Survey?

calaverasgrandes

Well I took the test yesterday. Passed with a 796. I was studying real hard a few months ago, got a nice little job. Let the studying slip. I also let the exam date slip until too late! Well I did alright. Made the cut!
I was pretty annoyed by the testing procedure though.
First I have to fill out a survey. Then I have to click through a bunch of really confusing screens to get to my actual test. Then I get the test. Ugly interface. Slow loading.
Finish the test early, review my answers. Submit the exam.
Then WAIT FOR 15 minutes! I tried to get up and tell the "proctor" but no dice, I "have to wait for the survey". Well the survey from the beginning pops up again, then I wait another 10 minutes and a 2nd survey comes up! Well I gave prometric all negative points. I paid for my own exam, and making me sit for 15-20 minutes AFTER I have finished my exam just to do some customer appreciation market research. Well its rude.
Prometric, get some computers above PIII for your testing centers.

dynamik

I don't think it's the computers that cause the delay. I took my 294 at a new center, and I had to wait 30-60 seconds between most of the questions. That really started to grate on me.

Sorry to hear about the bad experience, but congratulations on the pass!

And as far as your cert list goes:

calaverasgrandes wrote: »

70-270(not a cert per se)

That actually makes you an MCP now

ULWiz

And MCP Status has been received. Nice job on the pass.

dales

The survey is pretty annoying especially if your like me and you want to sit down press a button and be presented with question 1. You've got my email addy, send me all the survey requests you like after the event, But please just let me concerntrate on the job in hand whilst im at the test site!!!

NetAdmin2436

Congrats on your MCP!

I think we all have a Prometric horror story.


PS, Nice avatar Dales

calaverasgrandes

Exactly!
I rode a bike to work that day. Then to the Prometric testing center. The stupid market research test delayed me enough that I missed the 4pm train back to my neighborhood. In the SF bay area they have a no bikes policyfrom about 4pm to 6pm. So bascially I ended up screwing around for 2 hours until I could get on the train home. Thats probably where most of my anger stems from.

It is possible that the slowness of the test has little to do with the CPU. maybe its written in a sluggish high level language, then run over a slow network with some type of encryption on to prevent cheats. AES 128?

dales

NetAdmin2436 wrote: »

Congrats on your MCP!

I think we all have a Prometric horror story.


PS, Nice avatar Dales

Ta muchly!

Big Jizay

calaverasgrandes wrote: »

Exactly!
I rode a bike to work that day. Then to the Prometric testing center. The stupid market research test delayed me enough that I missed the 4pm train back to my neighborhood. In the SF bay area they have a no bikes policyfrom about 4pm to 6pm. So bascially I ended up screwing around for 2 hours until I could get on the train home. Thats probably where most of my anger stems from.

It is possible that the slowness of the test has little to do with the CPU. maybe its written in a sluggish high level language, then run over a slow network with some type of encryption on to prevent cheats. AES 128?

Hey calaverasgrandes, which Prometric site did you go to? I know that they have sites in San Francisco, South San Francisco, and Alameda. I've only went to the Alameda one and it wasn't a bad experience. I still had to do a survey after, but it only took about 2 minutes.

calaverasgrandes

Big Jizay wrote: »

Hey calaverasgrandes, which Prometric site did you go to? I know that they have sites in San Francisco, South San Francisco, and Alameda. I've only went to the Alameda one and it wasn't a bad experience. I still had to do a survey after, but it only took about 2 minutes.

the one in SF on 222 Kearny. Back when I scheduled it I was doing a lot of contract IT for a bank near there.
Now I work about 3 blocks from there so I will most likely be back!
I wonder about the idea that the survey effect the questions. It is too simple, so it must be true!?
I answered right in the middle for most of the survey questions at the begining. I reasoned that if I answered that I kick butt then future tests might be harder!
The Q's I saw werent too hard but there were a few zingers. When I was reviewing it I encountered a couple that I am sure were wrong! If I hadnt passed I would have rasied a stink on those questions!

TravR1

I don't have a Prometric horror story, I have used VUE exclusively so far. I drive past a Prometric site that is much closer.

I love VUE, I never have a problem with scheduling.. I sit down and the test comes right up.. I answer the 8 survey questions at the end, then I get my score and I'm out. Never been there longer than an hour.

wedge1988

Sorry to burst your bubble TravR1 but MS no longer support VUE.

ah well, ive never had any issues with Prometric. However, at the first test center i went to; they were teaching classes and they let the students shout in the corridors whilst me and 2 others were test taking!

Apart from that; fingers crossed.