Accommodations and Assistive Technology
All Bluebook™ exams are configured to work for students who test with accommodations or assistive technology (AT). If you use assistive tech, you should open Bluebook on the type of device you'll test with and try a test preview or full-length practice test to see how everything will work on test day.
Digital Exam Accommodations
Some accommodations are administered differently on digital exams than paper and pencil exams. For example, if you’re approved to use a human reader on paper and pencil exams, you may use a screen reader for digital exams. Also, some accommodations may not be needed for a digital exam. For example, if you’re approved for large print, you can just use the zoom feature.
The accommodations listed in this table are some examples of accommodations that will be available for 2023-24 test administrations, and students approved for these accommodations can use the AT options as noted. Learn more about accommodations for Digital AP Exams and accommodations for the SAT Suite of Assessments.
Sample Accommodations with Digital Testing Options
Approved Accommodation | Digital Testing Options |
---|---|
Human Reader
Screen Reader for Digital Tests | Students approved for a human reader or screen reader for digital tests will use the screen reader functionality available through their device's operating system (i.e., text-to-speech) or their own screen reader software. |
Writer/Scribe to Record Responses
Dictation for Digital Tests | Students approved for writer/scribe or dictation for digital tests should use the speech-to-text functionality available through their device's operating system or other approved dictation software. |
Braille | Students approved for braille accommodation can test digitally using their refreshable braille display with a screen reader. |
Raised Line Drawings | Students will take the digital test and use the raised line drawing supplement. To order these materials, contact [email protected] For AP Exams, students may test with the digital exam using a refreshable braille display or screen reader; or test using the braille paper exam. |
Braille Writer | For a digital test, braille writing software should be used. |
Assistive Technology | Students can take a digital test using approved assistive technology software. |
Magnification Device (electronic/non-electronic) | Students can use the zoom in and out function available through their operating system. Students who only need sections of the screen magnified and have the accommodation for Magnification Device (electronic) can use the testing device magnification features (I.e. Windows and ChromeOS Magnifier, Apple Zoom). |
If you have questions about your approved accommodations, your Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) coordinator can look up your accommodations in SSD Online or contact the College Board SSD Office.
Assistive Technology (AT)
Any approved AT you use online should still work during the digital exam. If you use an AT, such as a screen reader (e.g., JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, or ChromeVox), magnification software (e.g., ZoomText Fusion), or dictation software (e.g., Dragon NaturallySpeaking) to interact with a standard web browser, the same commands can be used to navigate through content in the digital exam. The exception would be if you use web-based AT or a browser extension (e.g., add-ons, plug-ins, etc.) as they are not supported for use with the Bluebook application.
Screen Readers and Text-to-Speech
Screen readers and text-to-speech (TTS) are speech synthesis applications. These applications can be either part of the system accessibility settings or external applications that can be installed on an operating system.
TTS technology is the screen reader functionality available through a device’s operating system. TTS technology reads the text on a screen and provides image descriptions depending on available settings or preferences.
Screen readers are often external software students use on their devices to have all onscreen content, including text and non-text elements, read aloud. Students with visual impairments who require assistance navigating from page to page often use screen readers .
You should configure AT settings before opening Bluebook to answer preview questions before exam day. The settings may include verbosity, punctuation, text processing, and other settings as approved. You must ensure all settings are configured before beginning the test day check-in process in Bluebook.
College Board has tested and currently supports the leading screen readers and text-to-speech applications, including:
Screen Readers:
NVDA
JAWS
Apple VoiceOver
Chromebook ChromeVox
Windows Narrator
Text-to-Speech (TTS):
Chromebook Select-to-Speak
Windows Narrator
MacOS Spoken Content
iOS Spoken Content
Other screen readers might work with the Bluebook application. Depending on which other screen reader and which release of that software, some functions may work differently or not at all. If your software is not listed above, try a digital practice test on Bluebook to ensure your AT will work on test day.
Speech-to-Text
Voice recognition, speech recognition, or speech-to-text (STT) technology transcribes your spoken words into text item responses in the digital exam. If approved for this technology or for a writer/scribe, you may use STT technology for digital exams.
The College Board has tested and currently supports the leading speech-to-text/dictation applications, including:
• Dragon NaturallySpeaking (with custom commands)
• Apple Voice Control
• Chromebook Dictation
• Windows Voice Recognition/Dictation
Other speech-to-text or dictation software might work with the Bluebook application. Depending on which other STT or dictation software and which release of that software is used, some functions may work differently or not at all. If your software is not listed above, try a digital practice test on Bluebook to ensure your AT will work on test day.
Configuring and Using Assistive Technology
Configuration steps need to be taken each time a student uses Bluebook, both for answering preview questions and for exam day. In some cases, your school's technology staff may need to complete the configuration steps on your testing device (for instance, if the device is school-managed and you cannot adjust settings).
If any settings need to be adjusted on exam day, configuration steps must be completed before beginning the check-in process in Bluebook.
Review Test Device Setup for Chromebook, Windows, Mac, and iPad.
Note: Disable pop-up blocker. The first time you access/view the video, you must provide your name and email. Information is used to access the video and not retained for other purposes.
Refreshable Braille Displays
Refreshable braille displays (RBDs) are used to read text-only content on digital exams. Alternative text descriptions are embedded in the exams for all graphics. RBDs must be properly set up before they can be used by students. For information about installing and setting up RBDs, refer to the product's instructions and manuals.
Refreshable braille is not recommended for AP Exams that include graphics. If you need tactile graphics for a digital AP Exam, you should talk to your AP coordinator and SSD coordinator as soon as possible.