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UHD Building

Accessible Education Center

​​​​​​​​​​​​​Accessible Education Center

One Main Street, GSB314
Houston, TX 77002-1001
Office: 713-221-5078
Fax: 713-223-7445
aec@uhd.edu

Fall & Spring Semester Hours
Monday - Friday
8 a.m. - 5 p.m.​

Summer & Semester Break Hrs.
Monday - Friday
8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Closed on Saturday & Sunday

Accommodation Guideline: Memory Aids on Assessments

A memory aid, or cue sheet, is a testing accommodation used to support students who have documented challenges with memory. It is a tool used to trigger information that the student has studied but may have difficulty recalling due to cognitive processing deficits. This accommodation allows the student to demonstrate knowledge of course material by prompting the student’s memory without providing the answer. Memory aids are not intended to reduce academic requirements or alter the standards by which academic performance is assessed.

Memory aids may be considered an appropriate accommodation if the following conditions are met:

  • The student has a verified disability that includes measured, significant memory impairment.
  • The ability to memorize course material is neither a fundamental objective nor an essential component of the class.
  • The presence of the memory aid would allow the student to demonstrate appropriate application or synthesis of course material on exams.

Memory aids are NOT:

  • Answer sheets
  • Substitutes for studying
  • An exemption from knowing the course material
  • Full course notes
  • Open textbooks

In these situations, the accommodation of using a memory aid may be approved, on a case-by-case basis, with the following recommended guidelines:

  1. The student consults with the professor for an approved design of the aid (e.g., size of the aid, content, presence of examples, font size, etc.).
  2. The student presents the aid to the professor for approval within 5–7 days in advance of the exam.
  3. The professor reviews the aid to verify that the information on the aid is not giving away answers.
  4. If approved, the professor should sign the top of the aid and below the last line of text or send an email with the approval to use the aid.

Although the information contained on memory aids is solely up to the professor’s discretion, examples of memory aids can include pictures, charts, mind maps, formulas, acronyms, or key terms.

Revised: 08-08-2017