Going to the testing center for the first time can be stressful, but it doesn’t have to be.
Here are a few tips for first time BYU students to have a smooth and stress-free experience.
When prepping for a test it is very important to know when the test will be open and when the five dollar late fee starts.
Students can visit the testing center website to view all of this information under the student tab.
When going in to take a test, there are areas both inside and outside to do some last-minute studying, but it is always smart to do the majority of studying before the day of the test.
“Just take a few minutes every day beforehand and you can come in confident, feeling ready to take the test,” Daniel McIllece, a testing center employee, said.
Those who choose to study inside the building need to stay on the first floor.
The testing center has vending machines, drinking fountains and bathrooms on the first floor to make sure students can head into their test feeling comfortable and focused.
Once ready, students head upstairs to show a testing center employee their student ID before receiving their test.
Students must make sure all personal smart devices are shut off and inside a backpack. This includes smartphones, smartwatches, Fitbits and smart glasses.
“Please just turn off your phone,” McIllece said. “Please, please, please … we are required to remove people if we see or hear their phones outside of their bags … It’s just an inconvenience for you and we don’t really enjoy doing it because we want you guys to succeed.”
Most tests do not allow students to have any items with them while testing, except for a pencil, but students may be allowed to use tools such as a textbook or calculator if the professor allows it.
If students forget to bring a pencil, they can purchase one at the desk for 35 cents.
Once students have their test and bubble sheet, they enter the testing room, find a seat and place their backpack under the desk.
“You can see the sky, you’re not in a prison and you can see the pictures of the Savior and plants and you can just kind of take a deep breath and be like, ‘I got this,’” McIllece said.
As students take their exams, testing center employees and cameras set up around the room are watching.
“We kind of see everything that’s going on in the building,” McIllece said. “We’re able to see a lot of things, especially live. If we zoom in, we can actually see what you’re writing, so please don’t cheat because we will catch you.”
Once finished, students will head to the door under the “leave exams here" sign and hand the testing center employees their test and bubble sheet.
Then, students can head down the stairs and exit the building.
The exam score should be available on the testing center website shortly after completing the test, if the professor allows the students to see their scores.