Before you Initiate a Pre-employment Test:
Remember that the reasonable accommodation process extends to pre-employment testing.
Note: An accommodation would not need to be provided if it would fundamentally alter the nature of the job.
Example: It would fundamentally alter the nature of a job if an applicant who is blind requests documents on tape in order to take a proofreading test. 
A physical agility test in which an applicant demonstrates the ability to perform actual or simulated job tasks is not a medical exam under the ADA and can be given prior to a job offer.  
However, if an employer measures an applicant's physiological or biological responses to performance, the test would be medical.  (Example: blood pressure or heart rate)
Note: Although an employer cannot ask disability-related questions, it may give the applicant a description of the agility or fitness test and ask the applicant to have a private physician simply state whether s/he can safely perform the test.
A test to detect the illegal use of drugs is not considered a medical examination and can be given prior to a job offer.
Urine and breath tests that detect the use of alcohol can not be given prior to a job offer.
This document is available in alternative formats upon request.   
		May 27, 1999
		Version 1.0 Page 1