Always follow state-specific accessibility and accommodation policies for English language proficiency tests.
State guidance may vary from the recommendations in this document.
3
that could prevent students from fully showing what they can do in terms of the set of knowledge, skills,
and abilities the test is designed to assess.
For example, in the ACCESS for ELLs Online Writing test, audio embedded in the test platform makes a
multimodal presentation of tasks the default format. Students both see and hear task instructions,
helping to ensure that students have a chance to demonstrate their writing skills and are not
disadvantaged solely by a still-developing ability to read or to listen.
Administrative Considerations
Individualized administration procedures give educators the flexibility they need to provide optimal
testing conditions. These considerations can be extended to any test taker and, in most cases, must be
facilitated by the test administrator. Critically, the administrative considerations described in this
document do not change what the test measures or the way scores are interpreted and used.
The administration of WIDA Alternate ACCESS allows for a wide variety of administrative considerations
to meet the individual needs of students taking the test. See the
Alternate ACCESS: Administration and
Scoring training course and the ACCESS for ELLs Test Administrator Manual for additional guidance.
Test Timing and Scheduling
Note: The online testing platform will automatically log students out of the session after 30 minutes of
inactivity.
• Supervised Breaks. Any student may take a break at any point, as needed. These breaks might
be planned in advance based on student-specific needs, such as a tendency to quickly become
fatigued or anxious during testing. Whenever possible, keep the student in the testing
environment during breaks. Have the student pause the online test or close any open test
booklets before standing up, stretching, or walking around the room. If the student must leave
the testing environment, for example to go to the restroom, access medical equipment, or take a
sensory break, ensure the student is escorted and that interaction with other students is
minimized. This administrative consideration must not interfere with the testing experience of
any other student.
• Short Segments. In the rare circumstance that a student needs longer breaks than described
above, you can administer the test in multiple short administration sessions that are
predetermined and based on breaks in classroom instruction familiar to the student. Each
language domain test should be completed within one school day. WIDA recommends using the
paper-format test with this administration format. Test administrators must collect and securely
store all test materials between testing segments.
• Extended Testing Time. WIDA’s assessments are not timed tests. Timing guidance is provided
for scheduling and planning purposes and is not intended to be a strict limit. Typically, a planned
extended testing session is one and a half times the recommended testing time. However, any
student who is actively engaged in testing can continue working up to the end of the school day.