Anyone else stop taking exams due to proctor location?

PC509PC509 CISSP, CEH, CCNA: Security/CyberOps, Sec+, CHFI, A+, Proj+, Server+, MCITP Win7, Vista, MCP Server 2Oregon, USMember Posts: 802 ■■■■■■□□□□
in General Certification
I've taken a lot of Microsoft exams in the past, and the closest exam proctor was 2.5 hours away. They don't do it anymore, so now I have to drive 4 hours to get to the exam location. I've given up on Microsoft exams (Prometric only) due to this. Has anyone else just given up because of that single reason? icon_sad.gif Kind of sad, but I can't take off a full day from work for a single exam.

So, I've been focusing on Pearson Vue proctored exams. Cisco, CompTIA, etc.. They may not be as valuable in my current position, but I'm learning a lot and will eventually be using them (the skills are good, even though we do very little Cisco - we're Extreme stuff here).

I'd love to take more Microsoft exams, but the exam location is crap. Microsoft killed me with the Prometric only decision.
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  • CoolAsAFanCoolAsAFan Member Posts: 239
    Can you not schedule Prometric exams on the weekend so you don't have to take off work? Granted still, 4 hours there and back would be a bit rough, but if a particular cert advances your career or gets you more money it would still absolutely be worth it IMO. Just my 2 cents...
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  • PC509PC509 CISSP, CEH, CCNA: Security/CyberOps, Sec+, CHFI, A+, Proj+, Server+, MCITP Win7, Vista, MCP Server 2 Oregon, USMember Posts: 802 ■■■■■■□□□□
    Weekends aren't an option at these sites. I wish they were. I was thinking of studying my butt off and taking multiple exams at a time... I'd really like to take the exams, but the site locations make it very difficult. It sucks because that's the only thing that's limiting me. I work in IT, I work with Microsoft servers and I have the hands on, I have the study materials, I have the experience. I just need to take a day or two off to take the exams.

    I'm just curious how wide spread the issue is with the site locations limiting people. I'm curious as to if Microsoft/Prometric would seek out more test centers, or if Microsoft would attempt to go with Pearson Vue again.

    CoolAsAFan wrote: »
    Can you not schedule Prometric exams on the weekend so you don't have to take off work? Granted still, 4 hours there and back would be a bit rough, but if a particular cert advances your career or gets you more money it would still absolutely be worth it IMO. Just my 2 cents...
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  • bermovickbermovick Member Posts: 1,135 ■■■■□□□□□□
    I had a similar(ish) situation with Pearson though. Where I live, the closest Pearson was an hour away, but they only scheduled exams on Fridays, so were typically booked up months in advance (despite me never seeing another exam taker there the few times I managed to get in).

    If I wanted to schedule earlier (and I'm the type to do a "next day" when I feel ready), I'd have to drive 2.5 hours for either of the next-closest two.

    It's not quite 4 hours, but it still takes pretty much an entire day. I still did it, since it was important enough to do -- and it wasn't like I had to do it THAT often even.
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  • MrAgentMrAgent Member Posts: 1,310 ■■■■■■■■□□
    I've never had to drive more than 30 min to an exam center. I am lucky in the sense that I have 5+ centers I can choose to take an exam at, but of those, only 1 is open on the weekends.
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  • 4_lom4_lom Member Posts: 485
    ...and I thought having to drive 1 hour was bad icon_rolleyes.gif
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  • --chris----chris-- Member Posts: 1,518 ■■■■■□□□□□
    I am 30-45 minutes from two centers, one is in the ghetto but has a ton of open slots. The other is in a good part of town, with fewer open slots. I feel lucky to have 3 centers within an hour of me, yet I live in the sticks.
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  • PC509PC509 CISSP, CEH, CCNA: Security/CyberOps, Sec+, CHFI, A+, Proj+, Server+, MCITP Win7, Vista, MCP Server 2 Oregon, USMember Posts: 802 ■■■■■■□□□□
    I do live in a rural area, but there are several colleges around and a few Pearson centers. Prometric has scaled back (there used to be one about an hour away, but it closed a few years back). Now, I have to drive to Spokane or Seattle area to take an exam.
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  • techwizardtechwizard Member Posts: 162 ■■■□□□□□□□
    I am in a similar situation as the OP. Pearsonvue is available at the local college, but Prometric is only available in a city about 4 to 5 hours away. For a time, the local college exam facility had shut down, so I was forced to travel another 3 hours away to get to nearest Pearsonvue facility. Then finally the college facility came back online, so I was able to take my Sec+ exam there. I am currently working on my Microsoft exams because I want to take advantage of the second shot offer from MS, which is avail till March I think. Unfortunately I will have to drive 4 to 5 hours to get to a Prometric site. I guess on the positive side, I do have friends in that area I can stay with overnight, so I could travel there a day or so early and study up to the night of the test or whatever. I will have to schedule the exams on a weekend however, because I am planning to get a job soon, and luckily the Prometric centers in my area do offer Saturday testing.
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  • colemiccolemic Member Posts: 1,568 ■■■■■■■□□□
    I had to drive 3.5 hours to take the ccent, but can schedule cissp-issmp locally. Go figure.
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  • joehalford01joehalford01 Member Posts: 364 ■■■□□□□□□□
    Yikes, I was complaining about my 1.5 hour drive. One of the reasons I'm less interested in Microsoft exams as well. The closet pearson vue is about 45 min.
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  • EssendonEssendon Member Posts: 4,546 ■■■■■■■■■■
    Jeez I'm very lucky with regards to the exam centre locations then. I have an exam centre less than 30 seconds from my office, and two others about 2 city blocks away. 4 hour drives would put me off too!
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  • alan2308alan2308 CISSP, MCSA 2008, MCSA 2012, CCNA R&S, CCNA Security Ann Arbor, MIMember Posts: 1,854 ■■■■■■■■□□
    I saw the thread title and thought how bad can the testing center be? Didn't even think about the distance possibility.

    Yea, I'd probably take some time off of exams if that was the case.
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