For students who have disabilities that have documented significant impacts on long-term memory, use of a memory aid may in rare instances be a reasonable accommodation.

Low scores on measures of “working memory” and “auditory working memory” are likely not sufficient evidence to support the need for a memory aid accommodation. Working memory does not require actual storage of information. Auditory working memory does not require the transferal of temporarily held information into long-term storage.

The memory aid allows the student to unlock knowledge of course material by helping prompt the student’s memory, not by providing course information or answers. Students are responsible for learning course materials, discerning which materials may require cues or triggers, developing the cues that will appear on the aid and securing the instructor’s approval of the aid. The ideal memory aid would most likely make little sense to anyone, but that specific student and will not be useful to the student unless the student knows and understands how to use the information it refers to. If the student doesn’t understand the course material, this tool will not help.

This accommodation appears on the student’s semester Accommodation Letter as:

Exam / Quiz - Memory Aid

As determined by faculty and may include one of the following: formula sheet made by faculty, formula sheet made by student and approved by faculty, page of notes, etc. Only applicable if it does not interfere with the technical requirements or essential functions of the class.

Memory Aid Student Responsibilities

  1. Plan Ahead
    • Review your course outlines in advance and take note of your test/quiz dates.
    • Look over your course materials to determine if you will need to use a memory aid for the next upcoming test.
    • Please review the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) of this page (specifically the "What does a memory aid look like?" section)
    • Discuss the learning outcomes of the exam with your instructor and if a memory aid is permitted. If so, discuss what type of content would be permitted on the memory aid
  2. Create
    • Study your course materials.
    • Create a list of the information you will need help remembering during the test.
    • Compile your content into your final document. Ensure that it follows the information in the FAQ of this page. 
  3. Submit
    • Submit the memory aid to your instructor for review, at least two business days before the test date. At this stage, your instructor may either:
    • Approve your memory aid and deliver it, along with your test to the Testing Centers or give to you on the day of the test.
    • Return the memory aid to you with suggestions and feedback for revision. 
  4. Attend
    • Attend your test / exam, as scheduled. Your memory aid will be administered with your test/exam materials.
    • Once a memory aid is submitted, students cannot bring in additional notes or a revised memory aid to the test.
    • Memory aids will be retained by Testing Centers and returned to the course instructor with the completed exam.

Memory Aid Instructor Responsibilities

  • Inform Disability Services if memory aid content compromises technical standards. If you believe it does, see the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for instructions on fundamental alteration and exemptions for allowing a memory aid in your course.
  • If the student does not submit the memory aid to you at least two business days before the test, it may not be reasonable for a student to have one for that assessment.
  • Provide the student with timely feedback to allow for revisions if needed.
  • Submit the memory aid, attached to the exam materials, to the Testing Centers.

Additional Ways to Support Your Students:

  • When you start teaching a new unit, consider sharing with the entire class the areas that you intend to test. Students with memory aids can create and use their memory aid as a resource throughout the course, rather than just before the test.
  • For the students who may require memory aids, it helps to confidentially remind them to submit their memory aid to you at least two business days before the test, so that you can review it and provide approval or direction in person or by email on the acceptability of the content.
  • Consider allowing students to demonstrate their knowledge and skills in ways other than traditional tests/exams which, by their design, often constrain students with memory-related disabilities (such as projects, choices in exam format, allowing pertinent materials).

Memory Aid Disability Services Responsibilities

  • Upon student request, send semester Accommodation Letters to instructors.
  • As necessary, the Disability Services (DS) office will provide consultation (instructor, student, department and more) for the following:
    • Should a student request DS office involvement.
    • Should an instructor have concerns about compromising essential elements of instruction and/or whether this accommodation fundamentally alters the course requirements.
    • Should the student request a higher level of flexibility.
    • Should there be a disagreement at any time in the semester.
  • As needed the DS office will make the determination on what is reasonable through an interactive process.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What if the accommodation is unreasonable for this course?

If the instructor is concerned this accommodation is unreasonable because it will lower standards, compromise an essential component of, or fundamentally alter a course or program, such concerns should be raised to Disability Services upon receipt of the accommodation letter. The determination that an accommodation is unreasonable is an institutional decision that must be made within legal parameters and in consultation with Disability Services. Instructors should not unilaterally render and attempt to implement a judgement that an accommodation is unreasonable.

What does a memory aid look like?

Styles of memory aids may vary. Generally, they can be written or typed using a size 10 or 12 font on a large index card, OR up to one side of an 8 ½” x 11” sheet of paper.

