I came here to take my GRE. I've taken the SAT, SAT II, and TOEFL in the past, so I feel like I have some experience with testing centers -- and this one is pretty bad. The staff is rude and their communication skills are bad enough to actually impede test-takers because they fail to explain policies adequately. Everyone at this center acted like test-takers were criminals or minor irritants, to be avoided at all costs. The facilities themselves are depressing (understandably) but the bathroom's distance from the testing area is another unforgivable obstacle; when one has five minutes between test sections and it takes 1.5 minutes to walk to the bathroom... That presents a distinct disadvantage. Finally (and this is probably more relevant to ETS policies in general than this testing center in particular): I find it ridiculous that in this day & age, there would be no water permitted inside a testing room that requires spurts of 2-3 hour activity at a time. People need to hydrate, and asking test-takers to be without water for so long definitely affects their productivity. read more

This review is for the center on the 17th floor. I took two tests here (1 8-hour test, and 1 9-hour test). I had an OK experience the first time - staff were friendly, courteous, the place was quiet and clean. However, a new team was on duty for my second exam and for some reason they were completely inconsiderate of the fact that they were making way too much noise right outside the examination cubicles. There are two desks outside the examination area where they check examinees going in; at one point, two employees were having a very loud conversation in this area about stuff NOT related in any way to the testing center or work. This went on for about 1-2 hours. I do not understand why they couldn't wait or why they couldn't take their personal conversation somewhere else... It was extremely distracting. read more

Not sure why so many whiners on here. Place was pretty standard. Check your gear in, get metal detected. Then sit an exam in a grey cubicle. All pretty standard really. Gave it 5 stars to drag the average up I where it should be. read more

Never thought I'd felt compelled to write a Yelp review about a standardized testing center, because well...a standardized test center should be a standardized experience. Instead this test center goes out of it's way to disrupt your concentration. Instead of the normal quiet waiting room you might expect, the waiting room is filled with the sounds of trashy reality television shows, apparently there for the amusement of the staff. Instead of being able to have a snack during a short break during long tests, staff make a point of yelling at test takers they have to take their food outside. Outside, meaning the hallway with a "No eating, drinking, or loitering" sign and no clock to tell you how much time is left in your strictly timed break (remember, you can't have a watch or cell phone on you during the test, so this is a serious problem) Last but not least, the test room itself aims for desert-like conditions, with lots of warm dry air, that makes a perfect compliment to the "no water inside the test room" policy. Make no mistake, this will put any GRE (or any other long form test-taker) at a disadvantage. Feels like Prometric enjoys putting a giant stumbling block in front of New Yorker's efforts to go to school. read more

Tested on the 15th floor. Staff was professional and courteous. Everything was reasonably clean and pleasant. I enjoyed the view from the window in the testing room. My only complaint is that the air conditioning was very loud. And it kept turning on and off while I was testing. Whenever it would turn on the whole ceiling would suddenly rumble, which was pretty distracting. read more

I took the PMP exam in May and I had a good experience. After reading the Yelp reviews, I made sure to read the text center rules ahead of time and it helped set my expectations. Tips: 1) Show up at least 45 min prior to your exam. (It's a good idea to show up early to ensure there is enough time to do the check in given that it's a large facility, have time use the bathroom located in the hallway, have time to review materials and then lock your belongings before you get padded down to enter the actual test room.) 2) Pay attention to the facility rules. 3) Be patient with the facility coordinators. 4) note: they proctors walking around the room to ensure people are not cheating. Your instinct may be to turn around and see who is breathing so close behind you but try not to turn around. Ignore everyone and everything around you. Use the headphones they give you. If you need to use the bathroom, get up quietly and leave the room. There is a desk outside the room where You will have to sign out for the bathroom break while your exam clock is ticking. 5) if you want to see the facility ahead of time, you can schedule via their website a 30 min preview of the facility and rules, it's great for folks that get nervous in new surroundings. read more

The staff was rude and unpleasant. Ladies who work there show that they are irritated with testers and their questions. When I am already stressed because of the exam I don't want to interact with rude staff on top of that. Please make hire nice people! read more

