Have you ever caught yourself complaining about the Testing Center? About how it is so far away, or about the late fees, long lines, claustrophobic desks, or inconvenient hours? I don't think that most of us here at BYU realize how great the system at the Testing Center really is, or how many good things result because of it.
There are very few universities throughout the country that have facilities similar to our Testing Center and most of them are not nearly as big as BYU. It is amazing how efficiently the Testing Center is run. Around 30,000 undergraduate students move through it several times a semester.
A few obvious benefits are that students can take a test when it best fits their schedule and class time can be used for learning or lectures. A person can even go online and see how long the lines are via web cam. That's pretty impressive.
It is also very unique that we have been put into a situation where cheating is not a big deal and students can be trusted with their integrity. Students can, for the most part, find out their scores immediately after the test. It is extremely efficient and test results can also be accessed over the Internet. We have all had that experience, walking down the stairs out of the testing center and looking at that T.V. screen, hoping to see a green, flashing 'congratulations.' Even though we dread it and even can't get ourselves to look sometimes, it is pretty great that we can see how we did immediately instead of waiting for professors or T.A.s to take the time to grade tests. And in reality, I am sure they are glad they don't have to grade them either.
So next time you find yourself complaining about how far it is to walk to the testing center, think about how hard people have worked to make it convenient for students and faculty. One good thing about BYU is that they have been around for a really long time. They know what they are doing and have found the easiest and most efficient solutions to big problems.
Bridget Layton
Salt Lake City