TOEIC accommodations:
requesting extra time or an adapted format

In what order should you proceed?

ETS Global’s help page describes a three-step request process, also outlined on the page for Mission Equity, the service that handles these requests. Each step has its own rules, detailed in the following sections.

The current form asks you to send the completed form and supporting documents in a single email. If your request is approved, ETS Global emails you an approval letter and offers help registering for your chosen session. On test day, the Mission Equity page says to present the approval letter at the center.

• Email the completed request form and required supporting documents to mh@etsglobal.org.
• Receive an approval letter from ETS Global.
• Register for a session only after receiving approval.

How much time should you allow?

ETS Global sets a deadline: requests must be submitted at least four weeks before your preferred test date. This minimum lead time does not guarantee that a request submitted exactly four weeks in advance will be enough to arrange your session. Start earlier and confirm the timeline with Mission Equity.

The Mission Equity page gives the same deadline for registration: “registration must take place at least 4 weeks before the test date.” Since registration follows the approval letter, submit your request well before that deadline.

A special format, such as Braille, audio-only testing, or a screen-reader test, is not available everywhere: Braille and audio-only tests are not offered at public test centers. The form also says the test mode (paper, computer at a test center, or remote proctoring) depends on the accommodations granted and cannot be guaranteed. For these formats, contact ETS Global as soon as you are considering a date and ask which timeline applies to you.

Which documents should you include with your request?

The current form asks for one document, chosen according to your profile. Two rules apply to everyone: to protect medical confidentiality, the document must not mention a diagnosis, but it must identify the accommodation requested. ETS Global gives an example of a document it does not accept: speech-therapy assessments.

Describe the accommodation you need and include the supporting document specified by ETS Global; the service will review your request and send you its decision.

Which accommodations can you request?

The Mission Equity page lists extra time, breaks, audio tests, enlarged text, Braille testing, and omission of the Listening section, as well as other accommodations generally needed by the candidate. The current form provides the checkboxes shown in the table. The boxes describe what you can request; ETS Global makes the final decision.

For extra time, the current form offers 50% additional time for all sections; it does not promise that this amount will be granted. Do not plan around a figure found elsewhere, including one-third extra time.

An accommodation not listed is not necessarily excluded. The form includes an “Other accommodation not listed” option, which you should describe precisely. ETS Global treats personal assistive equipment similarly: some equipment may be allowed, but you must request it before registering.

What happens to the score, and will the school accept it?

Some accommodations change which sections are assessed. If the Listening section is omitted, the candidate receives a score only for Reading. With the audio-only test, they receive a score only for Listening: ETS Global does not provide an audio description of the Reading section. The form also offers omission of the Reading section. Ask ETS Global how your result will be reported: a score for one section is not directly comparable to the standard Listening and Reading total out of 990.

Before choosing an accommodation that changes the sections assessed, check with the school, employer, or funding organization which result meets its requirement. Also ask ETS Global what information will appear on the certificate, then confirm with the recipient that it will be accepted before booking.

What changes if you take the test through an institution?

The form asks whether the session will take place through your academic institution or training organization, or at a public test center. The Mission Equity page explains how this affects the third step: at a public center, contact the center first to confirm the accommodation and date, then register online; through a school or company, contact its administrative office to confirm registration. In the latter case, the institution sets the dates and frequency of sessions, as the TOEIC guide notes.

Not all accommodations are available everywhere. According to the form, Braille testing, audio-only testing, and a reader reading the script are not available at public test centers. The test format (paper, computer at a center, or remote proctoring) depends on the accommodation granted and public-center availability; ETS Global says it cannot be guaranteed.

Does the approval letter apply to multiple sessions?

The approval letter is valid for one year from its issue date. If you retake the test, contact ETS Global before each new registration, even if your letter is still valid, to confirm the arrangements for that session.

Do not confuse this period with the score’s validity, which remains two years according to the TOEIC guide. A result remains usable longer than the letter that allowed you to take the test.