Supports for English Learners

Through the digital transition, College Board will continue to offer testing supports for English learners (EL) for the PSAT 8/9, PSAT 10, and SAT School Day assessments.

Supports include these:

Translated test directions
Use of bilingual word-to-word glossaries
50% extended testing time

Who's Eligible

Students who meet the following criteria at the time of testing can use EL supports:

They're enrolled in an elementary or secondary school in the U.S. or U.S. territories.
They’re an English learner as defined by their state or by federal policy.
They use the same supports in class or for other assessments.

Available Testing Supports

EL students can use as many of these testing supports as they need:

Translated Test Directions

Directions are available in 18 languages. Download the translated directions and give them to students on test day. Translated directions for digital PSAT 8/9 will be available before testing begins in October.

Word-to-Word Dictionaries

The bilingual word-to-word dictionaries students use on test day must be from College Board's approved list. Schools can provide the dictionaries to students on test day, collecting them when testing is complete.

50% Extended Time

To ensure that student scores are processed correctly and on time, SSD coordinators must request extended time in the EL Supports tool, which is part of SSD Online. Schools don't need to submit documentation, but students should use extended time only if they have a documented need.

After requests are approved, students' names will be listed in Test Day Toolkit so that coordinators will be able to assign them to the correct rooms. Students using extended time for EL purposes will test in the same rooms as all other students using extended time for Reading.

Extended time for EL students can be used only in the test window for which it was requested. Unlike accommodations for students with disabilities, EL supports are temporary.

Deadline to Request Extended Time

About seven weeks before testing, schools must have submitted all extended time requests for EL students.

If you offer assessments as part of a state contract, your deadlines might be different. Contact your state with questions about the deadlines for your school.

Resources

Downloads

PSAT 8/9 Bluebook Translated Test Directions

Includes translated test directions for English learners taking the digital test, and the College Board-approved word-to-word dictionaries list for the SAT Suite of Assessments.