These reviews got me more nervous about the testing center than the test itself. The staff were cold but but mean and were efficient. I arrived 30 minutes early as suggested and I got into my test 20 minutes early. The locker situation was easy. You can do it! Good luck on your exam! read more

staff were calm. i like the way they approach test takers. The environment is good. the temperature inside- Good. Because in other centers the temperature is too low and i was freezing. Do not believe people who are saying that this center is Not good. read more

I recently took my NBCOT exam (4 hours) at this location. Scheduling an appointment was easy, there were plenty of staff when I arrived at the center. There were many others preparing for their exams and the check in was very smooth and quick. The security part and check in after security was also quick. Every staff member was curteous and efficient. The computer area was a good size and I was not distracted by others coming in and out. I had the option of two types of headphones, which were effective. Overall, my testing experience was very stress free as far as environment. Things to consider: the lockers are small (cubby sized) so limit what you bring into the center to things you actually need to have with you (including snacks). This center allows a water bottle in the testing area if it is clear and has no labels, which was great to have. read more

DO NOT TAKE YOUR EXAM HERE. The woman checking in people was rude but worse, very unprofessional. My exam appointment was at 12:30pm. I arrive about 45 minutes early to settle in and check in. I assumed I would be taking my exam at 12:30pm. However, this woman insisted on checking me in earlier. I later found out (as I was completing my exam) this was not protocol but simply because she wanted to leave early. As I was done with my exam, she has nearly shut down the office and was practically out the door. I observed her being rude to everyone. People were rightly nervous before taking the exam. And many were unfamiliar with the check-in. She neglected to tell some people that they needed to take their water/snacks and place them above the locker. She didn't tell others they needed a prescription for their glasses. This was NOT mentioned prior to testing. Some people need their glasses to block the blue light and these glasses are not prescribed. She also insisted the room temperature was warm and 70 degrees. However, the room was freezing at certain points. At another point, this woman stood outside for 25 minutes talking to a friend while people were arriving and needed to be checked in. Fortunately, there was another staff member, a young man, that checked in people. He was far more professional and courteous than this woman. There was another review about feeling as if the staff was accusing them of cheating as they were checking in. I defiantly agree. It felt like walking into prison rather than a testing center. This isn't my first time taking a test at a testing center and I have never experienced this sort of treatment. Do yourself a favour and book your exam at another location. No one should be treated like this and let alone on an important and stressful day. read more

Do NOT schedule an exam at Mountlake Terrace location!! They frequently do not have enough staff to even open the door for scheduled tests. I showed up for scheduled test at 7:30 am. Testing center never opened. Me and 20 other people stood outside and waited nearly 2 hours before being notified that they would remain closed all day. Rescheduled for next day- only 1 employee showed up to do work of 3-4 people. It took nearly 2 hours just to check in. My test was over 3 hrs and when I was leaving I spoke with people that still hadn't been checked in 3 hours later. My colleague had her test canceled 3 times in 3 days with no notice to 12 hr notice each time. No chance of partial refund for having to totally rearrange life for 3 days. Totally unacceptable. read more

I scheduled my Step 1 (8 hour long medical exam) at this center. The personal was very kind, they gave priority to those who had medical tests (because of their length), they also gifted me ear plugs and even offered to borrow me a sweater in case I was cold. I didn't have any problem with the security check during my breaks, really quick. The place and bathrooms were clean. The lockers were big enough. And finally, I was allowed to take my water bottle (transparent without label) inside the testing center! Only, important to note that they are only opened Monday, Friday and Saturday! read more

I want to write this review for all the folks reading all the bad reviews and getting stressed out about whether or not their exams going to happen or not. Or, if is it going to happen and be chaotic and impact their performance. Not to take anything away from any bad experiences that other people had. However my exam went fairly much as planned except for one small detail. I did receive a phone call the day before they asked me to come in "30 minutes" earlier at 1130am for the exam. That was a little reassuring that someone would actually be there to open the building. It was a little disconcerting that they thought my exam was for noon when in fact my exam was originally scheduled for 12:15 but I was happy to show up anytime they wanted me to just to get it over with. The checking process was simple and took less than 5 minutes on the outside in another few minutes in the next room while they checked my glasses and my pockets etc. I didn't feel like the proctors were over the top in any way. They were polite and helpful and just doing their job. They seem to be pretty well staffed and there was probably five or six people there at the very least. The computer worked fine. I did not think the room temperature was a problem. I wore a lightweight fleece pull over because of everybody complaining about the room temperature being so cold and I was actually a little warm. I am like a bloodhound when it comes to smells, there were no weird smells the room I was in but it looks like there's more than one exam room. read more

