Memory Aid Resource

On This Page...

Overview of Memory Aids

Use of a memory aid, such as notes, formulas or a vocabulary list intended to assist with memory recall and not intended to directly answer exam and quiz questions. This list may be developed by the instructor or the student, but must be approved by the instructor well in advance of the exam. Exact due dates for the memory aid should be established at the beginning of the quarter. If the student is taking an exam in the CDS Testing Center, please sign and date the approved memory aid. Please contact the CDS office with any questions.

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 a student has studied but may have difficulty recalling due to cognitive processing deficits associated with working memory and recall. The memory aid allows the student to demonstrate the knowledge of course material by helping prompt the student's memory, not by providing an answer.

A proper memory aid would 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, a memory aid would not help.

Generally, they can be handwritten or typed on an index card or single sheet of paper. It can often times include:

  • Acronyms
  • Names
  • Short Phrases
  • Definitions
  • Pictures
  • Tables
  • Diagrams
  • Sample questions without answers
  • Formulas
  • Key terms/word chart without definitions

It generally should NOT: 

  • Exceed one page
  • Include specific examples of formulas and when to use them
  • Include answer sheets, terms or definitions
  • Include full course notes 
  • Be an open textbook
  • Serve as a substitute for studying

The contents of memory aids are at the instructor's discretion and should not shortcut the essential outcomes of the course. It should not contain a synopsis of course material, instead, it should contain mnemonics, like patterns of ideas, or associations that assist in recalling information.

If remembering specific information, such as a formula, is part of the core outcome of a course, it should NOT be included on a memory aid. The memory aid needs to be reviewed and approved by the instructor before each exam is taken.

Recent OCR determinations have ruled that memory aids are a reasonable accommodation except in cases where a memory aid would fundamentally alter course objectives, as documented by the faculty, department chair or division dean to the director of disability services. Please meet with our director, Eric Trekell [contact us link], to review course objectives as they pertain to the student’s specific access requirements.

What is a Memory Aid Accommodation?

A memory aid such as a note-card/cue card or sheet of notes, is a testing accommodation used to support students who have documented disabilities impacting memory. It is a tool used to trigger information that a student has studied but may have difficulty recalling due to cognitive processing disabilities and disabilities associated with memory and recall.

The memory aid allows the student to demonstrate knowledge of course material by helping prompt the student’s memory, not by providing the answer. A memory aid gives students an equal opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge of course material on a quiz or exam without taxing already compromised memory function.  This accommodation is not intended to reduce academic requirements or alter the standards by which academic performance is assessed.

A proper memory aid as an accommodation will not be very useful to the student unless the student already studies and understands how to use or engage with the information it refers to. If the student doesn’t already understand the course material, a proper memory aid will not help.

A memory aid provides support to students with documented disabilities in rote memory, sequencing memory, working memory, and /or long-term memory. It helps them recall information that would otherwise be inaccessible to them in a testing situation.
A student requiring this accommodation must complete an intake with the Center for Disability Services (CDS), provide documentation of the disability, and engage in the interactive process with a designated CDS staff member.

Disabilities that may affect memory include (but are not limited to):

  • Acquired Brain Injury
  • Psychiatric disability
  • Specific learning disability
  • ADD/ADHD
  • Other medical conditions which may impact memory, such as chemotherapy or other medical treatments

How is an accommodation for a memory aid determined and approved?

A student who requires a cue sheet must present documentation, from a qualified professional, which supports the need for this aid to CDS. CDS staff will review the documentation and discuss the request for a memory aid in depth with the student. Students are responsible for learning course material, for discerning which material may require cues or triggers, for developing the cues that will appear on the aid, and for securing the instructor’s approval.

What does the Memory Aid Accommodation look like?

Styles of cue sheets may vary. Generally they can be handwritten or typed on a large index card and up to one side of a letter-size page (8 ½ x 11”). 
At the discretion of the instructor, a cue sheet may or may not include the use of:   

  • acronyms
  • short phrases
  • pictures
  • schematic diagrams
  • formulas
  • names
  • definitions
  • tables
  • sample questions
  • charts
  • key terms

Example: “Use of a memory aid during exams: Instructor may set the style*; instructor may ask to view and approve its contents before exam dates. If instructors choose to review memory aid contents, they may initial the memory aid. It is recommended that the student and instructor discuss this accommodation together in advance of exams and/or quizzes. Instructors and student may choose to create the memory aid together as well. Please contact CDS with questions.

*NOTE: size, quantity and content can vary from note card to multiple pages, depending on a faculty member's reasonable expectations/guidelines.

  1. Students are responsible for learning course materials, for discerning which material may require cues or triggers, and for developing the cues that will appear on the memory aid.
  2. Students are responsible for securing the instructor’s approval, IF and WHEN the instructor requests to review memory.
  3. Instructors may decide to create cues for the memory with the student if they wish.
  4. Instructors may provide feedback to the student about what is or is not allowed on the memory aid accommodation.
  5. Instructors may also decide not to review the memory aid or provide feedback, trusting the student to develop cues that will trigger memory and accommodate their disability.

The Memory Aid accommodation is not intended to reduce academic requirements or alter the standards by which academic performance is assessed.

What a Memory Aid Is NOT

A memory aid is not meant to record all the facts, concepts or processes being tested. For this reason the accommodation can be limited to a faculty-designated, reasonable size. This means a memory aid accommodation should NOT (examples):

  • Include copied pages from text-books
  • Include student’s class notes, lecture notes, or slides
  • Serve as a substitute for studying
  • Include open textbooks
  • Include “answer sheets” from practice exams
  • Include access to homework in the testing environment
  • Contain full and complete synopsis of course materials

As a reminder, a memory aid accommodation will not prove helpful if a student has not already studied and engaged with the course material previously.

Instructor Considerations

The contents of the memory aid accommodation are at the instructor’s discretion and are NOT intended to fundamentally alter or reduce the essential requirements of the course. Therefore, the instructor may wish to determine what is allowed OR not allowed through private conversation with the student.
As stated above, the memory aid should not contain full synopsis of course material, but rather mnemonics, such as a pattern of letters, ideas, or associations that assist in recalling information. This may also include formulas that would enable the student to solve a problem. For example, some instructors have approved math formula(s) on note-card with a requirement that the formula is not written out to contain a fully solved problem.

If the purpose of a test is to determine whether or not the student knows specific definitions, having those words or definitions on a cue sheet or note-card would make it an answer sheet and therefore, possibly not acceptable (determined by instructor.) If the definitions were written but not connected to specific terms to be defined in any way, this may be allowable; it will trigger the student’s memory of the correct term.

Course learning objectives or outcomes

When instructors review notecard contents with a student, it is recommended to consider the learning objectives or course outcomes for the class. For example, is it a course objective for students to rely on rote memory to “know” a certain formula on demand, OR are students expected to demonstrate one’s ability to apply the formula and understanding of how a formula is used? A note-card accommodation provides access to a student with disabilities impacting memory in order to meet these outcomes. It is at the instructor’s discretion to provide feed and instructions about what can be allowed on the note-card.

Questions or concerns

Please contact the Center for Disability Services at (425) 388-9272; cds@everettcc.edu. CDS staff are available to schedule a meeting with instructor and students to discuss memory aid accommodations when requested.

Back to Faculty Accommodation Resources