Failed today

The Ultimate horror story. Went to New Horizons again today to take 291. Not only did I have my butt handed to me by the test but New Horizons still has construction going on. I could not see how anyone could pass an exam with what took place while I was there.

I will gladly set the scene for those who like a good exam horror story. The room they have setup is about the size of a broom closet ( as I said in my 290 post when I took that back on Dec. 9th ) but this time the door to the room had to remain open. So it was lovely to start your exam and by the time you hit your 3rd question you here the construction guy on his cell phone yacking. Then you more or less hear every conversation taking place at the front desk.

I felt bad for the guy on the one test PC because it locked up on him as it did me and probably everyone else too that tests on it. BEWARE if you go there it is exam station 3. So once it locked up the girl was in and out of the room trying to fix it. The guy who was on it had to wait until either myself or the other guy in the room finished so he could use that PC to finish his exam. I could tell by the reaction to the guy next to me that he failed as well. How could anyone pass with everything that went on.

I called up Prometric already and logged a complaint about this place. I told them I understand construction and remodeling going on but this was rediculous. No one should have to take an exam under these conditions. Only reason I go to this place is because it is within a 5 to 10 minute drive from my house. I'm not going to drive an hour away or 25 minutes to another place to take it.

So I will be hoping I can get another voucher from school and in two weeks go back at it again and hopefully I pass. The exam itself covered everything not real heavy on one specific area. Only had one simulation question.

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gangxta

I have to take a test in the broom closet on Monday. Can't wait........... I'll let you know.

stangman

gangxta wrote: »

I have to take a test in the broom closet on Monday. Can't wait........... I'll let you know.

Knowing you I'm sure you will pass on 293. Good Luck Hope you don't get PC 3 cause you may look like this after you kick the PC

( Its Good ).

gangxta

OK, I passed the 293 test I took in the broom closet, but just have to extend this thread and share the Prometric horrors.

I think from Stangman's complaints, they changed their ways. They told the 3 of us taking the test that we could close the door (not that it helped when they were drilling masonry right next to the room) and then they (no joke) offered us earplugs (seriously, no joke).

So, I start off on PC#3 - the one with known problems. Reading a question, when it white screens. Sits for about 5 minutes. So I get the test admin, and she moves me to #1. I run thru a few questions on there, and it comes up with one of those "Prometric" windows saying "Initializing" and sits there for about 5 minutes. Got the girl again. That one was locked pretty well. She had to reboot it, and there were a few processes "Not Responding". So puts me back on #3. On there for another 15 questions or so and, you got it - locks AGAIN. This time when I hit to the next question, just white screens. The idiot next to me tells her to wait a while and it will come back. Keep in mind, that if this happens - your time KEEPS RUNNING. So I would eventually run out of time just waiting. Time is already dwindling down from this B.S. We wait for about 7-8 minutes, and nothing. Moves me back to #1, and luckily I finished there and passed.

I have taken 4 MS tests there so far, so that is $500 of my money they got. You would think they could buy computers that are newer than Apple IIe. I think the one computer was a Commodore64. Well, at least they had enough $$$$ to remodel !!!!!

stangman

gangxta wrote: »

OK, I passed the 293 test I took in the broom closet, but just have to extend this thread and share the Prometric horrors.

I think from Stangman's complaints, they changed their ways. They told the 3 of us taking the test that we could close the door (not that it helped when they were drilling masonry right next to the room) and then they (no joke) offered us earplugs (seriously, no joke).

So, I start off on PC#3 - the one with known problems. Reading a question, when it white screens. Sits for about 5 minutes. So I get the test admin, and she moves me to #1. I run thru a few questions on there, and it comes up with one of those "Prometric" windows saying "Initializing" and sits there for about 5 minutes. Got the girl again. That one was locked pretty well. She had to reboot it, and there were a few processes "Not Responding". So puts me back on #3. On there for another 15 questions or so and, you got it - locks AGAIN. This time when I hit to the next question, just white screens. The idiot next to me tells her to wait a while and it will come back. Keep in mind, that if this happens - your time KEEPS RUNNING. So I would eventually run out of time just waiting. Time is already dwindling down from this B.S. We wait for about 7-8 minutes, and nothing. Moves me back to #1, and luckily I finished there and passed.

I have taken 4 MS tests there so far, so that is $500 of my money they got. You would think they could buy computers that are newer than Apple IIe. I think the one computer was a Commodore64. Well, at least they had enough $$$$ to remodel !!!!!

I say we line those test PC's up and kick some field goals with them. I'm not sure how much Prometric can do to them. Hopefully, they will monitor them and if they get anymore complaints that they pull there test ability. I think if I go there again I will bring in my own ear defenders and leave some Mickey Mouse ears behind on PC 3.:D

cisco_trooper

This is why I always take earplugs. It's pretty ridiculous that situations like these are even a possibility. A testing center should be like a library, and they most often are not.

skrpune

cisco_trooper wrote: »

This is why I always take earplugs. It's pretty ridiculous that situations like these are even a possibility. A testing center should be like a library, and they most often are not.

Agreed, and unfortunately you're right. I've only had one great experience with a test center, and it was up in Toronto so no chance on me being able to go back there to finish out my exams!

I've had good and bad experiences, and it just stinks that there can't be a more standardized environment/experience or better computers to take the exams on. I've only had one situation where a computer freaked out on me temporarily, but it was mostly due to the inept test center folks setting me up wrong. But I swear that the computer at my last exam (N+) was going to blow up at any time, it was making some not so nice whirrrrrring sounds...

