DAO Examinations

Disability Access Office Examinations

Exam accommodations are determined by the Disability Access Office (DAO) and are intended to address documented disabilities or health conditions in such a way as to make exam administration fair and equitable for all students taking the same course.   

The FAS Testing Center Pilot is available to all FAS faculty who would like assistance with proctoring accommodated midterm or hourly examinations. Faculty should follow the instructions on the FAS Registrar's Office website and complete an alternative testing agreement form at the start of each semester to opt-in for use of the Testing Center. Alternatively, faculty may choose to proctor their own term-time exams with all indicated accommodations for each student. This may include providing a separate room and additional proctors for extended testing time, breaks, student access to food/drinks, and other specified accommodations.  

All seated final examinations for students with DAO-approved exam accommodations are administered during the Final Examination Period by the FAS Registrar’s Office and the appropriate accommodations will be made in conjunction with DAO. Seated final exam administration is consistent with FAS exam procedures, with the following exception to ensure proper implementation of DAO-approved accommodations.  

Timed exams administered online through Canvas should be modified by faculty to include the approved extended time for students with these accommodations. For assistance with this process, please see: Canvas Instructions for Extended Time  

For assistance with converting examinations into alternative formats (e.g., digital text, Braille, or enlarged text), please contact the Assistive Technology Center (ATC) at atc@fas.harvard.edu or 617-496-8800. Arrangements for reformatting examinations should be made least five business days in advance.  

All DAO exams typically begin at 10:00 AM on the same day as the main exam, unless there is a scheduling conflict with another exam, an accommodated exam length exceeds 6.5 hours, or there is another approved reason for a different start time. In such instances, the FAS Registrar’s Office will administer the exam at an appropriate time, typically within 24 hours of the main exam. The FAS Registrar's Office may determine that exams over 6.5 hours will be split into two consecutive sessions.  

For questions concerning appropriate exam accommodations, please contact DAO at dao@fas.harvard.edu or 617-496-8707.  

For questions concerning the administration of final exams (e.g., dropping-off/picking up exams, location of DAO students, etc.), please contact the FAS Registrar’s Office at exams@fas.harvard.edu or 617-495-1542.