I went on a Saturday at 3 pm for Praxis test. I was checked in quickly. They did a thorough check of me to make sure I was sneaking anything into the test room understandably. The temp was fine, I wore a sweatshirt after reading about no jackets. The staff was professional and efficient. Parking was easy too. read more

FACT OR FICTION? I was looking through the official GRE website as they list SOME of the following tips. See my own comments after "Fact" or "Fiction" following each tip. 1. Dress so that you can adapt to any room temperature. FACT FACT FACT: This test center actual room temperature is fairly low. Wear a very light jacket with you inside the testing room. However, you have to keep the jacket on during the entire test as you cannot simply leave the jacket on the back of your chair. 2. Test centers do not have large waiting areas. Friends or relatives who accompany you to the test center will not be permitted to wait in the test center or be in contact with you while you are taking the test. FACT: The waiting area is very small and can be really crammed if your test is at 8am. 8am seems to be the most popular testing time (at this location). Your friends are allowed to accompany you to the test center as you fill out the form to register but they must leave once you go into the testing room. 3. ID verification at the test center may include thumbprinting, photographing, videotaping or some other form of electronic ID confirmation. If you refuse to participate, you will not be permitted to test and you will forfeit your registration and test fees. This is in addition to the requirement that you must present acceptable and valid identification. FACT: Passport is perhaps the most reliable document for test-takers. Once you fill out the form to register, prior to your entrance to the testing room, they will take a quick photo of you. 4. Food, drinks and tobacco are not allowed in the testing room. FACT (OR FICTION?): Although food and drinks are not allowed in the testing room, this testing center does have a small locker area. They will assign you a numbered key to a locker if you need to store your own belongings during the test. You have access to food and water during your 10-minute GRE test break. 5. Do not bring cell phones, smartphones (e.g., BlackBerry® or iPhone® devices), PDAs and other electronic or photographic devices into the test center. FICTION: Upon entering the testing room, they will ask you to place your cellphone in a secured manila envelope that is under the supervision of the staff members. You do not have access to your phone until the test is over. 6. Personal items other than identification documents are not allowed in the testing room. You will be required to follow the procedures set by the test center for storage of your personal belongings. You may also be asked to empty your pockets. Storage space is limited, so plan accordingly. You will not have access to your personal items during the test. Personal items such as hats, scarves, jackets and outerwear that are taken into the test room are subject to inspection by the test administrator. FACT: Bring your passport/ID into the room with you and leave everything else in the locker. They inspect every single pocket on your clothes. They also use a metal detector. This is like going through TSA. They even ask you to leave your watch in the locker. They do have a restroom area towards the back of the building. In addition, GRE recently raised their registration prices to $175. It was $160 last year. Reporting scores to more than 4 schools is now $25 per school (compared to $20 last year). read more

I'm not giving one star because my exam crashed three times during the test. I'm not giving one star because it was very cold in the building. I'm not even giving one star because the parking situation isn't great...it's all about attitude! DO NOT GO TO THIS LOCATION. Even if you have to drive an extra hour to the Fife location, it's worth it. The Fife people are much nicer, more efficient and much more helpful. I think they truly care that the exam experience can be stressful and treat you a lot better. MOST of the staff at this location are downright rude. The person who got my finger prints snapped at me "I said put your finger here". To which I responded "you weren't looking at me when you spoke, I didn't know you were talking to me and I couldn't hear". When I left the test area she mumbled something under her breath while I was walking away. It was bad enough that the front desk person apologized for the finger print lady's attitude. They had horrible communication too. I looked around the area when I arrived and got an idea of what other people were doing. This poor guy after me, English wasn't his first language and the workers were huffing and being impatient with him, I felt bad for the guy. We pay a lot of money to have these exams proctored, the workers could at least provide the minimum amount of courtesy. Basically, if you want to be humiliated and disrespected, go to this testing center. And to the horrible workers - nobody forces you to work at a place, perhaps you should find a job you don't hate and stop making other people's lives miserable. read more

freezing cold, hectic check in process, generally unfriendly. If I must be totured by endless standardized tests, I'd much prefer to do it elsewhere. Make the drive to Fife. read more

Horrible customer service. Staff were unclear and had little patience with everyone. The staff caused more stress than the exam itself. People are already stressing about their exam and we still had to deal with rude staff members. read more