DO NOT SCHEDULE THE USMLE STEP 1 or COMLEX LEVEL 1 FOR LITTLE ROCK!!! This morning (June 17, 2019) I was scheduled to take step 1 board exam. I got a confirmation email on Saturday (June 15, 2019) to take this exam, also telling me to be 30 minutes early. My wife and I drove from Jonesboro to Little Rock yesterday and rented a hotel last night to be near the testing center. At 9:00 am this morning, when my test was scheduled for 8, there were still no proctors that had shown up to let us test. I and 20 other medical students commenced to attempting to call the prometric center for details and were unable to contact anyone. We then contacted NBME who informed us that this was a prometric issue and thus prometric would contact us for re-scheduling. Prometric finally emailed us and sent an automated call letting us know that our test was cancelled. This has caused a domino effect as all of us have been preparing for months for this exam and have another exam scheduled within the next week followed by preclinical coursework beginning in July. This should have never happened, and the prometric center located at 10800 Financial Parkway Suite 340 should lose their eligibility as a prometric center. Easily over $10,000 worth of tests were scheduled for today and we are currently unsure if we will be reimbursed or even allowed to reschedule for free. Share this post so that anyone taking a proctored test at this center, which could include GRE, Praxis, NCLEX, and many others, is aware of how unprofessionally this center operates. UPDATE: After a few hours on the phone yesterday (June 17, 2019) with Prometric I still had not been told why the incident occurred and was informed that I would have to wait 24 hours to reschedule my test as tests could not be rescheduled on the day of which they were set to occur. A few hours later I received an email showing that my exam had been rescheduled to be taken in Little Rock on July 31st, 2019. I immediately called Prometric headquarters, waited on hold for 35 minutes, and then got to speak with a representative. The representative said the incident occurred because all employees of that testing center "called in sick." He then allowed me to reschedule my exam for this Wednesday (June 19, 2019) in Arkadelphia. When asked if I would be reimbursed at all for expenses incurred (travel, hotel, food), I was directed to a reimbursement form that I could fill out and mail in for consideration. That being said, the representative I spoke with yesterday was kind and helpful and allowed me to reschedule for free. As a whole Prometric may run a professional testing institution, but it appears that professionalism and responsibility are not virtues shared by all their employees. read more

As a veteran test-taker, I can honestly say that I've been in some BAD testing venues (computer malfunctions, incompetent/rude staff, messy surroundings etc) but this test center is about as swanky as it gets, and the staff were curt but polite- and really who wants overly-bubbly people around when you're trying to get into your groove? Plus it's only a stones throw away from NY Penn station! The only inconvenience was the annoying security team in the lobby who could barely be bothered to pause their debate (about attractive celebrities) to grant me access to the elevators... But seriously, if you have to take a test, might as well do it somewhere that doesn't suck. read more

TERRIBLE. The woman at the front desk, named Sam, went out of her way to be customer unfriendly and rude. Based on practice tests I knew that a lot of scrap paper is helpful, so i asked if I could get a couple extra sheets. Instead of just telling me they have a firm policy against this, Sam needed to first make it clear that my request was stupid, explaining that if more paper is needed, one can simply raise one's hand to get it. And "it only takes one second to do that". When I explained that it is distracting to have to stop and worry about that type of detail in the middle of a test, she said "OK, maybe it takes five seconds' and, in an almost threatening tone, "do you have a problem?". Only then did she say it is a firm policy and they can't deviate from it. No "sorry for any inconvenience" or "we'll keep an extra sharp eye out for any paper requests". Wow. By then I was stressed out in the face of an already stressful testing ordeal. Sam if you find joy in being right about everything, be a lawyer. If you want to work in customer service, think about being kind and understanding with your customers. Maybe you, your customers, and your firm would be happier if you found another job. read more

(GRE on the 17th floor) The staff was extremely rude. As students we are already under stress/pressure and we don't need nasty attitudes minutes before an exam. One of the female staff was so rude because I had to use the bathroom and she had already checked me in. The male staff gave me such a nasty attitude because my computer was not working and he asked me to get up from my desk and I grabbed my paper and pen! Apparently, I was not supposed to grab anything. How would I know?! If the staff was nicer, my exam would have gone a little smoother and I would be relaxed from the beginning. They should either hire new staff members or provide training on costumer service. Okay, I'm done. read more

Came here to take my Comlex 3. The check in went fine, then I went to the metal detector and the woman who stood there decided that my tiny stud earrings were not allowed in the room, even though the person at check in said it was fine because they were really small. But this other particular employee decided to make up her own rules on the spot and kept repeating that they weren't allowed like a robot. I had to go and put them away. When I was waiting to get fingerprinted I noticed that the examinee sitting next to me was wearing a huge necklace. The staff are a bunch of idiots. read more

An extremely good experience. The facilities are new, the staff are friendly and the environment is comfortable.

