Testing Error - Lost Connection Issue and suggestions
I tested yesterday 9/23/2019 and was disconnected 4+ times. After the fourth time of raising my hand and waiting 10-15 mins each time, I was moved to another seat where I was able to continue my test (still with latency issues but less exacerbated). It was extremely frustrating to say the least and honestly, at the end of the fourth disconnect, I was ready to leave the center.
I understand that this is and has been a recurring problem and that extra time is included in the exam to account for the latency issues. However, the fact of the matter is that it breaks the test taker's concentration and creates an uneven playing ground amongst the test takers.Due to the testing site, not everybody will come across these latency issues and those lucky few will have an unfair advantage over those who do.
It seems to me that the case studies (replete with data rich diagrams, plans and charts), along with an over packed Prometric testing center, are the primary culprits . I believe these problems would be greatly alleviated by either 1) Setting a cap on prometric center (probably more of a prometric issue than an NCARB issue) and/or 2) Curating the content a bit more to ensure a more acceptable latency experience.
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I also experienced issues while taking the PPD exam on 10/10/2019. I had issues with the reference material failing to load for the case studies. After waiting several minutes for someone to take notice that I had my hand in the air, I went out to see if I could find a resolution. After I notified the proctor, they proceeded with another examinee's security check, which is completely understandable. However all the while, my timer was still running because I hadn't anticipated needing to use my 15 minute break to trouble shoot technical issues with the exam. One of my colleagues also had this happen to him on two separate exams, so it's clearly an ongoing issue for NCARB.
I've reached out to NCARB to notify them of the issue, but it seems that the only recourse that those of us who experience issues have is limited to simply reporting it. They have informed me that I do not qualify for a refund, since my time was 'fully allotted' in their records, but it seems that a company that we pay so much of our money to should be held to the same standards that they hold us to. If we are paying to take the exams, then we should at a bare minimum, be guaranteed that the exam properly functions for the full duration of the exam. I'm all for candidate's contributing to trouble shooting problems with the exam to improve the process, but we just ask that NCARB recognize when it's systems fail and that we are fairly compensated.
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I had the exact same issues. I felt like I wasn't even given a chance to pass this exam, and by the end of the exam I was so unbelievably frustrated that I didn't care what the outcome was, I just wanted to leave. These exams are difficult on their own, and I just wish there was a fair way to test our knowledge and how much we've studied. It is also extremely frustrating to take time off work and then not even have a possibility of passing an exam due to technical errors. Shame on NCARB for not remedying this issue and the complaints of their constituents.
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