on test day

[lzypanda]

So after I signed up I read that all your stuff goes in a locker at the testing site. Has anyone taken the exam recently? Are we allowed to have like a bottle of water? Coffee? Scratch paper? Blanket? :sadface: Thanks for the input!

[doubledown10]

This is what happens. I actually walked into the testing site with a book in my hand and a woman freaked out on me that was sitting at the desk. She yelled, no kidding, yelled, across the room "Sir, you cannot have books in here" so I was like oh, okay. And went back out to my care and put it up. They will not allow you to bring water into the testing. No food, no drinks. They made me roll up my sleeves and take off a KIA bracelet for one of my soldiers that I wear on my right wrist. No watches. No overly baggy sweaters. They told me to take off my long sleeve jacket and I said "um, no" and they said "Okay, we can just monitor you more closely" They will take a vein scan of you hands to make sure if you leave, you are who you are supposed to be when you sign back in off of break. I've been in the Bush CIA building a bunch of times, it's only slightly less of a pain in the butt.

[lzypanda]

a vein scan?!! what in the world is that? jeez.. i guess i'll just wear some really tight layers of clothes ;(

[purplecats07]

You just put your hand on a plastic box with a big hole in the center, and it looks at your veins. I actually only got it to work twice for me. The other times it couldn't find a match. They had to try twice on each hand (to make the computer happy), at which point they just used one of my IDs (which your required to take with you) to verify who I was. It was no big deal, it just ate some of my break time.

Also, they let me take in a small jacket (they don't want big jackets). They do provide you with a white-board and marker to use to make notes, ear plugs and headphones, in case there are any distracting noises. At my testing center there was a bird that occasionally sung really loud right outside which made me opt to use the headphones!

They try to make the testing center as comfortable as they can, as well as secure.

[Joelseff]

wait you're serious about the vein scan??? how does that Identify you? LOL

[marilynpac]

Gee I didn't have that experience at all. Granted I had to show two forms of ID, have photo taken and then fingerprint, but I remember that from the first time. I had a fleece jacket which I was allowed to keep on, no problem. I told her I was taking a antihypertensive that had a diuretic in it would that be a problem,she just said to raise my hand. I only had to raise my hand once and that was b/c the marker that they gave me to use with the eraser board didn't work. Other than that the only other thing I had to worry about was the exam. Pretty pleasant experience, I thanked the ladies and left. Three days later I found out I passed with flying colors. I was not allowed to have water but if I wanted a break they said to just raise my hand...as I said no major problems at all.