Prometric is a joke. I waited in test center for more than 2 hours and cant get my exam until test center closed. They told me will help me reschedule but they never did. I just notice my test status on their website is "No Show" now... What is a joke. I think Prometric try to move into the scam business right now. PS. I did call the customer service. It cost me half hour to reach them... and did not solver the problem. read more

I came in to take my USMLE Step 1 exam and I can honestly say the staff is very professional and pleasant. Had an issue which didnt allow me to take my test the first day but it wasnt their fault. The manager was very helpful and patient while trying to help me figure out the solution. I will definetly come back here to take my other tests. read more

Got my step 1 here yesterday! For all 8 hours, they were really nice and helpfull. I went there a little stressed because of the most reviews. But they were really nice. Prometric centers have their own rules and you have to obey them. That's it! As long as you are good with their rules, they are good to you. They made that miserable 8 hours somehow bearable. Made jokes, made sign out- in process as quickly as possible etc. I thanked them yesterday, thanking again today! read more

Very professional staff. Everything went very smoothly. As an FYI, there is no need for extra clothing layers. I am usually very cold, but was pretty hot in just jeans and a long sleeve shirt. read more

Everyone was so nice! Had no problems! Although I was a little cold because I wore a coat instead of a sweater. Also, I was late for the test. Test was supposed to start at 8:09 am and when I was signing in, it was 8:11 am. Even then, the staff was really nice and wished me luck. For other test takers, use the entrance from 34th St. read more

The WORST experience I have ever had while taking a TOEFL test. The personnel are extremely rude and unprofessional. The headphones malfunctioned during the speaking and listening portions of the exam causing me to be able to hear other test takers. They languished my score for weeks without any legitimate reason or prior notice. I had to call him several times to get my results. read more

Overall, I had a good testing experience here. They were quick, let me sit early because I got there early, and organized. As to the other remarks on the friendliness of the staff, I thought most of the staff was extremely friendly. The only person that was extremely rude was the woman who checked your pants and shirt when you walked through the metal detector. If I tried to speak, she would speak on top of me and completely disregard my question. When I asked to use the bathroom, she didn't even look up and just barked orders. She was very, very rude. However, the rest of the staff was very pleasant and helpful. read more

For anyone giving this place a bad review, I have the feeling you've never taken a serious exam Elsewhere. I was nervous walking into 2 Penn Plaza because of its' reviews, however my experience was absolutely amazing. When I first walked in I was clueless as to how to get to the elevators, and a voice from behind said you here to take an exam? I was nervous at first because people said they were rude, but I had quite the opposite opinion of them. I walked over to the man at the front desk and he said even though I was two hours early, they could get me in early no problem and they kept wishing me the best of luck and saying how my smile brightened their day. The security guard led me up the elevators and complimented my outfit even though it was completely out there and unique. The women at the desk in the room is very prompt, and if you don't listen, she will stop you and tell you to listen. But it takes 2 minutes of listening not to get her testy about explanations. She also complimented me and told me she loved my smile. I made a mistake of what I put in my locker a few times; she never was rude, but she would just repeat what she said originally. You're going to be direct when you say the same lines over and over again all day and tons of people Still don't follow the rules. Everything went amazing and as I walked out of the building the security guard and the man who checked me in said, "woah woah woah, how'd you do?!" They were so joyous and happy and I turned around and put my two thumbs up, and with that I had the two guards cheering for me as I walked out. A smile goes a long way, and if you go in happy and willing to listen, this place is amazing! read more

AWFUL. Had to take a registration test for my corporate job. The test center cancelled my test two days in a row without notification. The staff at the test center were completely unhelpful and downright rude. Hardly seems like the way to treat a corporate relationship. read more

I took the NPTE exam here and was definitely nervous going in after reading all of the negative reviews but I had no problems. The staff were friendly (for the most part) and helpful. The room was a comfortable temperature. The room was quiet except for some minor street noise, but c'mon this is NYC, silence is nearly impossible. Security procedures were performed efficiently. I had no problem with food and drinks, I was allowed to bring them in and store them in a locker, and then had a snack and water on my break in the hallway. (As an aside, I don't know what people were expecting, but I have never been to a testing center that allows you to consume food and/or beverages inside. It is clearly an attempt to maintain cleanliness and curb possible cheating. Sometimes you just need to get over yourself and follow the rules.) I felt that the testing stations could have been more comfortable and the computer monitors larger, but other than that this place was just fine. read more

