Weird question about the place you took your GRE at

[pourl]

Hi all,

I just took the GRE on Monday and did worse than I was expecting to. I am conditionally accepted for a Masters program, and did well enough to get into that officially, but I wanted to do much better than I did for future PhD options.

Anyway, I was expecting to take the test with group of other people taking the same test, and that we would all break together and finish at generally the same time. Instead, the computer lab was full of people taking all kinds of tests, which meant everyone took breaks at different times. Also, my test was scheduled to start at 4:00 PM, and I was to arrive half an hour early, which I did. They ended up letting me start as soon as I got there. My point is, people were coming in and out throughout the entire test. When people would open the door (every few minutes) the people working at the test center would be loudly talking/laughing, and it was totally distracting. The only other people I know who have taken the GRE took it at the same place as me, so I wanted to ask perfect strangers about the location/circumstances of their GREs.

Is this just something I'm going to have to deal with as part of standardized test taking, or should I look into retaking it at a different location?

Thanks!

[pheonixx]

I had the same experience, lots of people taking different tests at the same time. They did give me a massive pair of headphones though that helped drown out outside noise (like proctors talking).

[pourl]

Okay, good to know. I guess that just threw me off..... or maybe I'm just making excuses for doing bad haha. Anyway, I found out when I got there that I could bring my own earplugs, but I didn't know that until I got there, so obviously there was nothing I could do about it at that point. I will probably retake it and make sure to bring earplugs.

[3point14]

Same for me. Though like pheonixx I got headphones. Personally, I think the whole computer-based test system is awful. Taking it on the computer with all those random people walking around, and having zero desk space for my scratch paper really threw me off too. I'm surprised they didn't give you headphones. I think that's supposed to be part of the standardization

[pourl]

I think they were there behind the computer tower but I didn't even think about it. I thought they were like, audio headphones that you needed for some other test. Duh!

[emmm]

You had a pretty typical experience -- just need to be able to block it all out. I didn't really notice the other people taking tests around me. It wasn't especially noisy.

[TakeruK]

My test experience was almost the same! They did tell us that we had headphones that we could use since there will be people coming and going at all times. In addition, the computer test centre was used for all kinds of testing, not just GRE tests. But the waiting room was a quiet zone, so there was no noises when the door was opened.

[TheFez]

This is the common experience. Sounds silly but if you are easily distracted by these kinds of things you should visit the test center long before your test and observe what goes on so you are better prepared for test day.

[psychgurl]

My test center was in a big cube farm full of many test takers taking various tests. The door opening and closing wasn't too bad though. I may have just taken my test during a slow season (1 in feb and 1 in july). The proctors were considerate. I didn't hear anything during my test because I was so in the zone. If you're easily distracted you should bring your own ear plugs.

[contretemps]

Yeah, pretty much had the same experience. The only difference was I was the one making all the noise (my keyboard was so noisy!).

[pourl]

Thanks everyone! I might take the test again closer to the time I will apply to PhD programs and remember to bring my own earplugs.

[affguy]

I thought it was a little odd that we had multiple people taking different tests, but it got weirder when they all finished up, leaving me alone in that room. The proctors still walked in every 3-5 minutes and would just walk behind me to a wall, pretend like they were doing something other than checking up on me, and walk back out. The had windows through which the could see me from the side and from behind, and there was nobody else in there to talk to, so the charade of "how's this thermostat doing?" was somewhat annoying.

[chrismagoosh]

Taking the test in a large room filled with people taking different tests is by no means an aberration. At least in the U.S., everyone will have that experience. The key is bracing oneself for the inevitable distractions. For instance, a student can be furiously pounding away as he or she tries to finish an essay. Others will totally flout the "speak softly" rule and start babbling away to the test center admin. The headphones are always a good defense in such instances (though a well-timed glared at offending parties could also do the trick!).

[OregonGal]

I had a similar experience that there were several other people taking a test, but it was actually very quiet--we got ear protectors like airline tarmac personnel wear lol, and also we were behind a soundproof door/window so it was quiet other than the frantic clacking of keys.

[ssk2]

I took this test at a testing centre here in London and I had a similar experience. Since this was my second time taking the test, I specifically asked for a booth in the back row. Because I was the first person in that morning, I had to sit at the end - which meant that there were still people walking past me but it was definitely not as bad.

The test centre was very close to a train station so every 2-5 minutes there would be a rumbling as the next train passed through. There was also building work on the floor below - occasionally hammering and drilling would come up through the floor. The provided ear plugs and ear muffs helped but if I sat it again, I'd probably bring my own ear plugs since theirs didn't fit very well.

I was quite glad to get the two essay sections out of the way first - the first time I sat the GRE, I was continually being distracted by another loud typist in the room. This time, I was early enough that by the time people started arriving, I was well on the way through the second section.

Anyway, I found this didn't have too much of an impact on me - it was distracting, yes, but aside from the essay sections, I didn't really need to focus for a long period of time. I did considerably better the second time than the first.

If you resit, make sure to plan your test tactically. In addition to arriving early and asking to be sat in a quieter corner, I also made sure to book it in the morning (when I work best) and on a Monday (after I'd had the weekend to rest). (I also am guessing that morning tests are less popular, but that's probably an unfounded assumption.)

[kaykaykay]

TOEFL screws you over even worse because there is a speaking part. If you are the first one to start everyone will hear your answers and you will have to write your essays why everyone is speaking. I know this is not much help but I guess it can give you some perspective on the GRE testing circumstances. there should be individual booths or something.

[ANDS!]

The headphones they provided blocked everything out. However the proctors and staff were as silent as church mice; there were two sections you needed to go through, so all conversation was limited to the lobby area. If you felt the noise level was enough to distract you (though - again - headphones), you should send a customer service review to ETS regarding that facility.

[deisdeis]

I had the same experience you had. Everyone was in little cubicles but people came and went as they pleased. I think it actually helped my score as it made me feel much less pressured and seemed quite casual.

[aberrant]

My experience was that the big headphone that was given weren't that helpful (I might have a relatively more sensitive ears than the others). I would suggest anyone who is sensitive to sound/noise bring their own (soundproof) ear-plugs, in addition to the given headphone that is given.

Depends on the exam location (as in, crowded or not), It is possible that you hear people stepping in & out from time to time, and typing on their keyboards throughout your exam (The place that I took GRE used those old school keyboards that are loud). You may also feel the vibration through the table when your neighbors are typing on the keyboard (and/or tapping the table, slam the mouse/pen, etc. as he/she is frustrated by the question(s) that they encountered.)