PPD Prometric Computer Issues
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Hey Rosemarie,
Please contact NCARB Customer Service today to report your exam issue. They will be able to help!
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Hey Joel,
I am hoping they offer me a credit to retake this exam. Prometric is horrible. I will be happy if NCARB finds a new testing center. The test is stressful enough we do not need the added stress of the computer failing or glitches with the system. I wasted valuable time going back to those questions that said incomplete clicking and even changing my answers and it still said incomplete. I questioned whether all my answers were recorded as answered as well. -
I had the same issue last Monday, Oct 19,2020. 2 people came to tried to fix it, they reboot it more than 15 times they made calls to "The Program". They had to move me to another computer and it did deleted a bunch of my answers and it was still very glitchy. I was in extreme severe panic attack, I even have provided NCARB with my disability paperwork for this that I suffer from a long time ago, so having to experience this is very very detrimental to me. When it was finally "fixed" I was so out of focus and shaken and I didn't even had time to recheck my whole exam. I wrote NCARB immediately after the exam and I still haven't received a response. I'm sad to let you all know that this is not a Prometric issue. This is an "app" (program/ software) issue. Meaning this is an NCARB program issue. I know this because not also I had those issues but there were also questions that you couldn't even pick a right answer and even when they provide "resources" for the case studies or formulas or else, those don't run. How are we even supposed to answer if we cant even get into the resources to answer the questions. Lastly, this is NOT the FIRST time I had issues with exams from NCARB. And I have taken numerous other exams that are not NCARB at the Prometrics sites. I had taken LEED, AICP, Brokers exam, college entry exams, etc and I've repeated some. And NEVER have I ever had an issue with those. Also, coincidentally Ive never seen any other person at the test site having issues when Im taking my exam, just me if Im taking an NCARB exam. I'm still waiting for NCARB to respond. My only conclusion is that this is part of the plan to keep having us retaking the exams and wasting more and more money. I studied for months, full time. Whats "funnier" is that for example, I was able to pass CDS exam on V 4.0 on the first try. All the V 4.0 I passed on the first try. Now all the info from those exam topics is exactly what I'm not passing on V 5.0? So every time I go take V 5.0 I just forget everything I already know and proved I knew in the other exams? The way this exam is done, worded, having to write in calculations and round off to depends whatever and having to click on an image god knows where exactly they want the little square of correct area to be, even if you are marking the correct answer, if you missed by half a pixel, off from the wall line in the image, its marked wrong. Also the having all answers are being correct ones but having to pick one which is the most correct, according to whatever NCARB believes even if its very very subjective, because all answers are correct ones. Its all designed to keep failing people. And to make matters worst, the software is glitchy and freezes and doesnt let you select or doesnt let you go through the resources, its almost impossible to pass. And good luck trying to get any help from NCARB. Just keep paying... It's almost a case we should bring to the Department of Consumers Affairs. It almost feel fraudulent. Because even after all these issues, we never get any help or are not even allowed to see if what we marked was really wrong or it was unmarked by the glitchy program or god knows what. If nothing is done specially with my exam on Monday I might consider some other avenues if anybody wants to join me on this.
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Joshua, Joel, Rosemarie, let me know if you know of other people with the same issues. Let’s do something about this. During a pandemic is not the time to have people wasting money and time retaking exams designed to make you fail with the way is written and with software that keeps crashing and it’s glitchy at the testing site. I have failed several times on ARE 5.0 doesn’t seem like a coincidence that so many people are experiencing the same exact thing. Something needs to be done.
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Hello All, I am still waiting for a response from NCARB, however I am hoping they issue a voucher for me to retake the test. I have not had these computer issues in other exams. With so much of us with similar complaints about the PPD exam. NCARB should consider extending the time for the PPD EXAM or give less questions on this exam to make allowances for the glitches that my occur in the program during this exam. It is not fair that after the sacrifices we have to make in our lives which do not just affect us but also our families, that we have our exam time cut short because of errors in the computer program.
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The computer issues happened to me twice during my two attempts of PPD exams. The second time I got the error message and my computer fail twice during one exam. When it happened on my first exam I wrote to NCARB and they responded that they won't give a credit nor allow to retake this exam earlier. Sorry but I wouldn't have much hopes that NCARB would do anything about it.
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We are in the same boat. I encountered this computer issue twice. In Dec. 2019 while taking the PDD exam NCARB gave me a credit to retake. While they worked on my computer and restarted the system, I noticed an older version of windows. Therefore, instead of driving only 25 minutes, I booked at another test center and drove almost an hour to take my tests. In September, 2020, this computer issue happened again while taking my PPD exam at the other test center as well. But, this time NCARB did not give me a credit to retake. FYI when you answer or view more than 10% of the questions during the exam you cannot retake unless you wait 60 days even when NCARB gives you a credit. This is what I was told by NCARB customer service.