i signed up on yelp just for this. i took my step1 yesterday. mediocre experience (i also took my mcat there, and the experience was MUCH MORE pleasant. what happened?!). got to the center 10 mins before my appt, got yelled by this woman who vehemently believed i should be here 30 mins earlier. psht ... that means an hour earlier for commute time. no way. the staff was considerate to ensure that my breaks went smoothly (signing in and out, etc) but i was really ticked off when the fingerprint machine didn't work and i sat there for 2 mins looking dumbfounded. there's no food and drinks allowed in the waiting room .. but i saw people eating in the hallway, stairs, and bathroom, even if it's not permitted. honestly, if you're taking a test for 8 grueling hours, you need to eat; and, like any corporate building, i'm sure they have a cleaning staff, so what's a few crumbs in the waiting room going to hurt anyone? imo, go to this site if there are none available. try to do it at brooklyn (i was told they let you eat in their waiting room?). also, i was given a locker that was ridiculously small (think of those tiny lockers at 6flags). i couldn't even fit my book bag in there! and the front desk lady looked at me and said, "miss, you cannot waste your time stuffing the locker. you should've started your exam 30 minutes ago." to that woman: i was ridiculously stressed out, and your tirades were not conducive to my fragile state of mind. i really hope you stop messing with the psyche of other students. TIP: avoid wearing belts and clothing with pockets. they go TCA on you during sign in/out for breaks (i.e., the wand machine). i remember it being cold during my mcat, so i brought a sweater .. it actually turned out to be HOT. the heat was on, for some reason (even the cookies in my bag melted!).. and to make matters worse, they ask that you not remove any clothing/shoes during the exam session. sorry for the rant, but i was very disappointed with my experience. again, do yourself the favor and go to brooklyn or some non-manhattan site. their policies are not conducive toward the needs of the testtaker. read more

Honestly, I think this place suffers from too many high strung, hyper-stressed people who have little testing experience writing all the reviews. I've taken high stakes computerized tests at four different places by now and this one is professional and efficient- you'll do the metal detection and fingerprinting thing no matter where you go. You CAN eat and study in the hallway- the point about not eating in the hallway is that you shouldn't go wandering so far away that you're in another tenant's space, creating a nuisance. There is good natural light coming in to all the rooms (though the windows are at the side, not in front of you, so you don't get distracted) and all the computers have flat screens now. The staff here were nicer and more helpful than they needed to be, and you have nothing to worry about if you follow the rules and are courteous and respectful to them. Take Jennifer C's advice below and you'll be fine. read more

Alright, I know this is standardized testing place, I am definitely not going there for a good time. However, considering how much money you throw into your test ($800+ in my case -and yes, I know that not all of that money goes to Prometric) and how important your test is (USMLE Step 1 being kind of a big deal for my career), things go go smoother, and it definitely should not feel this annoying, test aside. I got there on time and they checked me in pretty quickly -I could even start my test early. But can we talk about how rude most of the staff are?!! Yeah, their job sucks, but people coming there are usually a bit stressed, and most of the staff are not helping. Some of them do make it way worse than it has to be. I'm not sure exactly what was going on, but during the (looong) wait to check back in after one break, I witnessed the scene of a totally desperate guy who was told coldly that he couldn't take his test and would have to start the whole process again, by an employee who was pretty much laughing at how distressed he was. Questions are not welcome, and I do not think it is fine to have to dig for information like this on such a stressful day... And the weeks before -because trust me, I tried to call multiple times to find out what could be brought or not and how things were run there, and what would happen if that snow announced snow storm hit the day of my test. I did not get any satisfying answers. Now, I do understand that they have to be strict about security. But it a very strange feeling to be all but searched every time you come back from a break. Especially when they take their sweet all time doing it (chatting among themselves and not seeing that their coworker 'wanded' you already - yeah that's what they call it- and making you do it yet another time), knowing that you are on the clock with a limited amount of break time. Of course you are being videotaped the whole time, with the proctor watching you on his screen. You do not feel lonely for a minute, that is for sure. It's better not to have a cold, since tissues can only be brought into the room two at a time, and since -and that really boggles my mind- you cannot remove a piece of clothing you brought into the room. After a 30-minute break, I came back into the room only to find it was much hotter than it was before I left. After a while I started feeling faint and could not concentrate, so I removed my sweater but kept it on my shoulders, thinking they wouldn't say anything since what they told me in the initial spiel was that you could't remove your sweater and put it on your back of your chair. Sure enough, my proctor came to tell me to put it back on within 5 minutes. It either has to be on you (and that does not include your shoulders, strangely), or it has to be put in your itsy bitsy locker. Unfortunately, if I leave the room during one of my hour-long sessions, my test is void. It is not the end of the world, but being comfortable is something I feel like we should be entitled to when taking an 8-hour test, especially such an important one. Furthermore, I am not sure what this rule is about (security? cheating?), which makes it pointless and even more annoying. Talking about 8-hour tests, why do the employees look so dumbfounded when you ask where you can eat? Has anyone taken such a long test and thought it was not a big deal to not be able to eat and take a longer break than the 10-minutes I scrambled at the end of each hour-long session? My proctor told me I could not eat in the center, the sign outside of the center said you could not eat in the hallway, and you're apparently not supposed to eat in the lobby of the building. Since it was barely 20°F outside, I ask one of the surprised doormen and he was nice enough to point a corner of the lobby where I could eat, and was even apologetic about the fact that there were not any seats. So yes, I had to eat standing up, half-hiding and probably breaking some kind of rule. At the end of my test the employees had changed, and it was a bunch of rowdy people being so busy joking and chatting with each other that the lady told me I was all set, and had to call me back so that I could officially sign out with a last fingerprint. How professional. Overall, I do think they make it worse than it has to be. read more

