Handling candidates with service dogs

Candidates who have service dogs are permitted to bring the animal into any location they may enter, including the test center and testing room. Most government regulations require public businesses to allow people with disabilities to bring their service dog onto business premises in whatever areas customers are allowed. The assistance provided by a service dog is considered a right, so an accommodation is not required or appropriate.

Never ask candidates to prove that they need a service dog or question them about the dog's purpose. Candidates are not required to provide medical documentation for their disability or training documentation for their dog.

If your government's regulations do not define the qualifications for a "service animal," follow this guideline from the U.S. Department of Justice (www.ada.gov):

"Service animals are defined as dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities. Examples of such work or tasks include guiding people who are blind, alerting people who are deaf, pulling a wheelchair, alerting and protecting a person who is having a seizure, reminding a person with mental illness to take prescribed medications, calming a person with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) during an anxiety attack, or performing other duties. Service animals are working animals, not pets. The work or task a dog has been trained to provide must be directly related to the person’s disability. Dogs whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support do not qualify as service animals under the ADA."

Managing breaks for service animals

Candidates are allowed to take their service dog outside of the test center building when the dog needs a break, regardless of exam sponsor policy.

Candidates should take their dog outside during a scheduled break if possible. If the exam does not have scheduled breaks, put the exam in unscheduled break mode and allow them to leave the building.

Create a case any time you allow a candidate to go outside because their service dog needs a break. When creating the case, select these options:

Accommodation

Problem or complaint with approved testing accommodations

As a reminder, the assistance provided by a service dog is considered a right, so an accommodation is not required or appropriate.