myba
Forum Newbie
Topics: 5
Posts: 18
|
I know this is a strange (and looong) post, but please give me a little insight coz am too freaking out about contacting USMLE or prometric right away.
I just took my exam some days ago in NY. It was very strange from the beginning. There is a time clock thingy on your left top side of the screen where you can click and see how many blocks you have left and how many mins left for breaks and all. I clicked it once and it said "** (# of the block which i was then doing) of 9 blocks" which freaked me out coz I believed there were 7 blocks total but it still said 9 blocks total. But I was rushing thru to do the Qs, coz I noticed that clock was ticking even while I was checking the time stats. And there was no "survey" block mentioned anywhere on that window, and so I guessed maybe they count tutorial & survey as blocks, too.
I didn't take any breaks to get out of the room till I finished my 3rd block (well I sat and rested my eyes in front of the PC between blocks but didn't leave the room) and I also didn't check my little time window after that.
Then I came back from my break and now it said I had "** of 8 blocks" and this time I suddenly had a survey block at the end. So I thought ok something must have been wrong but since ** part (which I was doing) was always correct I didn't care too much and kept going.
I didn't take any breaks after that (except for my rest at the desk) and then I clicked the time window again to check how much time I had left for my break it said "0 mins" so I thought OMG I must have overused my break time so thus I have no time left.
Anyways I knew I had no break time left so I kept going till the last block, and then at the end when I still had some mins left (just a few), it suddenly closed and the window popped up saying "your step1 exam is completed".
I nearly had a heart attack there, but then I thought OK that must have been why it said my break was 0 mins coz I exceeded my break time for a min or two, but I wasn't realy happy about how my clock stopped right there leaving some mins and yet not telling me that I had exactly how much time left.
Plus after that all I saw on the screen was "prometric" logo and I didn't get any survey block.
Believe it or not, the prometric staff actually came in during my last block (with some other students still having exams just like myself) and started cleaning the PCs right beside me. She sprayed on the screen, shook the keyboard upside down, wiped the desk and all that right among the test takers.
Plus another staff who came in to help out one student during the exam - his cell phone suddenly beeped right there beside us as well.
Now am not saying everybody should be perfect, but I was thinking about maybe reporting these in my survey block but I wasn't even given that chance. But then I thought OK prob I even overused that time as well.
The stupid thing is, I didn't ask about any of these during the exam or even after that. Before the exam, they told me specifically that I shouldnt skip any of the tutorials coz they are not able to answer any questions regarding exam, and I thought OK I know I must have used up my time for a min or two which wasn't a big deal (what a min can do to mess up my scores anyways), and the messed up time stat window didn't seem to mess up any further so I should just get the hell out of the center, so that was what I did. I simply left the center without mentioning anything.
But when I told about this to some of my friends, they all told me to contact FMG to make sure everything is alright, since it may even mess up my scores. One of them even said that somebody had to repeat the exam 4 weeks AFTER she got her scores because of the similar problems.
Now am getting really scared. Even if I report it now, they'll most likely say "why didn't you report it on the spot" which is very true. I'm also a bit reluctant to stain my record by complicating things either.
Can anybody shed any lights on this? Did anybody have similar prob? What the heck am I meant to do now?
|
| shwe
Forum Elite
Topics: 10
Posts: 419
|
Thanks for sharing, definately, e mail , also call them re the wired exm day time, blocks .
If I were you will not know any about the time , block, it will be great you or some , all all have done exm st 1 or any to guide tell us, exm experinces in technical, etc, center, staff experinces, instead of only acadamic, Q experinces,.
I will like to know my center , city , that like where to get food, center is too warm, cold, so how to prep expect on exm day in exm room.
Also the clock, block thing I have no clear idea..... what exact is right way to show, how to stop, get block stop , get break etc.
Thank you for sharing, wish you luck re the exm day report to ECFMG & your exm score .
GL 
|
| epica
|
E-mail them ASAP
GL
|
| myba
Forum Newbie
Topics: 5
Posts: 18
|
Thanks guys. I did report the prometric center about the staff cleaning the room during the exam . I will contact ECFMG first thing tomorrow morning with the full details. It's really scary... I really hope they simply tell me "oh, then fly in (I'm an IMG as well) again and re-test" - I already got rid of most of my books! No way I can go thru that hell again. Although the exam itself wasn't too bad.
But then again, I don't want to receive my score and then told to re-test - that would really flip my life upside down.
Thanks again - will act quick as you say.
|
| yoga
usmlelogy professor
Topics: 73
Posts: 647
|
how every thing going??
i hope u r not in trouble
___________________
we are all in the gutter but some of us looking at the stars
|
| myba
Forum Newbie
Topics: 5
Posts: 18
|
Thanks so much Yoga! I just thought I'd close this thread by explaining what happened, so people won't get too concerned about similar situations. I got a letter & an email from ECFMG that they've been investigating my record and software, and after about 2 weeks, they said I was going to receive my scores no problem and that I wouldn't have to repeat the exam. No mention about software bug. And about 3 days ago I did receive a score report by mail, nothing unusual. Even though this girl I mentioned earlier was told 4 weeks after she got her scores to re-take the exam, since I did report it and they did investigate, I'm almost confident there'd be nothing fishy about it anymore (hopefully).
They seem to have taken the matter quite seriously and professionally, which gave me a big relief. Thank you so much for those who gave me encouragement and advice, it really soothed my mind back then. Thanks so much!
|
| yoga
usmlelogy professor
Topics: 73
Posts: 647
|
myba wrote:
And about 3 days ago I did receive a score report by mail, !
good 2 know that everything went well
so how is ur score??
___________________
we are all in the gutter but some of us looking at the stars
|
|
| |
| | | | | | | |
