Tight security?

[bigtrees]

How tight was your security at the test site? It seems like they went a bit overboard.

We had 1 proctor for every 20 people taking the exam, plus an additional 2 proctors enforcing the "no talking in the restroom" rule plus an additional four head proctors watching over the regular proctors.

The part that really suprised me if they had uniformed security there to watch over anything. He wasn't packing heat, but I sure would want to mess with him!

That's by far the tightest security I've ever seen at a test site. I took the exam in the Puyallup, WA location.

 

[BPCW]

I took the test in Iowa and had about the same amount of people monitoring things (except for the uniform security). I think there were 3 proctors, the head guy, and 3 more people watching the doors.

I wouldn't call it tight security though. They came around and checked our calculators and were walking around throughout the exam but they never checked my references and they didn't care about drinks/snacks.

As long as you were following the rules, you didn't have anything to worry about.

 

[PEPG]

I took the test in New York. Unfortunately, I have taken the FE and now the PE a few times at this location. Never, ever, has the exam begun on time. Never. When it rains, we all wait outside. Regardless, I got to the site around 7:15 to find nobody waiting. People were actually admitted at 7:00. My friend who dropped me off went to park the car, and got there around 7:45 and was TURNED AWAY along with about 50 other SCREAMING examinees.

Castle Worldwide (the exam administrator) finally got their act together, but I think they treated the "late" arrivals unfairly. Yes, there is a time the examinees are expected to be there, but if parking is a problem the exam site should be changed to a more suitable location. I am suprised none of the administrators were puched out. :deadhorse:

 

[bigtrees]

I took the test in Iowa and had about the same amount of people monitoring things (except for the uniform security). I think there were 3 proctors, the head guy, and 3 more people watching the doors.
I wouldn't call it tight security though. They came around and checked our calculators and were walking around throughout the exam but they never checked my references and they didn't care about drinks/snacks.

As long as you were following the rules, you didn't have anything to worry about.

I think the uniformed security was probably the part that surprised me.

They had two separate checkpoints where we had to display our photo ID and admission slip in order to get into the exam room in the afternoon. Then they checked our ID a third time at our desks.

 

[Mike in Gastonia]

I am suprised none of the administrators were puched out.

Hence the need for uniformed security apparently.....

 

[kevo_55]

I took the CA special exams over the weekend.

They had the sheriff there for security! I was surprised!

 

[P.E. Luchion]

I took the test in New York. Unfortunately, I have taken the FE and now the PE a few times at this location. Never, ever, has the exam begun on time. Never. When it rains, we all wait outside. Regardless, I got to the site around 7:15 to find nobody waiting. People were actually admitted at 7:00. My friend who dropped me off went to park the car, and got there around 7:45 and was TURNED AWAY along with about 50 other SCREAMING examinees.
Castle Worldwide (the exam administrator) finally got their act together, but I think they treated the "late" arrivals unfairly. Yes, there is a time the examinees are expected to be there, but if parking is a problem the exam site should be changed to a more suitable location. I am suprised none of the administrators were puched out. :deadhorse:

A poor gentlemen sitting by me was removed when we returned for the afternoon portion. The exam wasn't given out yet, but his cellphone rang. He was asked to leave......

but on another funny note now that i look back:

I took in in nyc not sure if its the same site you took it at, but I got there around 6 am. i was told you would be allowed to park in their faculty parking garage, when I rolled up to the gate, I was told, U was supposed to call ahead and put on a list. I drove around the school lookin for parking only thing available was the tues/friday no parking side. I even went to 2 parking garages but both were supposedly at capacity.

It was around 6:45 am I asked the security guard behind the school, do they normally tow cars, he said all the time. With the 10 minutes to spare, I said screw it and parked it on the tues/friday no parking side 8:30-10 AM. At lunch time I ran out and went to check to see if I still had a car. LOL being all stressed out from the morning test. I had forgotten i parked 5 blocks away instead of 3. So here Im thinking my car has been towed. I spend my lunch time trying to find out if it was towed by the sheriff or by a nearby precinct. To my luck neither. I spent the whole afternoon taking my depth session wondering if my car had been stolen.

After the exam I go to the nearby precinct and call the navy yard where they take towed cars and still nothing. I was told I needed to go to the site, where I last saw my car and call 911 to report it stolen. The nice officer at the desk let me leave my crate of study material, because my dumb self, didnt get a case with wheels. So as Im walking to the spot, i decided to keep going to get a bite to eat. As Im crossing the street, i recognize a store i walked by that morning. Made me realize I must have parked further down. and sure enough, 2 blocks down there she is. With no ticket either lol. So now I drive back to the precinct and have to explain how I found my car lol. Damn what a day.

 

[DVINNY]

But really,

you study for 6 months for the damn test, LEAVE THE CELL PHONE IN THE CAR.

Honestly. What did the guy expect?

When I took it, I was always surprised at how many people "forgot" they had their phone on them still.

 

[FLBuff PE]

No tight security at my spot (three proctors, that's it). Howvere, a gal taking the exam in Junction had a calculator not on the approved lit. She got all indignant about it, saying that it didn't have memory function. The proctor (nice lady in her fifties) told her she couldn't use it, and would need to pick it up from the proctors at the break. I thought she was going to cry! Then a nice guy in the back of the room gave her his backup. I probably would have done the same, but I only had my one HP-33S.

