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Candidate Disability Accommodations

ABOG provides reasonable accommodations in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) as amended by the ADA Amendments Act of 2013 (ADAAA), collectively known as the ADA. Therefore, ABOG will provide or allow the use of necessary auxiliary aids, services, or testing conditions that do not fundamentally alter the measurement of the skills or knowledge the Board assessment program and examination is intended to test.

 

  • The ADA defines a person with a disability as someone with a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, such as walking, standing, seeing, hearing, eating, sleeping, speaking, breathing, learning, reading, concentrating, thinking, communicating, or working.
  • The purpose of accommodations is to provide equal access to ABOG examinations for all individuals.
  • Accommodations offset the identified functional limitation so that the impact of impairment is minimized by means of an auxiliary aid or an adjustment to the testing procedure. Functional limitation refers to the aspects of a disability that interfere with an individual's ability to function in some capacity on a regular and continuing basis.
  • ABOG shall not exclude any candidate from examination solely because of a disability if ABOG is provided with notice of the disability in time to permit ABOG to make such adjustments in the examination as are reasonably necessary to accommodate the disability.

Qualifying and Certifying Exams


Email exams@abog.org with notifications and/or requests for accommodations or with any questions.


  • For the Qualifying Exam, you need to notify ABOG by the final application deadline, and provide sufficient documentation with your request to permit us to verify the existence, nature, and extent of the disability.
  • For the Certifying Exam, notification of the need for special testing circumstances must be submitted in writing to ABOG 180 days prior to the exam date. 


MOC Part III Exam


Email moc@abog.org with notifications and/or requests for accommodations or with any questions.


  • Diplomates must provide sufficient documentation to permit ABOG to verify the existence, nature, and extent of the disability no fewer than 90 days prior to the date of the MOC Part III Examination if special testing accommodations under the ADA are needed.

 

These deadlines are necessary in order to allow the Board to request the required documentation, review the records, and verify the disability, if necessary.

  • Accommodations will only be considered with appropriate documentation and according to the timing outlines above under Notification Requirements.
  • Your documentation must specify the requirements or accommodations determined to be necessary to overcome or compensate for the disability.
  • In addition, you must supply any additional information ABOG may subsequently request in a timely manner.
  • The purpose of documentation is to validate that an applicant for test accommodations is a disabled individual as defined by the ADA to provide guidance in determining effective accommodations.
  • Comprehensive information by a qualified professional is necessary to allow ABOG to understand the nature and extent of the disability and the resulting functional impairment that limits access to its examinations. It is essential that your documentation provides clear explanation of the functional impairment and a rationale for the requested accommodation.

  • You will be offered an accommodation that would compromise the examination's ability to accurately test the skills and knowledge it is designed to measure and no auxiliary aid or service will be provided that will fundamentally alter the examination or will result in an undue burden to ABOG.
  • If any of the requirements cannot reasonably be provided, ABOG will notify you and indicate those alternative accommodations that ABOG determines to be appropriate in consideration of the disability claimed and documented and the integrity of the examination.

If you fail to notify ABOG of a disability by the deadlines given above and fail to achieve a passing grade, you may not appeal the results of the exam. You're entitled to sit for the next regularly scheduled exam, but must pay new application and exam fees and must meet current year exam requirements.