PROS:
1) Staff at the Buffalo Grove location were very kind and helpful, which made an inherently stressful day much easier. I was so pleasantly surprised, especially having read mixed Yelp reviews of Pearson test center staff at various locations. Seriously, give those folks at the Buffalo Grove testing center a raise for customer relations (though a couple of procedural improvements should be implemented, as noted below).
2) Site is easy to get to and has plenty of free parking. So much easier than having to take public transit into downtown Chicago or deal with city traffic and city parking.
3) Building and test center were very clean and comfortable.
4) I passed my test, so hurray for that.
CONS:
1) I had to ask before staff told me that I could get my test results same day. Then when I asked about my score after the test, the guy monitoring the room said results were supposed to have displayed on screen. Only after I told him that they hadn't did he offer to look up my score and tell me that (*surprise*) he could even give me a hard copy printout of my results. If I hadn't inquired I don't think test center staff were going to volunteer this, and I would've walked out without knowing it was available. Big procedural oversight. For tests where scores and/or hard copies of results are available immediately, all examinees should be told up front that this will be provided. To be clear, I think the staff were well-intentioned and that this was an inadvertent oversight, but something this important should be standard operating procedure.
2) Beware when taking notes: They give you a plastic sheet to take notes w/a special marker. You can have extra sheets, but they don't automatically tell you that you'll be forced to give up your first sheet if you ask for a second one. If I hadn't asked for a second sheet up front, the guy monitoring the room wouldn't have warned me of this policy and I wouldn't have been able to plan accordingly. That would have been awful, if I'd run out of space and had to choose between giving up a whole page of notes or not being able to take any additional notes. Again, I think the test proctor meant well, he just didn't realize that this was a potentially important thing to tell people.
3) Computer display was AWFUL. Monitor was very wide, and the test displayed in very small text across the full width of the monitor so I had to squint and physically turn my head side to side to read each question. So much eye strain, I got a terrible headache part way through which made it much harder to concentrate. Staff at the test center told me that not all exams display that way, and suggested I complain to the company that makes the test. I could, but I think Pearson should really take care of that. It's their job to provide a reasonable testing environment, and for a $700 testing fee, one would think they could (and should) ensure an easily readable computer display. read more