Very unfriendly test proctors. They were very pushy and it seemed like they didn't want to be there. Not a pleasant experience but hey, it's not like you have a choice. With all of their anti-cheat methods, there are still ways people can cheat. The proctoring is kinda like airport TSA. It's really inconvenient and doesn't do much. Also, I don't understand why they need to store my fingerprint in their system. Wouldn't name and multiple pieces of photo ID work? NOTE: I DID not cheat and do not advocate cheating. However, for all their precautions they take, it is quite apparent that there are numerous ways that one COULD cheat. read more

Horrible, unhelpful service at the Fife center. They ignore the phones and change your time a few days in advance to an hour long range to sit in the parking lot with NO communication from the test center. We pay lots of fees and costs for these exams to be provided in a professional manner. Use other testing centers if Prometric insists on being disorganized and rude. Not worth the money I am paying for this "service " read more

Very dreadful vibe at this place. Staff made me feel like I was trying to cheat on my test, I understand the need for them to make sure each test taker is not cheating. I did notice they screened different people differently. A few times during my 4 hour test, the staff would open the door to walk in, then upon leaving leave the door open and have a full on conversation. Inconsiderate, especially when you are trying to concentrate. The DMV has a more pleasant vibe than this place. read more

Okay so...no one really comes here by choice. It's the only Seattle-area testing center for many computer-based standardized tests, so it is what it is. I've taken 5 tests here and have a few tips! 1) If you have an 8am testing time, consider arriving at 7:20ish to avoid the long check-in lines. They have no issue seating you early for this morning testing slot. When I've arrived at 7:20am, I've only waited briefly (maybe a minute) before being seated. When I arrived for a different test at 7:45am, I waited about 25 minutes while the people ahead of me got seated. 2) The check-in process is long. Lots of formalities like getting your signature "exactly like it is" on your driver's license, getting fingerprinted, having a picture taken. They'll give you a locker key to put away your personal belongings. I forgot to take my Fitbit off my wasitband the first time, so they sent me back to the locker. 3) The lockers are small and don't fit backpacks. I've seen a lot of people leaving their backpack on the shelves next to the lockers, and while they've probably put their wallets into the lockers, I don't like the idea of leaving personal items out in the open while you're taking a long test! So if you can, leave the backpack in the car/at home and just bring what you need into the center. 4) They provide Kleenex, so don't try to bring your own in! Ask for them right before they take you into the testing room. 5) It's pretty chilly in the testing area! The test center rules (that they have you read upon arrival) say that you can wear a light jacket/sweatshirt while testing, but you have to hang it on the back of your chair if you're not wearing it. That being said, the one time I took off my sweatshirt, an employee immediately came and told me she would hang it outside. I didn't want to challenge her in the middle of my test, so my sweatshirt went to the lobby area. Again, I don't like leaving my stuff out! When I asked for clarification when I took my next test today, the employee said I can leave it on the chair. So, who knows. Hopefully these points are helpful as you prepare for whatever test comes your way! read more

I usually do mid-afternoon tests here and have never had a bad experience checking in, testing, etc. My overall impression is that the staff at Montlake are nice, courteous, and professional. They are good about calling ahead of testing times and communicating expectations at the outset. read more

Avoid this rundown dump and its sub optimal testing conditions. They strictly forbid jackets in the testing room and it gets cold in there. At one point, a proctor was talking to another test taker behind me very audibly for what felt like forever. These tests are pain enough. Taking them in a crap environment undoubtedly makes it worse. read more

I just had my worst testing experience here. The staff hate their jobs and are not nice at all. The testing room is very cold and they don't allow you take your jacket in while in the GRE website it says heavy jackets and outer wears are allowed, but they need to be inspected. I was shivering for the last two hours, and not only did they not care, they weren't nice about it either. Half way through the test, I could hear loud laughters from outside and when I looked I realized three of the people who work at the center, are laughing so hard. They continued laughing for about 10 minutes. I would not recommend this place to anyone because taking a standardized test is stressful by itself. You don't want anyone to make it more intolerable for you. read more

In my profession, I'm required to take continuing education (or CE, for short) credits to maintain my license. I told my employer I would take a self-study course, and then the test here. Luckily for me, they pay for it. I walk in to let them know I'm here. Where is everyone? There are a ton of signs posted everywhere in different shades of neon colors: Please turn off cell phones, do not block parking to Azteca, we only accept payment in the form of hot, cheesy calzones, etc. I find the sign that says to fill out this blue form and turn it face down in the basket. They take me back and tell me I can't bring anything back to the testing area. I said that I have an awful cold, which I'm sure sounded like, "I hab ban awebul kob." Either way, I brought with me Puffs plus with moisturizer. They are like heaven on my poor, stuffy nose. They say NO, you cannot bring in your tissues. You can grab some of our tissue (aka cardboard), but not yours. Really?? You are going to be this way? All it made me do was finish faster that I would have liked to get out of that room, which by the way, was waaaaay too warm to test in, with air blowing right on my head. Thank goodness I passed. I don't think I could take that kind of torture again anytime soon. read more