I do wonder how much money goes to the test centers for offering/proctoring the exams? Certainly it can't be that much money if they'd rather invest people/time in moving you around from computer to computer or troubleshooting crashing systems rather than just buying better equipment or simply making some upgrades or doing preventative maintenance?

EDIT: by the way, almost forgot - congrats on the pass gangxta!

License2ILL

This is a common problem it seems...I had to deal w/ a place that handed me earplugs not too long ago....I had to get up before starting the test to tell the staff to close the room across the hall cuz they were having a huge chanting session/staff meeting(go figure? pep rallies).

She gave me this weird look as if to say are u serious..and upped her and told her I can still hear them past the door....I'm paying 168.00 for this test I have been studying for weeks and I did not come here to fail.....so please tell them to quiet down.....she did and came back..gave me plugs and then closed my door as well. It was a ridiculous scene.

I have another site I go to that has monitors with possibly a 45hz refresh rate becuz I can gaurantee myself a migraine right in the middle of any test I take there. But that one is queeeeiiiittt.

And I drive 45 minutes to it. Its well worth any drive I will say that to you guys...nothing sucks more catassohairs than failing a test u studied yur ass off for due to noise...or environment. Take that drive if you have to. I would have fried their computers if I was sure I failed to it or environment. Make sure they dont do it to someone else.

neathneathneath

Sorry to hear about your test result and the nightmares you had.

My test centre is a 50 minute drive away (nearest one) and they issue ear defenders (like headphones), only because there are a lot of people in and out doing short tests and is a bit of a distraction.

How many marks did you get if you don't mind me asking - got my initial meeting with "the beast" on the 17th

stangman

neathneathneath wrote: »

Sorry to hear about your test result and the nightmares you had.

My test centre is a 50 minute drive away (nearest one) and they issue ear defenders (like headphones), only because there are a lot of people in and out doing short tests and is a bit of a distraction.

How many marks did you get if you don't mind me asking - got my initial meeting with "the beast" on the 17th

Well it said I scored a 525. So I'm not sure how many I actually missed by because I know the last 10 questions I did not care how I answered because I wanted out of there. May not have been the right thing to do but after having your concentration broken after 5 times anyone is liable to say the H%%ll with it and leave.

loxleynew

I wonder why all these test places are so small and loud. The one I went to to pass my MCDST was the size of a broom closet too and the computers were at least 7 years old. When I took my EMT-b exam to become a medic the testing place was about 4x the size. The computers were a lot newer and the place was so quiet you could jump when someone sneezed. It's like people think these certs are a joke and don't give you and respect when taking them.

NetAdmin2436

stangman wrote: »

I'm not going to drive an hour away or 25 minutes to another place to take it.

How about a 2 1/2 hour drive?

I was at this testing center in Northern MN and it was quite loud too. Even with the headphones, the testing room just had fake walls so I could hear all the employees on the phone and a few guys were laughing and carrying on. Very distracting to say the least. Then a couple weeks later I noticed they weren't listed on the Prometric website anymore. Hmm.....

stangman

NetAdmin2436 wrote: »

How about a 2 1/2 hour drive?

I was at this testing center in Northern MN and it was quite loud too. Even with the headphones, the testing room just had fake walls so I could hear all the employees on the phone and a few guys were laughing and carrying on. Very distracting to say the least. Then a couple weeks later I noticed they weren't listed on the Prometric website anymore. Hmm.....

Suggestion well taken, I have decided to schedule at a place that is about a 25 min drive from my house. I heard about the facility and heard you have to go through a classroom to test again in a broom closet and they give you ear plugs but at least I won't have to hear a mason drill bit churning and some idiot telling a perspective new student that " Oh here is where we do our testing and look see we have people taking exams right now" plus I won't have to hear a contractor yacking on his cell or 35 year old PC crashing and locking up on you.

genXrcist

Wow, these are amazing horror stories. Can't really join in the fun though as I've had nothing but positive experiences with both Pearson Vue and Prometric, even took my N+ at an actual, Prometric owned testing center. State of the art.

There is a testing center about 5 minutes from my house but I go 15 minutes out of the way to a different testing center because the guys at the front desk like to talk shop about technology (they're an IT Training center).

Congrats on the Pass!!! I'll be taking the 70-290 in the next couple of weeks and hope to take the 70-291 by the end of March.

stangman

Well! Today is a pass.

Passed the beast with a 746/1000. I'm happy to have that behind me. I went to a whole different testing enter instead of the last disaster. I may go back there again for 293, very nice place. Testing room was very quiet and the testing PC's were not pieces of crap.

neathneathneath

stangman wrote: »

Well! Today is a pass. Passed the beast with a 746/1000. I'm happy to have that behind me. I went to a whole different testing enter instead of the last disaster. I may go back there again for 293, very nice place. Testing room was very quiet and the testing PC's were not pieces of crap.

Nice to hear a happy ending, many congrats

I meet with The Beast in 13 hours time.............

skrpune

congrats stangman....both on passing & on finding a non-crappy test center!

Good luck neathneathneath!

Megadeth4168

Congrats!

NetAdmin2436

Congrats!

stangman

neathneathneath wrote: »

Nice to hear a happy ending, many congrats

I meet with The Beast in 13 hours time.............

Good Luck!