[Test Center Review] Westmont College, Santa Barbara, CA

johnmelcon

Proctors: 2 female proctors (1 of whom seemed very experienced). Followed the rules precisely, but were personable and never distracting.

Facilities: Clean, modern, and very well lit. Very new building amongst the school's fine arts facilities. Westmont has a beautiful manicured mediterranean campus which I found helped me relax and enjoy the day. Great space to walk around before the test. Bathrooms close--across the courtyard.

What kind of room: Spacious tiered classroom. Far larger than needed. A bit chilly--I kept my fleece jacket on for most of the test (or maybe it was just nerves that made it feel cold??)

How many in the room: I believe there were a total of 15 test takers. Certainly no more than 20.

Desks: Long, continuous bolted-down table style desks in each row. Tons of space--I had an entire row to myself and all the desk space I could have ever needed. Chairs were padded.

Left-handed accommodation: I am left-hand and due to the nature of the desks (see above) it was ideal.

Noise levels: I didn't experience any distracting sounds or noise levels, inside or outside the room. One test taker had a squeaky chair, but it was discovered before the exam began and the proctor allowed him to change seats (for the benefit of all).

Parking: Easy, free (no pass or permit needed), and close to the testing room. Not even a gatehouse to worry about.

Time elapsed from arrival to test: I didn't keep track, but it seemed about as efficient as one would expect. We did have to wait outdoors beforehand (no hallways), but the weather was beautiful as it almost always is in Santa Barbara, so this was not an issue.

Irregularities or mishaps: None.

Other comments: I believe the Westmont test center is probably capped at 15 or 20 test takers, mostly to accommodate Westmont students. Not being a Westmont student myself, though, I was able to get in. Just be sure to register early if you want this site, otherwise you're stuck with UCSB and we all know what happened there in December 2015!

Would you take the test here again? Absolutely! I cannot imagine a better test center.

Date of Exam: December 2015.

johnmelcon

I learned recently that due to the small size, the Westmont test center fills up fast (it's really just "intended" for Westmont students). Make sure you sign up super early. It is worth it!