The Academic Centre for Testing (ACT) provides a comfortable, professional and secure testing environment for Loyalist College students.
ACT is located in the Kente Building, Room 3L8. Hours of operation are Monday to Friday, 8 am – 4 pm. Hours during exam periods and over the summer may vary. Please check the Academic Centre for Testing web page for updated hours.
Testing Locations
If a student’s Individualized Service Plan (ISP) indicates they have extra time to write assessments (tests, exams, timed in-class assignments), they have the option to choose where they write – ACT or the classroom. Their decision depends on the nature of the student’s individual circumstances.
For example, students with anxiety, migraines or arthritis may have different needs on different days. As well, students may only wish to use ACT for specific courses or for longer assessments.
To facilitate these options, we ask that faculty send all assessments to ACT in advance (two or five business days; details here) and that they have extra copies of assessments available in class, where applicable.
As a courtesy, students are encouraged to advise their professors where they plan to write. We advise students that they will not have access to accommodations, such as extended time if they choose not to use ACT.
Please contact the student’s AccessAbility staff member if there are considerations for your course that fall outside the above guidelines.
Extended Time
Students approved to have extended time for assessments may use this accommodation in ACT for tests, exams, or timed in-class written assignments. When both assessments and lectures take place during the scheduled class time, please discuss options with the student so they can access both extended time for the assessment and the classroom time for the lecture. Please consider the following:
- For assessments at the start of class, students should be able to begin writing before class in ACT and return in time for lecture.
- For assessments at the end of class, students should be able to write in ACT and continue past the class end time.
- The student’s schedule may also contain back-to-back classes/labs. It may be necessary to reschedule their assessment date and time within ACT operating hours.
Example: A professor plans an 8 am class to have a one-hour test at the beginning of class, followed by a one-hour lecture. The student would need to have the assessment rescheduled and would attend the lecture at 9 am.
Example: A professor plans a 10 am class to have a one-hour test at the beginning of class, followed by a one-hour lecture. The student would begin writing in ACT at 9:30 am, assuming their schedule is open, and return to class at 11 am for lecture.
ACT may reach out to students to ask where they will be writing a specific test, if it is held outside of open hours, in order to arrange staff and space.
Memory Aids
Some students require this accommodation based on a documented disability affecting their memory. A memory aid is an individualized tool allowing students to create patterns, mnemonics, pictures, etc. making it easier to retrieve the necessary information. Examples include mind maps, rhymes, abbreviations, acrostics, visual chains or acronyms. Memory aids are not answer sheets, open textbooks, full course notes or definitions. This accommodation is added to the student’s ISP.
Students create the memory aids, and submit them 48 hours prior to the assessment for faculty review and approval. The faculty will sign it and submit it to ACT, along with the test. Once the student completes their assessment, they submit the memory aid and the completed assessment to ACT staff. Faculty will pick up the assessment and aid in ACT.
If a student’s ISP indicates a memory aid, we will share an information sheet that provides additional guidance.
How to book a test
To book a test, faculty are required to notify ACT two (2) business days prior to writing time.
Step One:
Complete a Test Request Form.
This is a document that professors complete to inform ACT of class tests in order to reserve space for eligible students.
Professors are required to indicate the test details (i.e. date, allotted time, etc.).
Step Two:
Email the Test Request Form and the test to act@loyalistcollege.com two (2) business days prior to the test-writing date.
Note: If the test is scheduled to take place outside of ACT hours, please provide five (5) business days’ notice to accommodate the test.
Step Three:
Pick up the completed test(s) from ACT:
- Kente Building, Room 3L8
- Hours of Operation are Monday to Friday, 8 am – 4 pm. Hours during exam periods and over the summer may vary. Please check the Academic Centre for Testing webpage for updated hours.
Questions?
Please contact ACT by emailing act@loyalistcollege.com or phoning 613-969-1913, ext. 2549.
*Please note that email is the preferred contact method. Phones will not be answered while tests are being administered.*