At the discretion of the instructor, a memory aid/cue sheet may or may not contain acronyms, short phrases, pictures, schematic diagrams or mind maps, names, definitions, tables, charts or key terms and certain formulae. Some instructors consider formulas allowed but unlabeled and without any guiding information.

What would not constitute a memory aid?

The Memory Aid accommodation should NOT:

  • Include course notes, lists of specific facts, details, concepts, or processes being tested;
  • Include complete terms and definitions;
  • Include specific examples of how formulas are used;
  • Include full course notes, copies of course slides, or all information from the course being evaluated;
  • Exceed one page (single sided);
  • Include open textbooks;
  • Serve as a substitute for studying (a cue sheet will not help if a student has not studied the material).
What measures are used in determining whether a memory aid is a reasonable accommodation for a student?

In addition to the interactive process, students seeking this accommodation must provide documentation that includes the following:

  • Diagnostic Assessments proven to test for significant long-term memory impact and provides the following:
    • Demonstrates actual learning of information took place
    • Requires the student to recall the learned information after a standardized period of time
    • Confirms that the student failed to retrieve the learned information
    • Confirms that the student could recall it when given cues
    • Confirms that the difference between the student’s spontaneous recall and cued recall is significantly larger than it is for other students (for example: normed comparisons)
If approved for this as a reasonable accommodation, will I be able to use it for all my exams?

Given the specific analysis for each course, a memory aid may be allowed for some exams but not others, as well as some courses and not others. Approval for this accommodation is on a case-by-case basis. Memory aids / cue sheets may not be approved as a reasonable accommodation when doing so results in a fundamental alteration of academic standards.

What if the Memory Aid is not submitted for approval at least two business days before the test?

If not enough time was given for the instructor to review and include in the testing materials, it may not be reasonable for a student to have one for that assessment. The student is still responsible for taking his / her / their test as assigned, even without an approved memory aid.

What if the Memory Aid is permitted for only part of the exam?

When a memory aid is permitted for part of the exam, submit the exam to the Testing Centers in two parts. In the instructions, state which part the memory aid will be permitted. When the student takes the exam, they will be given the exam following the instructions provided. For example: The student will be given part one of the exam without a memory aid and they must return part two to the proctor to then receive part two of the exam and their memory aid.

What if the memory aid compromises the integrity of the exam?

A memory aid in one situation could be an answer sheet in another. If remembering the information on the memory aid is deemed to be an essential learning objective or outcome of the course, it should not be allowed. For example, if the learning objective or outcome of the course is to know a formula, it should not be allowed on the memory aid sheet. However, if the learning objective or outcome of the course is to demonstrate the ability to apply the formula, then it could be allowed on the memory aid sheet. Memory aid, cue or formula sheets must be reviewed and approved by the instructor, as the instructor determines the learning objectives and/or essential requirements of the course.

What if all the students are already able to test with memory aids, cue / formula sheets, open notes and more?

In most cases like this, a memory aid would not be necessary.

Why isn’t working memory or auditory working memory typically sufficient for this accommodation? It was on the Individualized Education Program (IEP) or 504 plan.

Impairments that interfere with working memory - the ability to recall, integrate, analyze, and apply the subject matter being tested are best supported through other testing accommodations to assist with the testing conditions. The very decision to employ closed-book testing implies a judgment that recall and application of instructional material is a central course objective. Removing that for selected students reduces academic rigor, offering them a grade based on a lesser standard than their peers.

I was approved for a memory aid in high school or my last institution, will this automatically be considered a reasonable accommodation for me?

Not necessarily, while some schools may have approved this accommodation in the past, at UMass Lowell, we follow national standards and consult experts to ensure consistency. For memory aid approval, we need neuropsychological testing indicating substantial long-term memory impairments. Long-term memory means having multiple touchpoints with the information, like going to class, listening to the lecture and reviewing notes several times, and then recall for an exam with known material.

Why are memory aids a rare accommodation?

Extended time, reduced-distraction rooms, and other common testing accommodations alter testing conditions but do not alter the test itself. By contrast, memory aids often alter the test itself by supplying the student with tailored information directly relevant to successful test performance rather than access.

Section 504 is a civil rights statute that guarantees students with disabilities equal access to postsecondary education, but it does not guarantee success. Equal access removes arbitrary barriers from an equal opportunity to participate in whatever rigorous course of instruction, a school offers. Memory aids substitute for recall and assist in application and reasoning, objectives that are not arbitrary, but likely inherent in every course of instruction.