It was easy to find the building & the room#! The administrators are amazing, polite and very professional. I really appreciated how they told me "best of luck" or "good luck" before going in and taking my exam. The office is very clean & kept tidy, the posts they have up on the wall before entering is very helpful & informing enough. read more

I've been here a few times now and the staff here are all super duper professional and awesome! :) Mahalo to you guys! Y'all really make the whole testing experience a lot less stressful (cause let's be honest, tests are not all that fun). I've really appreciated it. The AC can get pretty cold if you're gonna be there for a while, so bring acceptable layers to wear. Make sure you follow all the rules/ guidelines/ policies/ procedures that Pearson gives you for your specific tests! Including proper forms of identification to bring when checking in. I like that they include directions on how to get to the testing center in the appointment confirmation page. It can get pretty busy if a lot of people have scheduled their test for the same time frame, so arrive about 30 minutes early to give yourself time. Please turn off your phones. They provide lockers to store your belonging in while you're taking the test. The key stays with you the whole time. There are locked bathrooms down the hallway and a water fountain available. Here are the directions I included in my previous review, just in case: "This testing center is located in the Ala Moana Building. Street level, the building is across from the Ala Moana Shopping Center and Target (Keeaumoku St. and Kapiolani Blvd). There is a Bank of Hawaii on the 1st floor. Pearson Professional Center is on the 2nd floor of the building, Room #204. If looking from Ala Moana Shopping Center, it's directly across from Genki Sushi. They share the same parking lot. But take the elevator down 1 level to the 2nd floor." And again, good luck and happy test taking (: read more

Thank you to all the previous yelp reviews I read prior to coming here, you guys were very helpful! I'm going to be honest here, if you're planning on taking your exam on a Saturday like I did, either get dropped off or be prepared to circle the parking lot at Ala Moana Center for a parking space. I managed to find one 10mins before I had to check in, then walking/waiting to safely cross the street to the Bank of Hawaii building, and finally heading up to the second floor. My exam was scheduled at 3:30 PM and they want you to check in 30 mins before so they can verify who you are, read the agreement page, palm scan, picture, securing your phone and electronics into the locker, and finally security check. Big shout out to the receptionist for being very kind and sweet and especially for having a tiny victory dance with me after passing my exam! read more

Staff was professional and pleasant. Overall, I had a good experience. The signage on the door was confusing because it says "Do not enter". But as long as you have an appointment, just go in. read more

I took the MCAT here back in April and meant to write a review sooner, but am just getting around to it. In the days leading up to my exam I read through a lot of the Yelp reviews to set my expectations, and they really helped me so hopefully my review will help other MCAT/other exam takers! I should also add that about a week prior to my test date, I came to the testing center (just outside in the hallway - I didn't enter the actual testing center unit) to confirm I was familiar with the specific floor/location, bathroom situation, etc. It may seem like overkill, but taking the exam was stressful enough as-is and it helped ease some of my nerves about the logistics of my test day. While I'd rather do just about anything than take the MCAT, testing aside, my experience at the center was lovely. Check-in was prompt, the lockers were easy to use (I brought a reusable shopping bag with a large water bottle, extra jacket, musubi, and wallet, and everything fit easily in the locker), and all of the employees were so kind and supportive. I had to bring my phone with me since I was dropped off and had to coordinate my pickup afterwards, so the check-in person had me fully turn it off and put it in a tamper-evident plastic bag. I kept it at the back of my locker and didn't touch it throughout the day, and at the end they confirmed I hadn't opened it before they cut it open. I could only bring my glasses, ID, and locker key into the room. I kept my hair tied up in a bun so it was out of my face and to make the security checks more straightforward. It's test-specific, but for the MCAT I was provided with a wet-erase notebook and pen, and all of my equipment worked well. I was offered those yellow foam earplugs and every station had earmuffs (like what construction workers wear - they were basically over-ear headphones that didn't play any sound). We sat at computers (separated with barriers) that lined the U-shaped wall inside and the proctors sat outside the room watching us from behind through glass. When I reached a break between sections or needed to take a bathroom break, I'd raise my hand and a proctor would quickly come help me check out of the room. I'd do a security check every time I re-entered the testing room, which consisted of a quick palm scan, taking my glasses off, and showing my neck/arms/etc. The bathrooms are outside of the testing center unit in the hallway (same floor, just a few feet away from the door to the testing center). The building was quiet and comfortable, though I was glad to have two jackets because I ended up using them both due to the AC. There were no windows in the testing room so I was never distracted by anything outside. The main highlight for me was the employees/proctors - when I envisioned my MCAT test day in the years/months leading up to it, I never expected to feel so much support from strangers at the testing center! There were about 4 employees I interacted with throughout the day and they were all great. They'd quietly cheer for me when I finished a section, I had a nice non-test-related conversation with one of them during a break (which really helped me de-stress and shake off the trauma of the bio/biochem section I just finished lol), and I was congratulated multiple times as I left the center after completing the exam. I was at a low point: sleep-deprived, overwhelmed, and anxious on my test day, and the proctors/staff at the Pearson Center made my experience 100x better by being kind, supportive people. One last thing to note that some people may not care about but is worth mentioning anyway: I'm immunocompromised and was nervous about having to take a 7.5 hour exam indoors. I stayed masked the whole time, and really appreciated that a good amount of the employees were also wearing masks (especially since some of them had to get close to whisper in the testing room or do the security check). I'm not sure if these employees are still wearing masks or if they'll continue to do so in the future, but I was very grateful to feel safe on my testing day! read more

