may be a smarter choice for ADHD students”

  1. Does anyone know how to get those accomodations granted to a home schooler? I have home schooled for 18 years. My first child blew through the ACT and SAT and got scholarships, now graduated suma cum laude. My second, has ADHD. Home schooling has been a God-send for him as it is tailor made for his issues. It saved our lives.

    However, now that he is a junior and needs to take the ACT, I really don’t know how to get the accommodations for him. He has been diagnosed and on meds for ADHD for 6 years now, but as we home school I don’t have official IEP’s, etc. as I don’t need them. Our whole existence is an IEP.

    Just wondering if anyone has crossed this bridge and can help. State is KY.

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