The LSAC really needs to get its act together – at least on the LSAT days.
When I took the LSATs last September the only part I remember being annoyed about was the fact that when I got to my testing location, I had to go the second floor of the basement of one building to find out where I was supposed to take the exam in a completely different building.
Why they couldn’t post that list on the main door of the building or the MANY surrounding windows, you ask? Beats me. But when you find out – let me know.
I took the exam for a second time today. It was originally scheduled for February 6th, but it got cancelled because of snow (and ironically we didn’t get the big snow storm till days later).
Anyhow, back to this morning:
I left early and got there with some time to spare (in case they did the whole ‘go-down-two-floors-of-this-building-to-find-out-what-room-you-are-taking-the-exam-in-a-completely-different-building‘ again). This time, fortunately, they were smart enough to post the list on a window close to the doors. I still had to go to a different building, but it was a step in the right direction. Considering they do this at least four times a year EVERY year, you would think (and hope) that they would have the simple stuff like this pretty set.
So we are finally settling down (and this proctor didn’t make us sit alphabetically or in any organized fashion) in the room and this one girl points out that not everyone has an admission ticket (since the exam was cancelled originally, those who hadn’t printed it at the point no longer could) and the email we all received said we would get an empty one at the testing center if we needed one.
I wish there was a way to describe the look on the proctor’s face because it was priceless. She looked at the girl like she was a)nuts and b)totally making this up. A couple of other people who were in a similar situation spoke up and the main proctor finally sent the other proctor to find out what she was supposed to do because she didn’t have any empty admission tickets.
The second proctor finally comes back with some empty admission tickets. Way to being organized! You would think (and hope) that the proctor of the exam had simple information like this. We are already stressed out as it is, we don’t need unnecessary stress added on top it.
Then the main proctor starts walking around the room taking attendance and finger-printing us for the admission ticket as a part of the process (she only made us do it once even though last time we had to do it in two boxes just like the instructions said) and when she gets to me – I ask her shouldn’t I be signing the form now in front of you? To which she responds “oh, yeah”. Like really?
Other things that annoyed me:
- The second proctor continuously coming in and out of the room. Like seriously she would not stay in the same place and the doors creaking every time was driving everyone crazy.
- The proctor didn’t put the timing on the boards for any of the section so it was hard to keep track of how much time we had left.
- The proctor next door was talking loud enough so that we could hear her clearly and I was on the completely opposite side of the room.
- The five minute warnings before the time allocated for each section was to be over turning in to a ‘oh you have a little less than four minutes left’ twice.
Oh and how can I forget this: when my original exam was cancelled I received an email from the LSAC telling me that within a week I would get another email with my new testing date. Exactly a week later, I got an email telling me my test would be on one of two dates (both Saturdays). And that I would get ANOTHER email telling me which of those two dates by the Wednesday BEFORE my test date.
Seriously? Are they purposefully trying to annoy us and/or stress us out more than we already are?
I’m sure there were other small things too, but this is all I can think of right now.
23 days until scores come out.
P.S. Don’t forget to leave me a comment below on your thoughts! As always, I’d love to hear from you.
Yikes! What a nightmare. I hope the test went well for you, even with all those distractions.
thanks, and yeah it was pretty horrible and frustrating.