ICRAS 1423 1845-0049 v9 – Affected Public - Individuals 08/15/2013

Application for Ability to Benefit Testing Approval 

This request is for extension of the approval of the reporting and recordkeeping 

requirements that are contained in the information collection 1845-0049. These regulations 

govern the application for and approval by the Secretary of assessments by a private test 

publisher or State that are used to measure a student’s skills and abilities. The administration of 

approved ability to benefit (ATB) tests may be used to determine a student's eligibility for 

assistance for the Title IV student financial assistance programs authorized under the Higher 

Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA) when the student does not have a high school 

diploma or its recognized equivalent. 

The HEA, as amended by the Consolidated Appropriation Act, 2012 (Pub. L. 112-74) 

changed the Federal student aid eligibility criteria for students without a high school diploma or 

the recognized equivalent of a high school diploma. The statute retained the completion of a 

homeschool program as an eligibility alternative, but removed the passing of an independently

administered Department approved ATB test as an eligibility criteria previously available to aid 

applicants. This change was effective for students who first enrolled in a program of study on or 

after July 1, 2012. Official guidance from the Department maintains that for students who 

previously attended an eligible program prior to July 1, 2012 and need to establish Title IV 

eligibility after July 1, 2012, the provisions of Public Law 112-74 do not apply and will not 

prevent those students from using prior ATB alternatives including passing an ATB test.

34 CFR Section 668.150 (b)(2) and (b)(17)

Section 668.150(b) (2) requires that each test publisher or State to obtain a certification 

statement from each prospective test administrator indicating that he or she is not currently

decertified and that if the test administrator becomes decertified by another test publisher or State 

that the test administrator will immediately notify all other test publishers or States for whom the 

test administrator administers ATB tests. 

We estimate that it will take each prospective test administrator .17 hours (10 minutes) to 

access, read, certify and submit the written certification to the test publisher or State, as 

applicable. 

1,887 Individuals X 1 response X .17 hours = 321 hours

Section 668.150(b)(17) requires that all certified test administrators are required to report 

to the test publisher or State, respectively, the nature of the disability and any accommodations 

provided when approved ATB tests are given to individuals with disabilities.

Census information indicates that 12 % of the U.S. population is severely disabled; we 

estimate that 28,906 of the ATB test takers will be individuals with disabilities. We estimate that 

on average it will take .08 hours (5 minutes) per case to report the nature of the disability and any

accommodation that the test administrator made for the test taker.

Test administrators: 240,882 ATB test takers X 12% with disabilities = 28,906 cases X 

.08 hours per case reported = 2,312 hours

TOTALS

Responses 30,793

Respondents 30,793

Burden Hours 2,633