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Located in the same building as the Bank of Hawaii, Pearsons is a test center for a variety of professions and whatnot. If you need to take the GMAT, or test for a professional certification then here's the place. Like many test centers, there's a lot of strict rules! Cellphones must be off before entering. There's lockers for your items and you cannot wear a wristwatch in the exam room nor can you bring your personal calculator. Facility wise, it's very clean and serves its purpose. It's not fancy, but you're only here for a couple of hours. The location is a plus. read more

Pearson Professional Centers - Professional Services Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

MCAT scheduled for Sunday 9/19 and the proctor never showed up. No warning, no notice, no note on the door. Very unprofessional of this "professional" center if you ask me. read more

The place is very comfortable for testing but it took me 30mins to find it. I finally called the phone number on the website and it was in a different place than what my gps kept taking me to. Thank God I passed my test with all that stress in finding the place. The guy on the phone said it's in the old Bank of Hawaii building and that's how I found it. I'm also new to Hawaii so I had to depend on my gps. read more

I FREAKING PASSED THE NCLEX-PN IN 85 QUESTIONS... and somehow found out via mail within 24 hours. Not complaining. 1. Go up the Ke'eaumoku Street ramp and park in one of the spots near Genki Sushi. 2. Don't walk towards the mall; walk towards the building across from it 3. Enter the glass doors and take the elevator to the 2nd floor. Follow the signs to Pearson 4. If your test is scheduled for 8:00 am, it's ideal to get here at 0730. They opened the doors for my group of test-takers around 0740-45. 5. Everyone will be asked to line up to check-in. You will be assigned a random number and will be given a list of procedures/policies to read through, depending on the test you're taking. 6. Once your number is called, show the front-desk receptionist your government-issued ID or passport. She'll instruct you to do a palm vein scan, then ask you to sit in a chair and have your picture taken. 7. You'll give your phone and/or smartwatch over to her (make sure it's OFF) and she'll seal it in a bag for you to store w/ the rest of your belongings in a secured locker. During your test breaks, you are allowed to access your locker but most definitely not the things in the sealed bag. 8. Your number will be called again by a staff member (TA) in the testing area. She'll do a security check on you; make sure your pockets are emptied at this point, as you will pat yourself down and she'll observe. 9. You will be asked to do a palm vein scan again. After that, if you're taking the NCLEX, you will be given a white board + pen. If you run out of space during your test, raise your white board and the TA give you a new one. 10. You have the option of wearing headphones during your test (provided by the testing center) to help you focus (but no music is provided, sorry). Don't even think about cheating-- security cameras are all over the test room. 11. Raise your hand if you need to take a break or have finished your exam. 12. For NCLEX: take a deep breath, grab your belongings, walk out of the test center, and celebrate because you've killed it. Good luck! The ladies who run the test center are professional and efficient. -1 because they use dinosaur computers, but I had no technical difficulties during my exam. read more

This place is very difficult to find. There are no signs visible from the street side. If you're headed there based off of your gps alone, I recommend trying to arrive an hour prior to your scheduled appointment as you will have trouble even attempting to figure out how to get to the actual location. Though it appears to be in the same building of the bank. read more

