General guidelines for ESL accommodations

Some exam sponsors offer ESL (English as a Second Language) accommodations to candidates whose first language is not English. When an ESL accommodation is provided to a candidate, extra time is added to the candidate's exam and generally distributed evenly through all exam sections.

Depending on the exam sponsor, the process for requesting and applying extra time differs. For example, some exam sponsors allow an automatic 30-minute time extension for English language exams delivered to candidates who live in non-English speaking countries. Other exam sponsors require the candidate to submit a request and receive approval before scheduling.

If the additional time is automatically added to the candidate’s exam, the candidate can schedule their appointment online. However, candidates are sometimes required to contact the Pearson VUE Call Center and schedule through the accommodations team. It is the candidate’s responsibility to schedule appropriately. Do not extend exam time yourself.