Advice on horrible exam anonomlies/irregularities

colebert · October 2003

So i took my 70-270 at a Prometric Center (not an authorized one, but an actual prometric branch). It was schedule for 12:00 and i show up at 11:40. I have a job interview at 2:30 nearby. I'm on a print out to take it at 1200, but they don't have me "in the computer." So the lady keeps trying to "get me in the computer" but it keeps "performing an illegal operation." So at 12:30, they finally get it working and I go in to take my test. I finish at 2:05 with my review and submit the exam. It sits there for about 2 minutes then "FAILS." A windows with a big red circle with a white X shows up. I call for assistance but the lady can't fix it, so she tells me to go to my interview and come back and she'll have my score.

I finish that and call the center to see if they have my report. She says they do. I come back, and she has my report. its about ten printed pages, folded over and stapled with my name handwritten on a little note also stapled to the sheet. I say thanks and leave the center and go out to my car. I open up my report and find its a CISCO CCNA Exam for a different guy. He failed. I go back in and tell them this isn't my report. They give me a card witha number to call and say 'sorry.'

I may have passed, i may have not. But what I want to know is, do i have a case to get a re-test? This seems like a whole bunch of irregularities, no?

Comments and suggestions would be appreciated. I haven't called the number yet.

RussS · October 2003

Unfortunately this is a story heard far too often. Not only Prometris, but Vue centers have many issues like this. Mostly I believe due to ....

a) Shithouse old systems. The price they get for exams they should have at least 2gig systems and not old PIIs - I seen one 333? celeron machine that rebooted 3 times on a poor girl taking A+.
b) Very badly written exam software.

colebert · October 2003

yep... that was the situation i was dealing with. Compaq celeron.

i was not pleased. Lucky for that girl A+ is a 5 minute exam (10 minutes for both.) 70-210 is 2 1/2 hours!!1

mikiemov · October 2003

I have had similar experiences, my 1st exam (70-210) was postponed 10mins before sitting as the server kept crashing. I couldnt even sit it later on that day as the server wasnt stable enough to backup to another server... I ended up sitting it the next day 120mls away, as there are no other test centres up here.

Next exam experience (at the same place) resulted in it crashing before I sat the exam. 20mins pacing about outside like an expectant father and I was able to sit exam, which again I managed to pass.

Situation has got even worse ! Due to the resignation of the test administrator (I wnoder why..) means that they only open the test centre 1 day a month and have about 10 slots. Needless to say all are snapped up quickly, leaving a drive of 120mls to nearest centre...ah the joys of living in Scotland.

colebert · October 2003

just got off the phone with the "ombudsman." she was very confrontational and it was less than a pleasure to endure, BUT I got a retest scheduled!! ....at different center, of course.

Meiraleah · October 2003

Wow. This sounds like a nightmare. Any suggestions on a "safe" way to go??

colebert · October 2003

don't plan lots of things to occur immediately following your exam because the testing center can be incompetent.

also, dont assume that just because its an actual prometric testing center (rather than an affiliate) that its gonna be any better! it actually might be better to goto a Compter-repair type operation because they probably understand AND comprehend the testing system, or they'll have people there that might and can think outside the box. the prometric center i went to was staffed by a couple grandmas who probably didn't have computers at home and needed to call 'Tech Support' anytime something went wrong.