[Test Center Review] Furman University Greenville, SC

bbutler

When I took it: October 3rd, 2015

Proctors:
We actually had 2 proctors and they were both very helpful overall. I'm not trying to be age-ist (if that's even a word) or sexist but I greatly appreciated having relatively older ladies as our proctors. They were very inviting and conversational before the test began and I think that calmed down some of the people in the room who were obviously very nervous. Very approachable and knew what they were doing.

Facilities:
Overall the facilities were nice, unlike some horror stories the facility was very well labeled with signs on where to go. The bathrooms were close and were clean, they had a nice lounge that was down the hall from the test center that was good both before the test to accommodate people who wanted to warm up with a section, and during break. Also I know its expected but the water fountains were right there and had really cold water which was a plus considering that I've had water fountains that had room temperature water before.

What kind of room:
We were in a classroom probably 20 ft. by 20 ft. It was big enough to accommodate everybody but also not massive to where you were in an auditorium. It was all level,(no stairs within the room), the room was at a good temperature, and had adequate light. There was a clock in the front of the room which was semi-helpful for the people who didn't bring a watch.

How many in the room:
Including myself we had just under 20 people sit for the exam.

Desks:
The desks were okay, they had enough space to accommodate all of your objects however if you didn't have your pencils vertically aligned on your desk they would roll right down which got annoying. It had a solid sheet top not one of the flip ups that you had on either your right or left side. The legs of the desk were metal and were stable so the desks didn't shake. Overall they were what I expected, each person had an individual desk and the chairs were actually very comfortable from what I remember.

Left-handed accommodation:
I didn't take the test left-handed but the individual who did was accommodated. He sat in the front so when the proctors walked around they made sure to go to his right so that way they wouldn't bump his arm. Overall the desks were square so they could accommodate left-handed or right handed test takers.

Noise levels:
This is no fault of the facility but I took the test in October in the middle of a flood in SC so the siren actually went off on campus because it was storming so bad. Overall the acoustics of the room were solid in that it could block out normal rain or someone walking down the hall but during a thunderstorm/massive flooding the noise definitely was heard.

Parking:
Parking was very convenient, it was a short walk maybe a minute max from there to inside the lounge where you checked in. They had signs set up when you entered campus indicating where to go and where to park which was nice after never being on campus there before.

Time elapsed from arrival to test:
This falls in line with the noise levels and the irregularities sections. When I took the test, because of the severe conditions we didn't start the exam for like an hour and a half after we were supposed to. We waited until like 9:45 or 10:00 before we started. Overall though the proctors and staff did a great job of checking us in very quickly, they simply wanted to wait for anybody who showed up late due to the bad weather.

Irregularities or mishaps:
Quite honestly the test center was very accommodating but mother nature wasn't accommodating at all that day. With the severe flooding and the state of emergency called that day along with other storms I can definitely say I didn't score anywhere near what I was before. We even had someone open the door to tell us that they were closing campus in either the 4th or 5th section due to the weather and then realized that we were taking a standardized test. It wasn't pretty.

Would you take the test here again?
The staff and proctors did a great job battling the elements that day and overall they were very accommodating given all of the factors against them. Overall it was a great facility and I would take the test here again and I would recommend it to anyone. I just wish the weather would have cooperated but everything happens for a reason, so this just gives me a chance now to score even higher!

twssmith

This review was incredibly helpful when all of the test sites for June within 100 miles from me in GA were booked. Although I withdrew from June exam, @bbutler not only provided a great review but was incredibly helpful on PM with where to stay and was available for any questions about travel, restaurants, etc and was incredibly supportive to allay any concerns that I had:)