Does your school use a "test center"?

MU Nursingstudent · Dec 12, 2011

Welll c'mon at least you can choose if you'ld like to look at the wall or computer screen hahahahah seriously????? Thats crazy and sad that even adults are treated that way. Sad that there is that much distrust.......They are kinda like that though, the procters, when we take our ATI's. I would write a letter to the university or we fill out survey's and I would put it on there. May not help but hey worth a try.

kaydensmom01 · Dec 12, 2011

At our school we do not go to the test center we are in the classroom with our instructors. ABSOLUTELY NO CELL PHONES IN THE ROOM, thats an automatic failure. Our books/coats are in the back of the classroom out of everyones view. You are not allowed tissues, water or anything on your desk. No sunglasses or taking anything out of the pockets. We are allowed to wear sweatshirts but she walks by once looking at everyones desk and clothing. No going to the bathroom. I figure its just a fair way to make sure no one is cheating. Yeah kind of like high school but its better for the cheaters to get caught. I do think that it is overkill for the no sweatshirts. We are also allowed to wait in the hallway with the other students until the test time is over, so that does suck to sit there for 40 minutes.

brillohead, ADN, RN · Dec 13, 2011

We take tests in our class, but we have all the same rules with the exception of cell phone envelopes and being able to leave.

Cell phones have to be turned off and placed inside your bag/coat/backpack, which is placed along the perimeter of the room. (if you didn't have a bag or whatever, you would turn it off and leave it on the instructor's desk)

The time to return to class is written on the whiteboard, and you leave *quietly* when you are done.

I don't see any reason for demanding that you remain in the testing area after you've turned in your test.

nik415 · Dec 13, 2011

I'm in an ADN program (community college) and our instructors for the nursing and pre-req classes often send us to the "test center" to take our exams, I guess so we don't waste class time. For our nursing exams, we test in the computer lab with the test center staff there. Our instructors are never present when we test.
I HATE THE TEST CENTER.
The staff there are like disgruntled old ex-highschool guidance counselors. They treat us as if we are juvenile delinquents. They have all these ridiculous rules like:
- if you have a cell phone with you, it must turned off and placed inside of a manilla envelope and stay on top of your desk.
- all coats, purses, bookbags, etc. must be piled on a table in front of the room.
- you can't have ANYTHING on your desk or take anything out of your pockets. No tissues, gum, cough drops, water bottles, coffee, etc.
- you cannot wear any shirts with hoods. If you can't take it off, you will be forced to leave. I've seen them make a girl take a thin hoodie off (not even a sweatshirt, just like a tshirt with a decorative hood) and she had to take the test in a little cami with her bra showing.
- you can't wear sunglasses or even have them sitting on top of your head. once i even saw them run over and yell at a girl who was readjusting her headband.
- YOU CAN'T LEAVE until the test time is up. 50 questions - we get 1 hr and 15 minutes. I'm usually done and double checked by 35 minutes. You cannot bring a book to read, you can't get up, you can't look at anything on the computer besides your test. When you are done you just have to sit there and stare at the computer desktop or the wall - your choice.
- if you have to go to the bathroom, you have to be done with your test. and you have to ask permission to go and they will watch you walk down the hallway to make sure you go directly to the bathroom and come right back.
Ugh, I hate it. And the staff is so mean and grouchy. They love to yell at people. It's like they're waiting for it. Does anyone else have to deal with this?

At my test center, you can not have glasses on your head or a hat, or cell phone. If you have a cell phone it must be turned off and placed in an envelope that is then taped shut. It must remain on your desk while you take the test. You are allowed to leave after you've finished the exam. They do have cameras in the test center on the main campus, at the other campus they don't. (I go to a CC.)

Your school seems to be taking it to the extreme. I understand the need for test security but seriously you can't leave until the time is up? That's just ridiculous. Obviously they've had some serious issues with cheating; so I wouldn't necessarily blame the staff but your fellow students. Although, the staff at my test centers (depending on who it is) can be total meanies as well. I don't get it - I'm not paying all this money to be treated rudely. And some of them talk too! Which frustrates me to no end because noise is VERY distracting to me.

I hope things get better!

pc2801 · Dec 13, 2011

Our tests were taken in a test center specific to the nursing program, so it was in the same building as our classes. There was one person on staff and he was very helpful. Our instructor sat in the back of the test center and graded papers.

We couldn't bring ANYTHING into the room with us other than a pencil and our student ID. We weren't even supposed to bring our keys in with us, but I had to once or twice because I needed to get stuff out of my car after the test before the room was unlocked, I made sure they stayed in my pocket. Our scratch paper was the back of our test code/password that was handed to us each time we entered the room. We were able to leave our belongings in our classroom and the instructor locked the door 2 minutes before the test when we all lined up in the hall and would not unlock the door until everyone was done with the test. We could wait in the hall quietly when we finished. If you were late to lock your belongings in the classroom you better have left them in your car because you were not getting in the test room, and don't even think about being 15 seconds late for the test. If you were not in line at 2 minutes to and she finished looking at everyone's ID and handing each student their own unique test code/password as they entered and you just arrived at the end of the line, she'd turn you away. I saw students show up before she'd closed the doorand it was now 15 seconds late when they got behind the last person who was on time waiting to file into the room and she turned them away. They then had to take their test in essay form at the campus test center after that days lecture.