Supreme Court of Georgia
Office of Bar Admissions

Requesting Nonstandard Testing Accommodations

In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Georgia Board of Bar Examiners will provide nonstandard testing accommodations (NTA) for the bar examination to qualified applicants to the extent such accommodations are timely requested, reasonable, not unduly burdensome, consistent with the nature and purpose of the examination, and necessitated by the applicant’s disability. To apply for an administrative accommodation (for example to bring otherwise prohibited items into the standard testing room such as diabetic supplies, lactation equipment, or food), please submit an administrative accommodation form found here. To review a list of prohibited items, click here.

PLEASE READ ALL OF THE BELOW INFORMATION CAREFULLY

Accommodations awarded in law school DO NOT guarantee accommodations on the bar examination. Based on our observations of accommodations awarded at many law schools, we have found this to be particularly true where the applicant is requesting accommodations based on an ADHD diagnosis. Each request for accommodations on the bar exam is reviewed individually by experts. Their decision is based on a combination of factors, including:

• Medical documentation
• Specific diagnosis and personal history
• The nature and severity of the condition
• How the impairment affects your ability to take the bar exam
• Results from relevant diagnostic testing

Deadlines for Submission of NTA Requests

Current certification of fitness is not needed to submit NTA forms. We encourage all to file early, especially because requests for accommodations will not be considered unless all four components (as described below) are completed and signed.

All requests must be received by the Office of Bar Admissions by 4:00 pm on November 1 for the February exam and April 1 for the July exam. Incomplete requests (for example, those that do not include all four of the components described below) will not be considered. And requests received after the deadline will not be accepted. All requests for accommodations are submitted to independent consulting experts of the Board of Bar Examiners for review and recommendation. After the deadline, there is not sufficient time for the Board’s consulting experts to review all documentation and make appropriate recommendations. Please submit all requests as early as possible, especially if there are any doubts about how to complete all four components, as described below.

Initial Requests for NTA

All NTA requests must be made on the appropriate forms, which can be found here. All first-time petitions for testing accommodations must include the following four components and are not considered submitted until all four components are complete, signed, in order, and received by the Office of Bar Admissions.

1. Applicant Request for Nonstandard Testing Accommodations – Form A. This must be completed and signed by the applicant.
2. Certificate of Medical/Psychological Authority - Form B. This must be completed and signed by a physician, psychologist, or professional licensed to diagnose and treat the applicant’s disability. This form must contain a request for specific accommodations and include all evaluation reports and/or diagnostic testing. A recent copy of your medical professional’s curriculum vitae must be attached.
   NOTE: The Board requires recent testing and/or evaluations to be submitted with Form B, typically within the past five years for any attention/learning/psychological disabilities and within the past one year for non-permanent physical/visual/hearing disabilities.
3. Certificate of Nonstandard Accommodations – Form C. This must be completed and signed by the applicant, and if the applicant has previously requested testing accommodations, it must also be completed and signed by an official from the applicant’s undergraduate or graduate institution or an official of a national standardized examination (e.g., ACT, SAT, or LSAT) for which the applicant received testing accommodations. You may submit a copy of your accommodations award letter from the testing organization in place of a Form C. The applicant must provide verification for all previous accommodations granted during the applicant’s undergraduate or graduate studies.
4. Authorization for Release of Information - Form D. This lists the names of the applicant’s medical and/or psychological treatment providers and is necessary for our experts to review your medical documentation. This form must be completed and signed by the applicant.

Renewed Requests for NTA

In order to renew any nonstandard testing accommodations that were awarded for a recent Georgia Bar Exam, the applicant must submit a Renewed Petition for Testing Accommodations (Form E) by the posted deadline. The only exception is if an applicant sat for (and did not pass) the February exam, then the applicant may submit Form E for the July exam no later than one week after scores are released for the February exam.

If the applicant wishes to apply for accommodations beyond what was previously granted, a new request for nonstandard testing accommodations (Forms A–D) must be submitted as described above.

Submission of Forms

Submit all forms and documentation in order in ONE submission, either by attaching the submission in a single PDF to an email directed to TestingAccommodations@gasupreme.us or by mail to:

Nonstandard Testing Accommodations
Supreme Court of Georgia
Office of Bar Admissions
Nathan Deal Judicial Center
330 Capitol Avenue SE Suite L200
Atlanta, Georgia 30334

Applicants will receive notifications via the Office of Bar Admissions portal and by email. Please send all questions to TestingAccommodations@gasupreme.us.