" dear ets
Dear ETS/GRE test people,
I understand that not everyone agrees on the purpose of standardized tests. I also, assume or hope, that you believe what you are doing is a useful measure of our abilities. Also, I assume or hope, that you believe you are being fair. However, having taken the GRE subject test (Literature in English) twice now I have come to the conclusion that you have no respect for us as either applicants who need to take this test, or respect for us as people who have lives and schedules.
Perhaps, ETS, you have no control over the test proctors. Or, perhaps, I have been incredibly unlucky and had two proctors who were particularly lazy. That aside the opening procedure -- to which my proctors this time assured us was necessary -- took almost an hour. In which we filed one-by-one through a door and had our ID and ticket checked. And then we were seated. And then instructions were read. And then test booklets were handed out -- and checked with our ID and then manually recorded booklet number and name. And then some instructions were read again. And then answer sheets were handed out and checked with our IDs. And then we were allowed to begin -- after more instructions were read.
This, I understand, may be a necessary evil. I am willing to believe (somewhat unhappily) that this is the only way you could see to structure this test giving procedure. However, my GRE ticket said to arrive at 8.30am. Any later and we would not be allowed in the building.
We were told to line-up at 8.50. I did not enter the room where we would take the test until 9.20. I began my 2hour and 50 minute test sometime after ten.
If you are taking a GRE subject test you are probably applying to graduate school. I believe you must have graduated college to do so, but I could be wrong. Perhaps I am wrong. However, regardless, I do feel that by this time you should believe in our ability to show up on time and not purposefully start the test sometime after that. I should also mention the first time I took the GRE we started the instruction bit 20 minutes late, however we were seated and checked through before that. Our proctor was simply late.
There are some reasons as to why this is irritating and/or disrespectful. Or, perhaps, simply misleading. If it is meant to be "show up at this appointed time but we will start the actual test over an hour later" please make it clear. If this is simply proctor error, I do ask that you take some care to stress to the proctors that are either hired or you choose from a volunteer pool that this is an important test and most people get exceedingly angry, frustrated or anxious when being made to wait for long periods of time before taking the test. Or, I ask, simply for the decency to respect us as people and try to begin on time.
Hoping for improvements,
A
P.S. - I am beginning to find taking the GRE standard test humiliating. I understand ID checking. However turning down pockets and then being wanded with a metal detector wand is beginning to head down a path I feel uncomfortable with. If I take the GRE standard again should I begin to expect to be patted down or go through a body scanner?
I understand that not everyone agrees on the purpose of standardized tests. I also, assume or hope, that you believe what you are doing is a useful measure of our abilities. Also, I assume or hope, that you believe you are being fair. However, having taken the GRE subject test (Literature in English) twice now I have come to the conclusion that you have no respect for us as either applicants who need to take this test, or respect for us as people who have lives and schedules.
Perhaps, ETS, you have no control over the test proctors. Or, perhaps, I have been incredibly unlucky and had two proctors who were particularly lazy. That aside the opening procedure -- to which my proctors this time assured us was necessary -- took almost an hour. In which we filed one-by-one through a door and had our ID and ticket checked. And then we were seated. And then instructions were read. And then test booklets were handed out -- and checked with our ID and then manually recorded booklet number and name. And then some instructions were read again. And then answer sheets were handed out and checked with our IDs. And then we were allowed to begin -- after more instructions were read.
This, I understand, may be a necessary evil. I am willing to believe (somewhat unhappily) that this is the only way you could see to structure this test giving procedure. However, my GRE ticket said to arrive at 8.30am. Any later and we would not be allowed in the building.
We were told to line-up at 8.50. I did not enter the room where we would take the test until 9.20. I began my 2hour and 50 minute test sometime after ten.
If you are taking a GRE subject test you are probably applying to graduate school. I believe you must have graduated college to do so, but I could be wrong. Perhaps I am wrong. However, regardless, I do feel that by this time you should believe in our ability to show up on time and not purposefully start the test sometime after that. I should also mention the first time I took the GRE we started the instruction bit 20 minutes late, however we were seated and checked through before that. Our proctor was simply late.
There are some reasons as to why this is irritating and/or disrespectful. Or, perhaps, simply misleading. If it is meant to be "show up at this appointed time but we will start the actual test over an hour later" please make it clear. If this is simply proctor error, I do ask that you take some care to stress to the proctors that are either hired or you choose from a volunteer pool that this is an important test and most people get exceedingly angry, frustrated or anxious when being made to wait for long periods of time before taking the test. Or, I ask, simply for the decency to respect us as people and try to begin on time.
Hoping for improvements,
A
P.S. - I am beginning to find taking the GRE standard test humiliating. I understand ID checking. However turning down pockets and then being wanded with a metal detector wand is beginning to head down a path I feel uncomfortable with. If I take the GRE standard again should I begin to expect to be patted down or go through a body scanner?