Four weeks ago, I got a shoulder rotator cuff tear. This injury brought me great inconvenience: it took twice as much time for me to type on my laptop, change or even get up from bed. So, when my friend recommended I look into CAE, UCLA’s accommodation system for students with disabilities, I immediately applied.
But as the days to my first CAE-accommodated exam got closer, I started gathering a lot of uncertainties about this accommodation. What are the exam rooms like? What if my professor doesn’t approve of the accommodation? Instead of leaving you to frantically scramble for information on Reddit as I did, let me walk you through the CAE-accommodation process with this article.
To get CAE-accommodation, you first need to apply online. Applications are usually reviewed within two weeks; but if you have a temporary disability like a broken bone or concussion, CAE will expedite the process for you. For reference, my temporary disability application was reviewed in one and a half weeks.
Once your application gets approved, you will be assigned a CAE Disability Specialist who will help find the right accommodations for you and answer any questions you have. You will need to set up an “intake appointment” with them, which is a super chill Zoom meeting to discuss specific accommodations and next steps. My specialist was very understanding and helped me get 50% additional time on my exams.
The final step is to request accommodation letters from your professors on the CAE Student Portal! An important note about this process: even if your professor refuses to accept your request, don’t panic! CAE has the authority to push back your exam if your professor refuses to accommodate. So you will get your accommodation—I promise!!
My CAE-accommodated exam was hosted in Covel, so it was easily accessible from the dorms. The exam room was a quiet, spacious room with 20 other people and two proctors. Students can start their exam early (and finish it early) based on time of arrival. I was surprised to arrive 10 minutes early and be able to start my exam immediately.
I was relieved to find out that the proctor wasn’t like one of those scary TAs walking around and scanning the exam rooms. They just stood in the back of the room with friendly smiles. You don’t even need to ask to use the restroom—you just leave and come back… what a flexible system!
But there are downsides to every system. My number one concern was that there were no professors or TAs in the exam room. This means that you can’t ask clarifying questions nor be notified of mistakes on the exam (since the actual exam is also held live somewhere else). Professors sometimes volunteer to proctor CAE-accommodated exams, but I personally found no such luck in my professors. So be prepared to think on your own!
Moreover, the relaxed atmosphere in the room was reassuring in the beginning, but “too relaxing” later. Without the usual test pressure, I found myself zoning out a couple of times. For the first time, I missed the constant sounds of pencil to paper and nervous shifting of chairs around me to snap me out of daydreaming. Trust me, it’s hard not to daydream when you’re facing the wall in a quiet (and slightly warm) room.
One final tip is to make sure to bring a watch! There were no clocks in my exam room and the proctor did not give me a 5-minute warning. The only time the proctor approached me was to tell me my time was up.
In sum, the CAE-accommodation process is not as intimidating as you think and is very flexible. Although there are downsides such as the lack of chance to ask clarifying questions or no clocks, I think the extra 50% time was worth it in the end. I was also impressed to know that UCLA had such an accommodating test process for students with disabilities—I felt no disadvantage at all with my accommodation, helping alleviate the stress I had from my injury about academics. If you are applying, make sure to apply early (at least before Week 10)!