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Hi Maan,
I have not heard back from NCARB yet regarding a credit but after viewing my score report all of my sections were level 3 with exception of Content Area 1 which was a level 4 but Content Area 1 is only 10% of the exam. I really feel like had the computer issues not happened I would have passed. I was so nervous and mentally drained after the computer issues. I am hoping they give me a credit towards retaking the exam like they did for you. -
Rosemarie
They haven’t give me a credit nor responded. I had 3 sections on a level 3 the other 2 I passed. I’m pretty sure I would have passed if it wasn’t for all the issues as well. But a whole week and I have received no answer from them, just like the rest of you. I’m taking PPD tomorrow again. I’ll see what happens if I run into the same issues once again. Something needs to be done. -
I took the PPD Exam August 7 and again Oct 23 (this past Friday). I did experience the exam throwing an error at both exams with a required reboot. This last time it was during the last case study while flipping through the tabs and I believe I do recall it was during the last case study as well, if not then the first case study. It is unsettling when it happens the first time, annoying that it occurred the second time. Sadly, I still did not managed to get a pass on this exam, and my last one too. I am going to reach out to NCARB since it is not a fluke for me and seems, I am not alone.
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I took PPD today my computer froze twice and even some questions in the multiple choice, one selection was blank, empty, nothing. How are we supposed to pass exams when there’s glitches and errors? I still haven’t heard from NCARB. If you know anyone with the same issues let me know. I want to gather a list of people with this issues. Write me at rvida7@hotmail.com. I want to know where you took the exam, which one, did you have issues, what issues, did you pass or not, how many times this happened, did NCARB helped. And I’ll see where we go. Just let me know through email.
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My computer froze as well, and the time was ticking - TWICE! I failed. I have called NCARB customer service and requested a credit for retaking the exam. It is not enough that we have 1.5 min in average to answer questions involving complex calculations and decisions, but now we have to endure even more unnecessary stress! I still haven't receive a response from NCARB in almost 2 month. This is outrageous! Transferring to ARE 5.0 was suppose to make things easier, but now it is much worst! It costs five times more money to acquire preparation material, because no-one knows how to prepare for an exam covering such vast areas of expertise.
I took exam on 9/21/2020, Reed Hartman testing center, Cincinnati OH
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@natalia I had to insist and send numerous emails. I finally got a response from customer service and he basically called me a liar. That there was no reports of me having issues with the exams in any of the two occasions when I took PPD and PDD. I responded with... check the cameras and the videos. Nothing. I ended up contacting the whole executive board about this. I was still called a liar that I had no issues but they were gonna give me credit to retake but I needed to wait 2 months anyways as to so... keep the integrity of the test. You know until I forget what I learned. This is all very unfair and version 5.0 was completely designed to fail people. I had wrote here about contacting me about this issue but publicly people seemed to have chickened out. I’m sure people think they might be put on a blacklist or something but the. That’s why these things keep happening. Thank you for writing here, I’m retaking the exams hopefully end of December and if this happens again I will find other avenues to deal with it. Whoever wants to join me. Let me know. This is monopoly and a racket and possibly a scam as they know what’s happening and just ignoring it and saying we lie.
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This stupid situation happened to me & NCARB conveniently reimbursed me for the exam fee not understanding I have to wait another two months & I have to loose so many hrs of quality time with my baby & family & the rest of story.
What is the point of these drag & drop questions if computers can't handle it? I swear there's no real life challenge for architects to drag & drop something in their profession
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Hi all, just wanted to add to this conversation. I took PPD a few days ago and the exam froze twice, once during MC, and once during a case study. I don't know if it's a pass or fail because they're in the middle of resetting the cut scores but just wanted to let everyone know that this software issue is still happening.
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Vera,
Please fill out our independent survey regarding your experience with NCARB's updated exam. Please share it with anyone else you know who has also recently tested.
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I wanted to add to this thread as well. I am taking a remote exam and my experience with Prometric is horrible. I am supposed to have my exam at 11:30. I logged on at 11:00 and went through the test run and met my proctor. She said I had to log out and log in again because somehow the internal camera was connected not the external camera. I specifically selected the external camera when I ran the test run. I logged out and when I tried to log in again a message saying that the session has been completed already. I contacted the technical support immediately and they redirected me to the candidate care team saying only they can fix the issue. I was on the phone for 1.5 hour until it was connected with someone and immediately the person says she needs to transfer me because I needed to reschedule my exam. So I was transferred to registration team. After 20 min on the phone waiting for someone from registration team to speak to me, the person put me on hold again asking me to wait for 3-5 minute. I waited for another 15 minute. No one got back to me. Here. 2.5 hours waiting on the line, I am still not able to take the exam. I am also not able to know what should I do who do I talk to. I cannot take any more unpaid day off to take exams. I don't know who's going to pay for the time for me to take the exam on another day. This is the classic monopoly problem. I urge NCARB to change to other testing centers or provide options for candidates to take exams with their own choice of testing centers.
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Boer please fill out the independent survey posted above. Its important we capture your testing experience.
Since ARE 5.0 was released several years ago, people have consistently complained about the same software problems and NOTHING has changed. NCARB blames Prometric and Prometric blames NCARB. NCARB reports that only 5% or 13% of people taking exams experience technical problems. However NCARB's Stakeholders are telling us those numbers are SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER then what NCARB claims.
After watching NCARB's comedy of errors with their handling of challenges from 2020, I'm not convinced changing to a new testing provider is going to fix anything. NCARB's Testing Software is broken and is poorly written. That is the problem NCARB fails to recognize.
But according to NCARB they have never made a mistake, they always pointed the finger at Prometric (like a bunch of cowardly Project Managers) and I don't think PSI has any idea of what they signed up for took NCARB on as a client.
In yesterday's memo NCARB told us they couldn't even pick up the telephone due to technical problems. Good luck with transitioning this mess to a new testing provider.
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