I came here to take my NCLEX! I did end up scoping out the location the day before out of fear that my lack of directional sense would end up with me frantically searching for the testing center the morning of my test. On the street level of Ala Moana, it would be above Bank of Hawaii (next to the Fitted store on Kona Street). If you're driving, go up the Ala Moana ramp at Keeamoku and park in the lot directly facing Genki/Victoria's Secret/Sephora. Then just walk over to the Bank of Hawaii tower (towards Keeamoku), which has its own private parking lot with a security guard (this lot is reserved for tenants--do not park there). If you didn't eat breakfast before arriving at the test center, don't worry--since there's a little shop called Aja in the building that sells musubis, bentos, muffins, & beverages. They were open at ~7:40 AM when I walked by. If you have the potential of being stuck there for SIX HOURS taking an exam--I would recommend having a snack on hand. Brain perfusion and critical thinking don't go well with hypoglycemia. I had read someone else's review that they don't open the doors until 8 AM; however, this isn't the case now. Apparently they started letting people in to get a number at ~7:30 AM. At that time you can just sit and wait until they call your number at 8, so it does benefit to get there early--just maybe not before 7:30. At 8, they start calling people to the front in the order that they arrived. It's a very well-organized process consisting of a palm vein scan (very high tech, I guess to make sure you don't have a genius doppelganger/twin sibling switching places with you midway through your test). They will also take a (unflattering) picture of you, which will embarrassingly be mailed to you as part of your test results. Overall, the check-in process moves pretty quickly. I was number 8, and I was seated and began taking my exam at around 8:15 AM. The rules are fairly simple but strictly enforced. Absolutely no using of cell phones. Turn them off before you even enter the door, or better yet just leave your phone in your car. For the NCLEX, I also had to remove my watch. All of your personal belongings will be locked in an individual locker (with key), so you don't have to stress about your things getting stolen. The entirety of the testing center, including the waiting room and locker area, is recorded with both audio/video--so just be aware of that upon entering. You get your own little cubicle in the room with viewing glass so the proctors can observe all of the test takers. Once again, this room is recorded at all times. Do bring a jacket as it does get cold in the room. By jacket, I mean a hoodie or a simple sweater/cardigan, not a coat. Here are my little tips for my fellow NCLEX-takers: - If you live far away, consider getting a hotel room and staying in town overnight. This may seem overkill for some, but I live in Ewa Beach and there have been times when some freak accident backs up traffic for 2+ hours. I did not want the risk of being stressed and flustered the morning of my test, and I also did not want to have to wake up at 4 AM just to safely beat traffic. The Ala Moana Hotel had very reasonable rates, so I stayed there the night before my exam. Not having to worry about the commute was amazing. - I think I got a solid 1-2 hours of ACTUAL sleep the night of my NCLEX. I went to bed at a decent time, but the stress and anxiety kept me up. I had actual NCLEX nightmares. I took my test on a Monday, and it helped a LOT that I slept in considerably on the Friday and Saturday before my exam. This meant that even though I couldn't sleep come Sunday night, I was (in my opinion) still well-rested since I had gotten so much sleep the previous nights before. - I'm the type of person who procrastinates and ends up staying up all night cramming for EVERY EXAM I've ever taken. This isn't the exam to cram for. Review specific things like labs, briefly SKIM over topics you need to refresh on (why does NCLEX love TURP and Buck's traction so much?)... But don't try to stay up all night memorizing everything--it's impossible. That vast amount of studying should have been done in the weeks prior. - Do something fun and relaxing the day prior! I went and had a nice dinner at Morton's using a gift card I'd gotten. - I passed at 75 w/ 23 select all that apply. I then proceeded to walk around Ala Moana in a half-daze and made some "I need a pick me up" purchases at Kate Spade. PREPARE FOR THE SELECT ALL THAT APPLY. I recommend Hurst Review for the content, Kaplan for the Q-bank & trainer questions, NCLEX Mastery RN app (iPhone/iPad--better on an iPad), and at least one NCLEX content review book (whether it be Kaplan or Saunders). Good luck! :) read more

If you're reading this, odds are you already know that Pearson VUE is test proctoring service. I took the GMAT here in March, 2013, but it seemed that the majority of other people were taking the NCLEX. Regardless of the test, there's a lot of anxiety about the process of these potentially life-altering exams, so I hope I can provide a little insight. The facility was run very professionally and strictly by two administrators and is located on the 2nd floor of the Ala Moana building above the BOH at the intersection of Kapiolani and Keeamoku. No need to scout the place, the elevators are located behind 2 glass doors on the Keeamoku side of the building and the suite is clearly marked. They open at 8:00 am sharp, so no need to get there super early (15 minutes is fine), I ended up sitting in the hallway with a couple other testers running through flash cards for half an hour. Once you get in, they will explain some ground rules (leave your cell phone behind, otherwise, power it down before you enter). Once the admins are settled, they hand you a clip board for your test, check your ID, scan your palm, and take a mug shot. They then give you a locker key to store everything you brought, and give you appropriate materials for your test (for the GMAT, a 6-page laminated tablet [you can write on the front and back and is bit bigger than a legal pad] and 2 brand new fine point staedtler or sharpie pens, don't worry they work just fine). They also have ear plugs if you desire, but they won't let you use your own. They will explain the process for entering/exiting the sound-proof testing room with 20 or so partitioned work stations. For the GMAT, they provide the unofficial Q, V, and composite scores immediately after taking the test. The official report with AWA and IR scores came 17 days later. The bathrooms are outside of the suite and require a key, and there's a brief process for entering and exiting the room (i.e. palm scan, pocket line out, proctor unlocking the computer, etc), so if your test has a timed break, make sure you move somewhat swiftly. Good luck! read more

Came here last 05Sep19 for my NCLEX. I arrived around 0730 came out at 1130ish. The process is fast and very organized.

