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[Test Center Review] Northeastern University, Boston, MA
Ron Swanson
Alum Member Inactive ⭐
Proctors:
Overall the proctors seemed rattled. While they were not being disruptive (chatting/using phones), they were constantly questioning each other about proper procedure. There was a lot of confusion sending test takers to rooms and when to allow individuals to use the restroom. For example, one proctor made students sit in their assigned seats and explicitly said that we could use the bathroom once all testers were seated. Then another proctor said that nobody could leave the test room until the break. Certainly not ideal to have proctors contradict each other on procedural elements of the test.
Facilities:
Northeastern is an extremely well-maintained school. Bathrooms are neat, and the test center in Shillman Hall has restrooms on each floor. There is also plenty of space for students to clear their heads and be alone during the break (an essential thing for me).
What kind of room:
As I mentioned, my test was administered in Shillman Hall. For those who may not be familiar with Northeastern, Shillman classroom are lecture halls with "stadium seating". Chairs are comfortable, the room is well lit, and analog clocks are front and center.
How many in the room:
Approximately 60-80 students. In my opinion, it's less than ideal to have so many people in a room taking the test. As a student at Northeastern, I understand why they would put us in Shillman (easy to find, large rooms) but I think it's beneficial for test takers to be around fewer people during the exam. Despite this, I wouldn't have characterized the room as especially loud.
Desks:
Classrooms at this test center don't have "desks" per say. Rather than try to explain, just follow the link below and it'll be clear what you're working with. You'll have plenty of room for the test booklet and answer sheet to be side by side.
**This is not a picture of Northeastern, but this is how the room is set up**
http://www.husseyseating.com/swing-away-seating-photos/california-baptist-university/#.VsDp6HQrK2w
Left-handed accommodation:
Left-handed people should not have any difficulties if LSAC continues to use Shillman hall for the Northeastern test center.
Noise levels:
Northeastern University is an urban campus, however I don't recall being disrupted by noise. The location of the test center is in the middle of campus, away from main streets like Huntington Ave. With that said, you shouldn't be surprised to hear a faint siren or two, as is common in cities.
Parking:
Northeastern has plenty of parking. The Columbus Ave lot is probably your best bet, very close to the test center. You will have to pay to park at Northeastern. You could also pay for a meter and get street parking, but for the sake of reliability, I would just park in a garage.
You may want to do your own parking research as I don't have a car in the city and everything above comes from my knowledge as a student at Northeastern.
Time elapsed from arrival to test:
90-120 minutes. This is a rough estimate, the proctors were not very organized.
Irregularities or mishaps:
The contradictory directions at the start of the test were a serious problem for me.
The proctor checking tickets at the door to my test room instructed many of us to sit in our assigned seats, and explicitly stated that we could use the restroom before the test began, but it was important that everyone sat down first. This was obviously incorrect. I was extremely agitated when I realized she told us the completely wrong information. Make sure you use the bathroom BEFORE you go into the test room. Trust me, it's tough to focus when you've got a full bladder and section 1 hasn't even started. With that said, it's important to be able to power through distractions on test day, your LSAT skills should trump any administrative error.
Other comments:
Would you take the test here again?
Yes. Aside from some specific proctor issues, there's no reason to avoid this test center. Test takers have plenty of space to work with, chairs are comfortable, and you have plenty of space to clear your head during the break.
Proctor issues happen and I don't think they're reflective of the test center. Just know the administrative procedure of the test and you'll be fine.
Overall the proctors seemed rattled. While they were not being disruptive (chatting/using phones), they were constantly questioning each other about proper procedure. There was a lot of confusion sending test takers to rooms and when to allow individuals to use the restroom. For example, one proctor made students sit in their assigned seats and explicitly said that we could use the bathroom once all testers were seated. Then another proctor said that nobody could leave the test room until the break. Certainly not ideal to have proctors contradict each other on procedural elements of the test.
Facilities:
Northeastern is an extremely well-maintained school. Bathrooms are neat, and the test center in Shillman Hall has restrooms on each floor. There is also plenty of space for students to clear their heads and be alone during the break (an essential thing for me).
What kind of room:
As I mentioned, my test was administered in Shillman Hall. For those who may not be familiar with Northeastern, Shillman classroom are lecture halls with "stadium seating". Chairs are comfortable, the room is well lit, and analog clocks are front and center.
How many in the room:
Approximately 60-80 students. In my opinion, it's less than ideal to have so many people in a room taking the test. As a student at Northeastern, I understand why they would put us in Shillman (easy to find, large rooms) but I think it's beneficial for test takers to be around fewer people during the exam. Despite this, I wouldn't have characterized the room as especially loud.
Desks:
Classrooms at this test center don't have "desks" per say. Rather than try to explain, just follow the link below and it'll be clear what you're working with. You'll have plenty of room for the test booklet and answer sheet to be side by side.
**This is not a picture of Northeastern, but this is how the room is set up**
http://www.husseyseating.com/swing-away-seating-photos/california-baptist-university/#.VsDp6HQrK2w
Left-handed accommodation:
Left-handed people should not have any difficulties if LSAC continues to use Shillman hall for the Northeastern test center.
Noise levels:
Northeastern University is an urban campus, however I don't recall being disrupted by noise. The location of the test center is in the middle of campus, away from main streets like Huntington Ave. With that said, you shouldn't be surprised to hear a faint siren or two, as is common in cities.
Parking:
Northeastern has plenty of parking. The Columbus Ave lot is probably your best bet, very close to the test center. You will have to pay to park at Northeastern. You could also pay for a meter and get street parking, but for the sake of reliability, I would just park in a garage.
You may want to do your own parking research as I don't have a car in the city and everything above comes from my knowledge as a student at Northeastern.
Time elapsed from arrival to test:
90-120 minutes. This is a rough estimate, the proctors were not very organized.
Irregularities or mishaps:
The contradictory directions at the start of the test were a serious problem for me.
The proctor checking tickets at the door to my test room instructed many of us to sit in our assigned seats, and explicitly stated that we could use the restroom before the test began, but it was important that everyone sat down first. This was obviously incorrect. I was extremely agitated when I realized she told us the completely wrong information. Make sure you use the bathroom BEFORE you go into the test room. Trust me, it's tough to focus when you've got a full bladder and section 1 hasn't even started. With that said, it's important to be able to power through distractions on test day, your LSAT skills should trump any administrative error.
Other comments:
Would you take the test here again?
Yes. Aside from some specific proctor issues, there's no reason to avoid this test center. Test takers have plenty of space to work with, chairs are comfortable, and you have plenty of space to clear your head during the break.
Proctor issues happen and I don't think they're reflective of the test center. Just know the administrative procedure of the test and you'll be fine.
