They are quick and efficient with their check in process. Enter the lobby at 100 William Street into a building that's located near many subway trains. Once in the lobby, a greeting by two security guards/door attendants ensued. It was a basic show me your ID, let us take your photo, here's your guest pass and go through the turnstile at the far end; then take the elevator up to the 12th floor move. Once off the elevator, therein lies Pearson, looking like "Enter Now, ain't no turning back!" As soon as that door is opened, the approximately 30 minute check in process begins. Be sure to grab a number from the stack that is right there as soon as you open the door less you have to turn around and go get one, let the desk aide tell it. It's there for your name to be called, DMV style baby. After that number is grabbed, THEN the process officially begins with the giving of a list of rules and a friendly have a seat. Like the number lady, be hopeful they run your number real quick because when they do, the countdown to exam time starts. And that's when it's all give me your ID, hand scan right and left, photo-op smile and go put your things in a locker. Then you may sit down. Wanna use the restroom, there's a code for that. After being called by number, it goes in order, head to the back and a Corrections Officer, I mean aide will have you pulling out your pockets, body checking yourself and patting your weave. Then the rules clearly posted on the wall will be read and then and only then can you be escorted to the room in which the examination will take place. Oh you nervous ha because it's too cold in the room ha wishing you had a NorthFace coat on ha, and now you gotta read the Declaration of Independence on the screen ha and all you wanna do is take the test and be done ha. Well it's a paper chase and to succeed one must pass. So to all the MCAT's, GMAT's, GRE's, other Test Takers and Certification seekers, 100 William Street is where it's at. For exam taking purposes only. read more

Going through TSA is probably more pleasant than taking a test at Pearson testing centers. Monitored testing should not require treating a test-taker like a criminal/ prisoner. Pearson requires you take a picture and to frisk yourself before you enter the testing room. You have to pick up your sleeves and show your arms to the monitors before giving your own body a pat down. Every time you leave to drink water or use the restroom, you have to show ID again and scan your hand again. Taking a test should not require your biometric information in the form of a hand scan. There is no way of getting out of this; you don't offer your hand print, then you can not take the test. What is this private company doing with your hand print and your photo after you take your test? How long are they storing this information in their system and with whom are they sharing it? Unfortunately, not many of the zombie test-takers in the waiting room seem to care; I guess we live in a "brave new world" in which people are so used to giving up their privacy. Wake up! read more

For anyone taking their exams, stepping into a test center is nerve wracking. This place was bigger than other Pearson's with a small number of staff. The only down side was when I was finished taking my exam - with only one person monitoring you and wiping the pads, it may take them some time to notice you. It happened the first time I was there - raised my hand for what feels like five minutes, the guy finally noticed me. (I gave up in between since he looked busy) The second time was better and they have quite an amount of seats so I would recommend taking exams there. read more

I had a good experience at the Hanson Place location, in downtown Brooklyn. The staff was friendly and helpful. They made a stressful event as bearable as possible. The facility was clean and quiet. It took a long time for all the test takers to be checked in and shown to their seats, but I guess that comes with the territory. It was close to my home. I was glad I didn't have to add a subway ride to Manhattan, since I had to arrive by 7:30 am. read more

Welcome to Gulag comrade. If I could give it negative stars I would. Everything Tom, Chloe and Alex said is true. If they were going to require biometric testing WHY don't they advise you before hand? Why don't they have a written policy detailing how they use or secure your data? My instruction only said that I need to bring 2 forms of ID. Nothing about palm and face scans! You can not bring a water bottle, energy bar or eye drops into a 4 hour exam! You have to empty your pockets, leave your purse in one of their lockers for which they have no responsibility. My theory is that the staff has misplaced resentment toward the test takers. While they are probably paid minimum wage they see intelligent, ambitious people trying to advance themselves and the warrens and matrons get jealous and try to make things as unpleasant as possible read more

I had really unpleasant expereince at this location. considering many other testing centers nearby, I would strong recommend going somewhere else usually I don't care that much about "oh AC is too hot", "this chair is not real leather" type of thing. HOWEVER, This location is really SUB PAR in terms of the attitute of the staff Once you enter the place, they don't greet you, but instead inspect you like a prinsoner-to-be. The lady at the front desk (petit, dark hair) has a serious attitude issue. She was just flat out rude to every test takers. If someone is slow in putting their stuff in the locker, she would hush them (execuse me??) If someone has a scarff on to keep warm, she would threaten them to take if off. OH, and you know how there is a post-exam survey?? Right before that, she would turn into the SWEETEST person you know. she would congratulate you, ask you if you were cold/hot, if you felt the test was hard etc etc.... C'mmon! SO. if you want a pleasant expereince, or simply, if you do not want to endure totally unecessary stress, DO NOT GO THERE read more

