Technical Issues during Exam - Please help..
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21 Jan 2017, 09:30
Hi all,
I took my GMAT the 4th of January and experienced technical issues right after my quant section.
I was aiming for a 700-720 as my mockup scores from multiple sources were in that range. Over the past months, I tried to build a testing routine - I figured a way of what to eat when and when to use the toilet, so I would do well during my actual GMAT exam. The quant part went quite well for my expectations (Ended up with a 48). However, when I returned to my desk after 4 minutes, my computer broke down and the screen froze. The Pearson staff told me to wait in the examination room first but after five minutes had me leave the room. They asked me to sit in the entrance hall of the testing center and informed me that I might not be able to finish the exam. They desperately started calling technicians and hoped for support and having in mind that I had to finish my test that day in order to be able to apply for my program, I started panicking. I asked them multiple times for updates and was just told to sit and wait. After roughly 20-30 minutes I was finally allowed back in the testing room but by that time had lost my whole concentration. My pulse was around 130, I could barely focus and to cap it all, my bladder started to make itself felt. I was usally in a verbal range of 39 to 41 but ended up with a ridicolous 27... (total 620) - far far below my expectations..
I am usually not the person to blame someone else, but in that case, the whole routine that I build was interrupted. The staff running and shouting trough the room and the thoughts of not being able to finish the test ruined my concentration.
I contacted the GMAC and Pearson VUE staff and stated that I did not receive a fair treatment. To my understanding, the purpose of a testing center is to provide a fair testing experience for every participant. The GMAT test stipulates an exact timing of the individual sessions and the breaks. Every participants prepares himself in advance for the exact amount of time and based on that can build a routine on toilet breaks, concentration, and wakefulness for both the active testing phase as well as the breaks. Due to the faulty system or computer, my break was overall more than half an hour instead of the compulsory 8 minutes (or less) that I prepared for and there was nothing I could do about it.
I was then informed that I just have to accept this technical issue as given and that I won't neither be granted a refund nor given a second chance - as only a timeloss would allow such actions.
Now, I would really need your help. Is there anything I can do about this? I thought about taking legal actions against Pearson VUE, as I did not receive the fair testing experience that I paid for. Has anyone experienced a similar situation and can give some advice?
It would be truly helpful as I am truly devastated...
Highly appreciate it and thanks a lot!
Johannes