California Court Tells MCAT to Follow State Disability Guidelines

A California court has ruled that the MCAT must follow state and not federal guidelines in determining the type of accommodations that disabled test-takers are entitled to. If the ruling stands, it may have ripple effects on MCAT administration and medical school admissions nationwide.

The ruling comes out of a class action suit filed on behalf of test-takers with dyslexia and other learning disabilities. The plaintiffs had asked the AAMC, which administers the test, for additional time to complete the MCAT. The AAMC refused, saying that the the test-takers' conditions were not extensive enough to qualify as disabilities under federal guidelines.

The court ruled that since the test was being administered in California, the AAMC had to follow California guidelines in determining which test-takers are entitled to special accommodations. Because California law uses broader language than federal law does to define disabilities, the ruling would force the AAMC to extend special accommodations to more test-takers than it does now.

Because it would not be practical to change MCAT administration in just one state, the California court ruling may affect the way that the MCAT is given nationwide.

Source: "Judge Challenges MCAT Rules," by Paul D. Thacker, Inside Higher Education, November 6, 2007