The ladies running this place are great. This is a proctor center so just follow the rules. Turn off your cell, put in locker, take test, profit. read more

Staff was friendly but the AC was not working. There was no air flow. No fans were provided. No water allowed in the testing room. No bathrooms on the floor of the testing center. Had to go up 6 floors of a 20 floor building to use the restrooms. Since the restrooms on other of the 20 floors also were out of service, there was a line each time. Given the building was very busy, waiting for an elevator (only 4 people allowed due to Covid) meant you may have to wait multiple times before an elevator was available. Limiting fluid intake to avoid using the bathroom too often meant risking dehydration during a 6.75 hour exam in which the time did not stop for any breaks. I kept track of how long each bathroom break took me, sometimes up to 20 minutes especially when I needed time to eat. And despite being in a room for accommodations by myself, I had to keep the door open due to the lack of air circulation. And if that was not enough, there was construction going on in the office next door while we were testing. These conditions were absolutely unacceptable. read more

Scheduled to take my LCSW exam on a Saturday at 12:30pm at this location. Let me put it a different way, I was scheduled to take my exam at one of the biggest and busiest mall in all of Hawaii, Ala Moana Center, at the most populated time of day. I'm kicking myself for trying to avoid weekday rush hour traffic and forgot to consider weekend holiday mall traffic! Thankfully, I passed my exam so I'll never have to do that again! So take the shopping mall traffic into consideration when scheduling your exam as you will be fighting with everyone else for parking. Pearson Vue does not have thier own parking area. You've spent so much time preparing for your exam, you want the day to go as smoothly as possible. I did a test run the day before to find out where to park and even visited the office. The office lady was quite strict and didn't even want me looking towards the back (from the reception desk). Once you get to the front door, they will ask you to turn your phone off completely. Also, I WOULD NOT BRING ANYONE there who is not taking the test. A gal had brought in her boyfriend to the lobby. As he waited for her to check in, the reception lady was very adamant about him leaving immediately. She would not continue the check in process while he was there! Upon check in, they will ask you to put your cellphone into a special plastic bag to put into your locker along with the rest of your things. Your access to your locker is dependent on which test you are taking. The ASWB test that I took did not allow any access, no food, no juice, no nothing for 4 hours. The bathrooms are right outside their front door and you'll have to ask for a key. Once you are cleared for testing, you will be lead to the proctor where she will scan your palm and have you empty your pockets. She will also lead you to your computer station as she carries everything you need for your test. I asked for earplugs. The headphones they provided did not do a very good job in drowning out background noise. Make sure you ask for it, even if they try to tell you to use the headphones. When she brought the earplugs over to me, I wasn't even allowed to touch the box it came in. At the computer station your back is right in front of the proctor where she has complete view of each person on her monitor. When you need a break or done with your test, you stay seated and raise your hand. They come to you and escort you out. When you go back in, they again scan your palm, search you and escort you back to your computer. It's pretty intense testing. Lol! Anyway, it's good to know they have any opportunity for cheating covered. All in all, it was a good experience for me. My tips for testing here: 1) schedule during non busy day and time, 2) consider rush hour traffic, 3) do a test run a day before, 4) don't bring any study materials to the test site, they won't let you study there, and don't bring your cellphone or turn it off before you walk in, and 5) be prepared and attack that test like a boss! read more

Granted it's embarrassing that Ive been here 2x for a test I cant seem to pass... I at least can note the inconsistency in rules. The first time I went a year ago, I was required to take off all jewelry- including my earrings. They did not ask this of me the second time. The first time I took the test I was allowed a break halfway through my test to eat a power bar by my locker. However, my most recent time I was forbidden to eat or drink anything from my locker, which was frustrating because my growling stomach really interfered with my concentration as I tried to complete a 4.5 hour test. So, keep in mind that the rules change. read more

If you have visual problems, BEWARE! I wear progressive lenses for my myopia and presbyopia. I had problems reading the words on the monitor. The monitor is quite a distance away from you (when you are seated). If you try to move the monitor, it is somehow fixed to the CPU. I called the center. The person who answered said that the monitor can be moved BUT only to the edge of the CPU. But in the station I was in the CPU was still more than 15 inches away from me. Now I'm caught in a mess between Pearson Vue in MN and Hawaii. read more