 

[bigtrees]

In my row of 20, probably 5-10 people had cell phones on them. The proctors were really nice (I'm in Seattle so you'd expect as much) but the head proctor made it really clear that they wanted. She very nicely told us she didn't want anyone to get booted because their cell phone "accidently" went off during the exam.

I think the cell phone is probably the biggest security risk in the exam. Technically you could go to the bathroom, lock yourself in a stall, and text problems with people outside the exam. I think it'd be stupid (you'd waste more time texting and the problems weren't hard to begin with) but I see the concern.

 

[P.E. Luchion]

But really,
you study for 6 months for the damn test, LEAVE THE CELL PHONE IN THE CAR.

Honestly. What did the guy expect?

When I took it, I was always surprised at how many people "forgot" they had their phone on them still.

I totally agree, I was surprised on how many phones were given in, and in the morning portion 4-5 times you heard a phone go off in the bag.

Also there was a few heads that didnt bring a approved calculator. I dont get how some folks dont follow instructions. There was 1 gentlemen in the morning who actually misplaced his admission ticket, felt bad for him too.

 

[EM_PS]

yeah i'd say in the FE group i was in, probably close to 10% brought cell phones in (this out of 200+ folks) - additionally, some poor slob didn't bring a calculator(!) WTF! I had 2 calcs, the fx115ES, and my backup, the 115MS. When they asked if anyone had a spare, somebody volunteered whatever backup they had. . .but i couldn't help but think, why should i compromise my success potential becuz of this idiot. . .seriously

 

[ktulu]

The location that I took the exam was fairly laxed. One guy actually had a hat on before the test. Not sure if he wore it the whole time, but the proctors walked past him several times and I did not see them tell him to take it off.

And, it was one of the proctors who had his cell phone go off. The head proctor gave him a WTF? look.

The only thing that pissed me off was that I was closest to the only door, and it squeaked, loudly.

 

[csb]

Man, I KNEW I hadn't brought my phone in, but even so when they mentioned it I obsessively searched my pockets. Who are these PEOPLE?!

We had three proctors...and the guy next to me was wearing a hat until almost three hours in when they told him to take it off.

 

[frazil]

Luchion - that's a funny story about your car. Sounds like something I would do.

 

[EM_PS]

I had both my calcs on the table, just for the possibility of needing it (spare). . .and i'll usually have one in radians mode, and the other in degrees mode - that way i don't have to toggle one back & forth, or maybe forget to switch it back - anywho, one of the proctors made me put the spare on the floor (thought that was harsh). And we had a ton of proctors patrolling around. . . probably upwards of 10 or more(?)

 

[csb]

^ that's ridiculous. While I can agree with exam security to a certain degree, the amount that the rules vary by state and even by proctor is just stupid. I feel it's like what has happened with TSA and flying. Do you feel safer when you fly? Have you brought on something that was banned? I think people who are going to cheat, whoever those sick bastards are, will find a way to do it. Meanwhile, the rest of us suffer the consequences...no watches on the table, no pencil notes, etc. Just stupid.

 

[Jennifer]

I had both my calcs on the table, just for the possibility of needing it (spare). . .and i'll usually have one in radians mode, and the other in degrees mode - that way i don't have to toggle one back & forth, or maybe forget to switch it back - anywho, one of the proctors made me put the spare on the floor (thought that was harsh). And we had a ton of proctors patrolling around. . . probably upwards of 10 or more(?)

That sucks...I kept two of my calculators on my desk (somehow I ended up with three all together, so I kept one in my bag). But I ended up using both. I'd grab the one closest to me at any given time. Not for any particular functional reason...just convenience...but it makes sense if you need radian/degrees.

 

[RIP - VTEnviro]

plus an additional 2 proctors enforcing the "no talking in the restroom"

So they just sat around in the men's room all day? How'd they end up drawing that short straw?

 

[PEPG]

A poor gentlemen sitting by me was removed when we returned for the afternoon portion. The exam wasn't given out yet, but his cellphone rang. He was asked to leave......but on another funny note now that i look back:

I took in in nyc not sure if its the same site you took it at, but I got there around 6 am. i was told you would be allowed to park in their faculty parking garage, when I rolled up to the gate, I was told, U was supposed to call ahead and put on a list. I drove around the school lookin for parking only thing available was the tues/friday no parking side. I even went to 2 parking garages but both were supposedly at capacity.

It was around 6:45 am I asked the security guard behind the school, do they normally tow cars, he said all the time. With the 10 minutes to spare, I said screw it and parked it on the tues/friday no parking side 8:30-10 AM. At lunch time I ran out and went to check to see if I still had a car. LOL being all stressed out from the morning test. I had forgotten i parked 5 blocks away instead of 3. So here Im thinking my car has been towed. I spend my lunch time trying to find out if it was towed by the sheriff or by a nearby precinct. To my luck neither. I spent the whole afternoon taking my depth session wondering if my car had been stolen.

After the exam I go to the nearby precinct and call the navy yard where they take towed cars and still nothing. I was told I needed to go to the site, where I last saw my car and call 911 to report it stolen. The nice officer at the desk let me leave my crate of study material, because my dumb self, didnt get a case with wheels. So as Im walking to the spot, i decided to keep going to get a bite to eat. As Im crossing the street, i recognize a store i walked by that morning. Made me realize I must have parked further down. and sure enough, 2 blocks down there she is. With no ticket either lol. So now I drive back to the precinct and have to explain how I found my car lol. Damn what a day.

That is a horrible way to spend the PE exam. Did you take it at Pratt in Brooklyn? Sounds like the neighborhood.