Extremely rude staff, avoid this testing center if you don't want to be treated like hot garbage, I would give it zero star if I could. My appointment was scheduled at 8: 00 AM, I arrived around 7: 30 and the office was not open, two of their staff were chatting in the screening area, when I knocked on the door they ignored me the first time, I thought there's another entrance so I looked around, but no, so I knocked the second time, this time the lady inside gave me the dirtiest look for god knows what. Overall your employees should learn how to interact with people without being a condescending prick. read more

Incredibly rude staff. All of them. From the very beginning they are extremely disrespectful and unhelpful. Be prepared for this when you go there for your exam. read more

This place is weird. I am not sure if it's just because of the regulations required to test here or what. The lady the that "greeted" you (greeted being used loosely here) clearly hates her job. She did not explain anything, smile, or really do anything to acknowledge your presence other than glaring at you and handing you a long list of rules. The whole experience was odd. I was scheduled for an 8am test, showed up at 7:30, and was not admitted to my test until 8:20. Sweet....An extra 20 minutes of stress. Considering there are NO options when it comes to taking the Physical Therapist Assistant exam, I guess this place did the job. Would I choose to hang out here and spend large amounts of time? Not a chance in hell. Good luck fellow testers! read more

Clean and efficient. They wipe down the computers with Chlorox after each test taker. Nice staff. Be sure to listen closely to the house rules when they explain them. They open at 7:00 on Mondays and you can start test immediately and get back to the real world when done. Good Luck with the test! read more

Prometric Testing Center - Shopping center road sign - Adult Education Near Me - Mountlake Terrace, Washington

I feel the other review is a bit unfair. I took my DAT (Dental Admissions Test) here recently and the environment was great. It was quiet, sterile, and comfortable. There were even optional headphones were provided to block out any cricket chirps. You have to realize that many people take life changing tests in this center (raises hand) and the environment has to be 100% controlled. No testing center (especially prometric) allows any outside items into the testing room. They provide a locker right next to the door for all your personal belongings and the check-in and check-out process is quick so you don't lose a lot of precious time. It's what I expect out of a testing center, they're there to monitor you, not serve you. read more

I came here to take the GRE because I had no other options. This whole racket that Prometrics has going on is a really unfortunate situation because people are here to take really important tests that offer credentials to determine their promotability at work, employability in specialized fields, and suitability for graduate school and I'm not sure the employees who work here are fully cognizant of the potential gravity these exams could have on the outcome of somebody's life (not to be dramatic or anything). This is definitely the low end of the testing centers. I am hearing impaired and my testing monitor was visibly annoyed by my request to have her repeat herself, she was absent when I returned from my break, and refused to grant me any flexibility when I accidentally took a pencil out of the testing room to exchange it for a sharper one during my break (insisting that she didn't let me out with it and so now she couldn't let me back in even though I was trying to give it back to her!). A second assistant had to come in from the adjacent room to check me back in, though I was already late returning to my test by this point. I have pretty steady nerves and standardized tests don't phase me a bit (they're kind of fun), but the interpersonal dynamics here left me flustered and late for my test. Because I think my feelings about this place are tied to the experience I had with one particularly ineffective employee and the impact that interaction had on my exam, I'm still giving them two stars. Why? They have ample parking, the check in process was fine, and it's clean enough. What other reviewers say is true: there is an arctic blast that comes on randomly and people will come and go throughout your test. Bonus details: my chair squeaked whenever I moved or took a deep breath, my S key was stuck, the bathrooms were clean when I was there, and they let you eat in the lobby (which is nice when it's cold and raining). I place no real value on any of these things -- it is what it is -- I just wanted to let you know so you know what to expect. read more

This is the most unfriendly test site and it takes way too long for the test results. Facility is big but always a struggle to find a test time. read more

I find it very hard to understand all the criticism in the below comments. I took my SPHR exam here end of January, 2015 and experienced nothing but professionalism & comfort of a well-maintained and well-equipped testing center. Personnel were very courteous, efficient & pleasant, conditions quite acceptable, location - convenient and safe. read more

