Testing center folly

[levocap]

I took the exam last month at Pearson, White Plains NY. I found an inconsistency in the test room procedure and wanted to see if anyone has any comments on it.
At the end of each section, we are given a 8 minute break. Typically, I step out of the room immediately, spending about 4 minutes outside the testing room. When I enter back into the room, I should still have about 4 minutes left on my break. However, the proctor who signs me into the computer immediately bypasses the break screen to go to the next section so I effectively lose the 4 minutes and the computer starts the 1 minute count-down to the next section. Has anyone encounter this and is their a problem with the official testing procedure?

[sreak1089]

Hi, I think it is same every where. As soon as you enter the room, your counter expires.

As far as I know, you can only have the break while you are out of the test room..

[fmohsin]

This is correct. Same happened to me during my exam few weeks ago so I asked the proctor to understand and obiviously got the same explanation as above.

[jjk]

Yep, that's just how it is. Your break time runs the duration of the time you're outside the testing room. Kinda sucks b/c when I took it, I would have liked a little time to sit down and recalibrate, but you just gotta roll with it.

[Victor Creed]

When do u guys write down the A B C D E options in paper, is it before you leave for break or after?
I am confused about how it works, since i have not given exam yet.

[needmotivation]

I actually took the exam at two different testing centers and they were not consistent at all with how they checked people in. The first testing center I went to, had a very systematic check in system. They checked in people as they came in so when the break came, they weren't checking out 10 people at the same time. Because of this I assumed all testing centers operated alike. boy was I wrong!! When it came time to take my exam again, the 2nd testing center I went to checked everyone in at the same time, which resulted in people waiting in line to be checked in. As a result I lost time on both my Math and Verbal sections because I was waiting on line (not to mention that the palm scanner was malfunctioning that day). In the end I ended up canceling my scores, getting a refund because of the palm scanner wasn't working, taking the exam at the first testing center I went to and ended up with a score that I was happy with. Not sure if this helps, but thought I'd share my experience. Good luck!