Had no complaints about this testing center and I have been to a few. I have been to Queens and Brooklyn. This office the staff was friendly. I was greeted when I came in by a women (black with glasses) she took the stress off of me with her jokes and happy attitude. It was what I needed being the nervous reck that I was. There was another staff member there that was also polite that seemed to be of a west indian decent (Trinidadian or guyanese). She provided me with a hand held calculator when asked for it because I didn't want to use the one that the computer provided me with. Usually when I go to the testing centers I have to use the headphones to block out the noises in the room. Not at this location. The room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. I would recommend this center for your future test taking experiences. read more

I'm really not sure why this place received so many negative reviews. Everything that went on in the centre was part of the GMAT experience. The confirmation email has links to everything that you should expect. I guess people don't know how to read. How much more hand holding do you need? The staff was friendly and nice. The procedures were standard. The room was quiet. My only complaint was that the headphones were too big for my head. They were really uncomfortable. read more

I am not sure why the folks below are complaining about the security procedures since they are: (a) Standard across all the test centers (b) Listed and called out on the MBA.com website (c) Highlighted in a separate email sent by GMAC before the test Personally, I am up for the strict screening since I am confident that other candidates have gone through the same procedures and that the possibility of cheating is extremely low with these steps in place. As for the test enter, note that this location has two different 'rooms' i.e. one on the third floor and one on the fifth floor. It is likely that the reviews below are for the 3rd floor staff, however, the fifth floor experience was extremely different and pleasant. The staff are extremely friendly, very polite, and very comforting. It is true that the one needs to use a key to open the restroom but even in the age of finger scanners and key pads, I havent forgotten how to turn a key. Pretty good at it too since it took me less than 5 seconds to open the restroom door! read more

I was worried about this place after reading the Yelp reviews about unfriendly staff and feeling like a prisoner. I found the staff and the center to be nothing but friendly, patient, and helpful. I did not feel like a prisoner. I thought the restrictions seemed reasonable. The staff had friendly tones and were open to questions. I will return here for future testing. read more

Amazing staff. Thought they were extremely helpful. I'm not sure if it's just certain days the friendliest people work there or what but I really had a great experience and it made a difference when you are taking a stressful test. read more

I had the worst experience ever in this testing center and I have been to a lot of them. The front desk people were rude and simply brought a negative energy into my entire testing experience. If you are in New York, there are PLENTY OF Pearson professional centers for u to choose from. I went to the one in 34st once and the front desk lady was a delight. Just don't go to this one unless u really have to... On a side note, I lost my headphones here and the staffs were reluctant to help. They did not allow me to wait inside the testing center even though there were 50 open seats it's ridiculous. Therefore someone took my headphones from my locker and I wasn't able to stop him smh read more

Tested here this weekend and was extremely pleased with my experience. The staff was kind, gave clear instructions, and the facility was very organized and clean. When entering the testing room I was impressed by the quiet and clean station. I will test here again. Very pleased with my experience. read more

This place was exactly what it was supposed to be, a good, non-stress inducing testing center. I feel like the people who wrote these negative reviews have never had professional testing before because they seem to have no idea what a monitored testing environment is supposed to be like. I have now taken a total of 7 different exams in multiple testing centers (SF, NYC, Houston, Minneapolis) and this was one of the nicer facilities (clean bathrooms and friendly staff). Plus, they palm vein read now! No more sitting there mashing my fingers into a screen in attempts to get my fingerprints read! read more

This one older lady at the reception area was so hostile and had an attitude. She specifically pointed out things I couldn't do out loud so the entire room could hear, when this could have been avoided if she gave me the rules when I first walked in. When my number was called, she had a look on her face like she did not want to help me at all. I think she needs some serious training on customer service. However, the other petite woman was very professional and helpful. The first time I came to this site to take an exam, the staff was not paying attention to the monitors. I had my hand up for a minute and could not get his attention, so I got out of my seat on my own. ALSO, they said their printer was broken back in February, so I didn't get to see my results immediately. I came back to this test center today (2 months later) and it's still broken?! Come on, how long does it take to fix a printer? I will not be coming back to this testing location. read more

