Application for Special Accommodations on the Grounds of Mental Health Difficulties

The Psychometric Test

No, Determining eligibility for special accommodations requires information from a professional who knows the applicant and has been working with the applicant for an extended period. So there is no point in applying to a psychiatrist only for the purposes of submitting an application.

In exceptional cases it is possible to submit a current and detailed opinion from other mental health professionals, e.g. psychologists or social workers, who have been working with you for an extended period and are familiar with your functioning, instead of a psychiatric diagnosis. This professional can fill out the questionnaire, or write a detailed document of their own including answers to all the questions in the questionnaire.

No. A visit summary that does not include all the information requested in the designated questionnaire will not allow a comprehensive investigation of eligibility for special test accommodations. Current and detailed professional documentation is needed which specifies the nature of the difficulties, their duration, their severity, and the extent of their influence on functioning, as specified in the psychiatrist’s questionnaire.

If the psychiatrist is not willing to fill out the questionnaire, you can ask for a written and signed document that addresses all the questions that appear on the questionnaire. This document should be submitted along with the doctor’s contact details and working hours.

Documentation from Bituah Leumi can serve as supporting information, but it is not a substitute for a current and detailed psychiatric assessment. In order to determine eligibility for special accommodations, we need a current document from a professional who has been treating your mental health for an extended period and is familiar with your difficulties.

Special test accommodations are only granted in cases of severe mental difficulties that have a definite affect on test functioning. The fact of a diagnosis or treatment received is not sufficient to determine this, and it is essential to understand how the difficulties manifest in practice and to what extent they affect performance in the test.

The requested information is intended to enable a precise, fair, and uniform assessment of eligibility for special test accommodations and to ensure that the accommodations granted, if any, are appropriate to the applicant’s condition without damaging the validity of the test and the level playing field for all applicants.

The documents are submitted only for examination by mental health professionals. The information they contain is maintained in total confidence and is only used for the purposes of assessing the application.

Determining eligibility for special accommodations requires current information on your condition and the possible influence of mental difficulties in the present. Without current information from a qualified mental health professional, it will be difficult to form a full professional picture and determine eligibility for special accommodations.

Special accommodations are granted according to the information in the documentation and how the mental difficulties might affect functioning in the test. Accommodations granted as appropriate include a test on computer with extra time allowed, breaks, taking the test in a room with a limited number of examinees, and other relevant accommodations.