I had two tests scheduled 3 hours apart (50 mins. each). When you first get to Penn Plaza, be sure to stop at the security desk for a visitor pass to gain access to the 17th floor. Once I entered the parametric center, there was already a check in line. There were about 10 of us on line. I've been to other centers with less people checking in and this particular center was super efficient and quick. As soon as you "checked in", someone would call you to come in to go through the metal detector and within minutes, they were ready to officially sign me in for the center. Every employee was straight to the point and polite. After my first test was done, they let me know that I can take a break and come back whenever to take the second test so I didn't have to wait 2 hours for the "appointed time." The overall experience for a test center was amazing. You are usually so nervous on this day and each staff member made me feel calm and ready. I really appreciated them! read more

I scheduled my 2nd gre exam here. Must say not happy or impressed. First of all when i got to 1 penn plaza, i was not on their list and was not allowed to enter the building. Way to start off on bad terms!!. The staff when you get there are unsure of a lot of their own procedures and what they need. Obviously your job sucks but thats no excuse to be rude or disrespectful to any of the test takers, we stressed out enough (not to mention we just paid a lot of money to be there). This one test taker was laughing at how strict everything is (and lets be honest, its a little bit funny). One of the test proctors asked the gentleman what he thought was funny. the way he asked was kind of asking for trouble. I have a job where i deal with douche bags all day but i still have to speak with a smile. If your reading this i highly recommend you go anywhere else to take your test unless you want to leave in a bad mood. read more

I tested on the 17th floor last week. While the location is very convenient and the center itself is pleasant, the woman at the front desk of the prometric center was terribly rude when asked to repeat herself because it was impossible to understand what she was mumbling. Also, this particular woman expected everyone (me and the people who followed to sign in) to know where to go, where to sit and where to wait as if we were all so familiar with the center. It is just not pleasant to be welcomed with an annoyed face and someone yelling at you right before you test and are nervous anyway. I hope the prometric center will deal with this issue and will try to ensure the staff is more kind and professional. read more

I took the GRE here. Customer service on par with what you might expect from a Duane Reade. When I got into the room to take the test, two women behind me were typing at a volume suggestive of machine gun fire. Obviously not their fault - but the keyboards being from about 1999 didn't help. The typing was so distracting I started to use the silencing headphones provided by the center, which did little to help. To top the story, as a student was being escorted to their testing station by the monitor, he started to talk - this is in the room where I was taking my test - and the monitor actually proceeded to answer. I had to look up and shush them. Then it happened again with a different student and monitor. And then once more. I've taken a lot of tests, including the GRE a few times, and these were the worst testing conditions I have ever experienced in my life, hands down. Avoid this place at all costs. read more

took a PMI/PMP test there this morning on a saturday- was apprehensive based on some other reviews so I expected the worse. Was pleasantly surprised by everything - really have only good things to say. Staff were courteous, pleasant, friendly and professional. Place was clean and well equipped - they provided noise canceling ear muffs so it was very quiet - nice lockers to put personal items e.g. phone/books etc in and are large enough to accommodate a jacket. You can bring drinks all the way to the test center and dump it once you are ready to sit the test. The test was scheduled for 8am but by getting there early I was able to start early. There is also a review at the end of the test where you get to rate the facilities so if you do have any issues that's the place to document them. I rated them perfect on all items. All told this place is run professionally and they take their job seriously. Enter from north side of building on 34th st. There is a starbucks to the right of the entrance which is open early and a nice place to hang out if you come early. For PMP test takers, there is a calculator on the computer not a physical one although they do hand out calculators for other exams. Good experience. read more