My experience at the GMAT exam center at IT Bangla in Dhaka, Bangladesh, was nothing short of a nightmare. The state of the facility was deplorable. The computer terminals were ancient relics, prone to freezing and lagging, which severely disrupted my test-taking process. The keyboards were sticky and unresponsive, making it frustratingly difficult to type efficiently. To add to the misery, the sitting chairs were uncomfortable and in dire need of repair. It felt like I was taking a crucial exam in a run-down cybercafe from the early 2000s. Such subpar conditions not only marred my performance but also left me questioning the credibility of the testing center. A thoroughly disappointing experience.

Read More

I registered for the test at the Rajagiri social sciences college which houses the Pearson VUE test center. On google the college location is at Kalamassery whereas in the official GMAT mail, it is mentioned to be at Kakkanad. Make sure you call them and confirm on the location which is at Kakkanad. Do not confuse with the one on google maps.

The test center has a small entry room where bags can be kept in a locker. The test center administrator was a helpful chap who escorted me to a waiting room since I reached an hour earlier than the reporting time. The room is an air conditioned room with 8-10 test computers. There is a lack of standardization here since the monitor's are of different sizes. The monitor assigned to me was 16 inches but there were others with 24 inch monitors. The center suffers from frequent power outages which leave the room dark. The only light source is the monitor light source and this happened at least 3 times during my test for intervals lasting as long as 5-10 mins. This is an unacceptable condition for the test takers.

Read More

I took the GMAT on 14th July 2020 at Xavier Research Foundation, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India.

Even though I managed to sit for my test somehow amidst the pandemic fears and lockdown restrictions, I am deeply disappointed with the test experience. Following are some of the highly unacceptable issues I faced during my exam:

-I took the Verbal Section first and when I had 15 mins (~10 questions) to go, my screen started flickering.
-I lost the exam view and a white washed screen appeared; a dialog box flashed with some Error message and "DISCONNECT" written in the summary of the box.
-I raised my hand for assistance, but did not receive any help from the test center.
-After a few moments the screen came back on its own but then, it blanked again almost immediately. This phenomenon of screen flickering on-off happened to me almost 6-7 times after the first instance and I raised my hand for assistance every time. It was as if someone was turning my screen on and off like we do with a fan switch.
-I got quite disturbed by this ongoing interruption, but since nobody came to assist me (despite my hand in the air multiple times) and time was less, I had no option but to finish the verbal section with the continuously interrupted screen somehow.
-There were 2 proctors at the center but none of them were present to help me when I had raised my hand.
-During the break, I physically sought out the proctors for help and told them about my issues. They admitted they were engaged elsewhere (another candidate at the center had technical issues with his system and the proctors were busy with that candidate). Then, one of the proctors came to my screen and fixed a cable behind my monitor and told me that the problem should not occur now. Trusting him, I proceeded with the Quantitative section. The problem with the screen did not happen to me again but I had already lost valuable time and peace of mind during the Verbal Section.
-This is also clearly visible in my score report (while I had average performance in other sections, I clearly had a below average performance in Verbal). Even judging by the ESR analysis, I had strong Section I, II in Verbal part but a poor Section III (when the problem with screen started) and a horrible Section IV.

I have written to GMAC and urged them to go ahead and verify my story from the record of CCTV cameras (which will show I did not receive help despite repeated attempts to call for proctor's attention) or check the error log of my exam appointment (which should show how my screen blanked out).

I believe my problem could have been fixed immediately if Pearson Vue staff were more attentive or professional.

I am still waiting to hear back from GMAC / Pearson Vue as I have requested them consider my case and allow me to reschedule another exam attempt soon without any fee since my first attempt turned out to be a disaster due to Pearson Vue's Negligence.
I have lost all hopes of a professional behavior from Xavier College's Pearson Vue.

Side Note : Not just the screen issue, the place itself is too poorly maintained. The AC was not working. There were labor workers right outside the test room who were using heavy machinery, and producing too much noise. We requested Pearson Vue to ask the workers to stop making noise but Pearson staff point-blank refused to help. The workers were good people though and we approached them directly and asked them not to work until we finish our exam, to which they obliged.

This is an extremely poor center and I would not recommend it to anyone.

Read More

The test center is very very cramped. it literally looks like 1990's cyber cafe. my computer got hanged 2-3 times and i lost around 3 minutes every time.
The person in charge never responds if lift your hand. you have to run outside if you face any problem. the restroom was quite ok. the test centre is easy to locate. There was definitely a lot of traffic noise while writing the exam. When i was writing the exam, there were 4 people who were taking the exam along with me.One person was shaking the table and the whole bench was shaking . I pointed it out to the in charge , he was least bothered to even tell the person.If were to retake, i will retake in another location.

Read More

I took my GMAT here last August. The center is located in an OK facility. Chandigarh is an extremely well planned city, so finding parking and locating the building is not an issue at all. However, the test center itself is a small portion of a larger facility, which does tests for other Pearson/Prometric products and also provides coaching to students. So there was a LOT of movement before i entered the testing room, and that is NOT ideal as it can really distract you. The testing facility itself is very small. About 4 terminals which are OK spaced but if compared to the Delhi center, appear cramped.

The invigilator is OK again. I had heard that she's very pretty and sweet, and I would say that is largely true. However, I am there to take an exam and not gawk at her. The lockers are again cramped and very inconvenient.

The worst experience about this center is that its TOO Cold. I actually started sneezing during the test, and I am highly averse to cold. So I basically didn't feel good during the test and ended up screwing it. I did ask them to lower the temperature, and in fact, I had worn a sweatshirt to take the test even though it was Summers. Still - I got that cold.

The second worst thing about this test center is the washroom. Its the common wash room of sorts, located OUTSIDE the test center and above the main facility - doesn't this violate Pearson's policy? I mean my driver was waiting for me outside, I could have might as well handed him my GMAT notes and taken and read them during the break. I went to the washroom without any supervisor.

The washroom itself is filthy and dysfunctional. So I would recommend you finish all your bowel movements at home.

All in all, a disappointing GMAT experience. Compared to Delhi, a center which has been functioning since 5+ years now, it left a bad taste in my mouth.

Read More

This testing center is twice as big as most. They have two big rooms, instead of one like I have seen before. Luckily I was taking a Kaplan practice test, because after one break they took a long time to get me back in, and I was a couple minutes late getting back to the test. When I took the real thing the first time I went here and did not do so well. The snarky guy that handed me my test score said, well you can get into WSU with that score (not a competitive school) and I felt like punching him. Given the size of the testing facility there is a greater possibility that you could have trouble getting back in within the 8 minutes BUT if you come during a time that is not that busy you will be able to get in and out super easy since it is so big.

Read More

Parking facility: N/A (used public transit)
Invigilator Reviews: Very personable and responsive
Environment: Uncomfortably warm and stuffy inside the testing room. Earplugs and headphones are provided. The computers are Dell, but there isn't much space between the case and the desk forcing you to move the keyboard around (annoying on AWA, but otherwise no need for KB)
Additional Info: You are provided with 2 pens and 1 booklet. They will not let you have more than one booklet so remember to swap out at each interval.

Read More