This review is written with other Pearson Center reviews in mind. This is the second time I've taken an exam at a Pearson Center (the first was in Brooklyn). Compared to my first time, this was quick and painless. Everyone was very nice. Say your pleases and thank you's - they go a long way. You'll be given a locker to put your belongings in. Your pockets must be empty. They give you a dry erase notepad/marker. You take your exam. Good luck! read more

Pearson Professional Testing Center @Hanson Pl is a state of the art prison! There are some clear violations of privacy and sexual harassment! I have taken many exams at various Pearson locations and this is the only location I have experienced harassment, forced indecent exposure and extreme security measures. I arrived 15 minutes early for the exam and check-in took exactly 40 mins. This meant I could not begin my exam at the time I was originally scheduled and would mean finishing my exam later than planned. My arrangements to pick-up kids, go to work, etc. instantly went down the drain. This became an added stress before taking the exam wondering who would pick up my kids and would I be facing disciplinary action for being late to work. We played musical chairs as test takers sat in a row of chairs, popping up and moving down one seat at a time as you were called in. There I was greeted by a female testing assistant who wanted to me to roll up my sleeves and expose my arms. I emptied my front pockets and pulled cash out of my pocket. The testing assistant insisted I had to place it in the locker. I was very reluctant to do so as I knew Pearson would not be responsible if my money was lost in their possession. She explained I could not test with the cash in my pocket. I had to go back to the locker area and place the cash in a locker. By that time, I was the only one left to be seated. A male testing assistant greeted me. I was told to again to expose my arms and shake out my hoodie. I was absolutely enraged when he told me to frisk and do a pat down of my own body in front of him! When he asked me to pull out the lining in my "coin pocket", this was down right uncomfortable. That's when I felt I was being asked to indecently expose myself to get to my coin pocket as I had to raise my hoodie above my waist to find it. Was this becoming a freak show? Since I was a female with hair, I was told to lift up my ponytailed bun. The proctor carefully gazed at my ass to determine if I had back pockets. I was told to empty my back pockets and I pulled out a quarter. He insisted I could not keep the quarter in my pocket during the test so I left my quarter on his desk. Even my eyeglasses had to be removed and put through some sort of magnetic security inspection. I was so angry, I could concentrate while taking the exam! I did not finish the exam. These are unacceptable measures for test taking!! A petition and or legal action is needed to change security testing guidelines at this location. Please contact me if this has been your experience. read more

Not a fan of this place. I was nervous enough as it is. Staff did not help and was really unfriendly. I felt any move I made would could cause me to be dismissed or an automatic fail. Not very accommodating. Not a friendly environment-a bit more on the hostile side. I would definitely recommend another testing site. read more

I took a test here back in Nov and I liked the center. The ladies at the reception were really nice and helpful. The room was clean and cool. The bad part is that you have to leave everything in a locker including water. If during the test you need to use the bathroom or get a drink you have to scan your hand and get checked, before and after leaving the testing room which really eats up at your time (they don't pause the time). Not to mention that they take their sweet time (hello...the clock is ticking). The people who check you right before entering the testing room are very rude and nasty. To paraphrase what another reviewer said, if I hadn't just gotten brain F****d from a 4 hr test I would have probably said something. They are very stringent on security so that no one can cheat. I think it's the same for other comp. testing centers. For paper testing centers you can have your water and stuff next to you. read more

This testing center is clean, professional, and facilitates for a perfect testing environment. They were friendly, reasonable, and helpful. Most of all I didn't feel like another member of the GMAT herd. I'm thankful for this testing center for providing a comfortable testing environment. Also heads up - the room was NOT chilly but balanced. read more

Everything that @Chloe Z. stated is factual. The staff that works for these centers take their job a little too seriously. I had a similar experience at the Pearson Center at 100 William St. as well as this location. They treat you like a prisoner on Riker's Island. I was asked to empty my pockets, test with my sleeves rolled up, and roll up my jeans to ensure I didn't type the answers (to questions that I was unaware of ahead of time, mind you) on my ankles. They ask you to leave your ID to utilize their restrooms and even to lock and unlock their lockers (as if I'm going to run away with the locker key and never come back). The entire concept is OUTRAGEOUS. Not to mention, the secretary/test administrator/warden at this location (Celine) is a complete and total B!+Ch. Very sarcastic and condescending. If I weren't exhausted after sitting there for 4 hours I would've probably made her look very small in front of everyone in that entire lobby. This staff is in great need of training in dealing with adults b/c they clearly think they are working with children. #unbelievable I think a letter to management is definitely in order. read more