Testing with DAC
DACs Testing Services prepare and administer exams as specified by a student’s individualized accommodation letter that includes testing accommodations.
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Before Scheduling an Exam
- Register with DAC to establish accommodations (note: you must have Testing accommodations to use DAC testing rooms and scheduling).
- Request accommodations for each class in through your MyDAC Portal
- Contact your instructor(s) to discuss your accommodations. Ask them if they can host your exams in their department. If an instructor is unable to administer exams in the department, you can schedule your exam through DAC.
Note: Exams must be scheduled at least 3 business days in advance to the date you need to take it (this does not include weekends) in order to guarantee you can take it through DAC. For more information, see Scheduling Expectations
Exam Policies and Expectations
Scheduling Expectations
Due to limited space and staffing, we recommend scheduling your exams as soon as you receive your course syllabi. Students will not be permitted to schedule exams less than 3 business days before the exam date. Business day end times are at 5 PM.
Schedule exams at the same time as the class, unless:
- You have made arrangements with your instructor.
- You have an accommodation to test at a specific time of day.
- You have a night class, in which case the exam must be scheduled within the Testing Center’s business hours.
If you are in a course that requires partner or group exams and/or quizzes:
- Address this with your access consultant as soon as you know.
- Talk with your instructor. Partner or group exams can often be accommodated within the department.
There is a specific finals week deadline for students to schedule in the DAC. However, for an exam that happens at any other point during the semester, we expect that students will schedule their exams at least 3 business days in advance. Any testing request submitted after the 3 business days before the exam date will be considered a late request.
The table below outlines the 3 business day scheduling deadlines by the exam day of the week. Please note that closures for breaks impact the 3-business day deadline. If the College is closed on a business day, that is not considered one of the 3 business days in advance. For example, if the College is closed on a Thursday and Friday of a week, but a student has an exam on the Wednesday the following week, their exam would have needed to be scheduled on the Wednesday the week before instead of the Friday the week prior.
| Exam Day | Schedule By Date & Time |
| Monday | Wednesday the week prior before 5 PM |
| Tuesday | Thursday the week prior before 5 PM |
| Wednesday | Friday the week prior before 5 PM |
| Thursday | Monday of the week of the exam before 5 PM |
| Friday | Tuesday of the week of the exam before 5 PM |
Please make sure to schedule your final exams before our deadline date. Communications are sent each semester notifying students of this date.
During most business days throughout the semester, exams will take place in the Tomson Hall room 102 and 175. Due to the increase in exams during finals week, exams take place in both the Rolvagg Library and other classrooms in Tomson Hall. During final exam periods, students will receive a notification via email about their assigned testing building. Our goal is for all students to receive their full accommodations. Therefore, we seek additional testing space to utilize during the College’s finals week to ensure all students’ accommodations are met. We will continue to communicate changes as we move through the semester.
Students can reschedule to take an exam with DAC if they are unable to make it to their originally scheduled exam time in DAC due to: an illness, disability related flare-up, or personal emergency. If a student needs to reschedule an exam they need to contact their Professor and the DAC Team before their exam start time.
Students, working in collaboration with their professor, will determine when the exam needs to be scheduled by.
Testing Expectations
Students are responsible for scheduling their exams at the correct times and arriving before the exam start time. Students will not be able to take their scheduled exam in the DAC if they are 15 minutes or more late. If a student arrives prior to the 15-minute mark past their scheduled start time, we will permit them to take the exam, but we will not extend their time past their originally scheduled end time.
If a student needs to arrive more than 15 minutes late for an exam due to disability-related impact, they should notify both their professor and the DAC team immediately.
DAC Testing staff care about the well-being of students who test in our space. If a student is gone from the Testing Center for 15 minutes or more, a Testing Center staff will consider their absence to be concerning from a safety perspective. If a student feels like they need to leave our testing space for 20 minutes or more due to a disability flare up or if they are feeling sick, they should alert a Testing Center staff member for further support.
Students may leave the Testing Center to use the restroom or get water down the hall. If a student needs to leave the testing center, they need to turn in their exam into the testing center staff.
If Testing Center staff are unaware of a reason a student would be gone for 20 minutes or more, they will notify the instructor and the student’s Access Specialist via email.
Exams Through Moodle:
Typically DAC does not reserve space for exams administered asynchronously through Moodle, as students are able to find space around campus to take their exams. If your exam is administered through Moodle but is required to be taken in the classroom, then students can reserve a space in DAC for their exams.
*Students will use their personal laptops to take Moodle exams with DAC.
Take-Home Exams
DAC does not administer take-home exams. Please work with your instructor to make sure that you have the proper extended time enabled for your remote exam and find a space for you to test. If you have a disability-related need for completing a take-home exam in DAC, please contact your Access Specialist.
Any medical items or accessibility materials outlined in your testing accommodations will be allowed with you into a testing room.
If you are taking your exam through the department, be sure to check in with your professor about materials you will be bringing, and what is allowed during the exam. If you are taking your exam through the DAC center, your professor will send information to DAC about what other materials you are allowed to bring into a testing room to use during the exam. Be sure to clarify with your professor what you should being to the testing room. Please note, you are responsible for communicating with and understanding what outside materials are allowed to be used during your test.
The Honor Code applies to all tests and exams taken inside and outside the DAC center.
Exceptions and FAQs
Testing Policy Exceptions
There may be instances where a student would be granted an exception to our scheduling deadline policies. This could include, but is not limited to:
- Temporary disabilities (concussion, broken wrist, etc)
- Recently registered with the DAC less than 3 business days prior to the exam date
- Rescheduled for disability flare up or an excused absence
If a student is granted an exception, they would need to contact the Testing Center directly via dac@stolaf.edu to reschedule.
Other FAQs
If you are taking the exam through a DAC testing space, professors provide our testing advisor with contact information when sending over our exam. In the case you need to contact your professor, check in with the testing advisor and they will put you in contact with them.
If your exam is not during a final exam period and you are taking it through DAC, your exam will be in Tomson Hall. You can check in at the front desk of the DAC office on the first floor of Tomson hall (across from the vending machines and printer).
Typically, you will drop off your backpack in the back before taking permitted items with you into your testing room. The testing advisor will give you an envelope containing your final exam and show you to where you will be taking it.
Due to the high volume of students taking tests with DAC during final exams, more classrooms in Tomson and additional rooms in Rolvaag Memorial Library are used for testing. Students will be informed of which building they should report to during their final exam block via email. For more information, see the Scheduling Expectations section.
Further Questions?
If you have any more questions or concerns, you can contact DAC at dac@stolaf.edu, contact your Access Specialist, or schedule an appointment with the DAC Accommodations Coordinator, Wyatt Lawrence (lawren7@stolaf.edu).