Had an 8 am test. Arrived there at 7.30 am. Parking sufficient. The doors to the testing center were still closed. The lady at the check in was very rude. She was not explaining the process properly and if asked again she got irritated. The lady who was taking everyone at their computers was also unfriendly. Very frustrated staff that needs some training on how to interact with people. The test went smoothly. After my test, there was a different lady who helped me with the checkout process and she was nice. Would have preferred to go somewhere else because of the rude staff. read more

Excellent customer service, clean, quiet, efficient. I was thoroughly impressed. The only minor thing was that the computer screens use a font that make reading slightly difficult. I prefer ARIAL or VERDANA but they use CAMBRIA or something with serif. Overall this is a perfect place to take a test. p.s. I am not offended that they made me take off my Jame Bond Omega watch...but what harm would it have been to keep it with me? It doesn't fire a laser or anything... read more

I recently wrote my Step 3 USMLE exam at this center and had a terrible experience. My computer was incredibly slow and I wasn't able to x out answer choices easily. I had to click on everything 3 times before it would respond. I let the staff know immediately and they were less than helpful. They gave me a new mouse but that was certainly not the issue and I had to get through the entire test (7 hours) which costs nearly $1000 stressed and unable to x out the wrong choices. When I was done I heard that another person was having similar issues and one staff member confirmed that this was in fact a computer issue. However staff never offered to move me to a new computer. When asked if I can speak to the center manager I was told she was not there and that giving out her contact information would be against policy. Additionally the center did not open on time and the line for check in was out the door. Staff was incredibly RUDE and unhelpful. I have taken multiple exams at multiple prometrics and this was the worst! read more

Haha I didn't realize I checked into this place on my iPhone, so now Yelp is asking me to write a review. Sure, what the hell. I dread this place, but it's not because of the staff. The staff is fairly friendly, they fingerprint you as you want in and out of the testing room, make sure you don't cheat, etc. They don't have water besides tap from the bathroom, so bring a water bottle if you want (they provide lockers that you can access during break). I am glad they also open on Saturday too. I am a regular at this place since the CPA has 4 sections, so it's fun to observe really nervous people as they come here to take their GMAT or GRE or DAT or whatever it is. After you come a few times, it's just that: a testing site. No need to be nervous if you know your stuff =). And if you don't know your stuff, while are you reading this review? Go read your book =). read more

Like James said, it's a testing center - whether you're testing for the CPA exam, GRE, IT certification...you get the point. The purpose of this place is to administer a test and reduce the chances of cheating. While I was there, I will admit I would be tempted to give them ONE star - only because I was so stressed out at having to take an exam. An exam that cost me $95! The pressure to pass is on. But that is not their fault. The staff is really friendly and upbeat (almost too friendly and cheerful), they must realize that people are stressed out and nervous! My main complaint is that the testing center was crowded and I could hear the test taker next to me typing away. Although there are some supersized headphones available to block out noise, I refused to wear them since it's flu season. The test I took gave me instant feedback and I passed so the testing center gets +++ from me. read more

Quite simply, they got the job done - fast, efficiently, and easily. I took the very challenging PMP exam and finished with no time to spare. The proctor told me she'd been worried about me (I am sure I looked stressed) and congratulated me bigtime on passing. No complaints and only thank-you's to the team. Highly recommend doing the trial/test run they offer to get acclimated. read more

If I could I would definitely give this place a zero star. It's my second time taking test here and I have the same worst experience as I had last time. The woman that check in people was extremely rude and I got yelled by her twice. I really wanna punch right on her face. I won't mention her name here because I'm a nice person, even though I really want to. Do not take your test here! read more

My exam crashed four times during the test. The headset was broken. The customer service was terrible, and they were extremely rude.

I thought they were great -- my daughter took a test there today and all of the staff were nice, professional, and helpful. So, I didn't really see what the negative reviews were seeing. The facility itself isn't glamorous but it gets the job done and they follow the process that is outlined in the pre-test instructions. So, if you're worried about the negative reviews in addition to the usual test-day worries, I don't think that's necessary. read more

Employees are very unwelcoming and the place is super run down. All expenses were spared when this place was put together. Have always passed my tests here with no problem, it's just not all that great of a set up. read more

Took Step 3 USMLE here, computer crashed three times and seems like this is an unfixed problem from a year ago at least and the staff could care less. Condescending, slow to respond, distracted, and unhelpful. Written more than enough exams in my life and this was by far an exceptionally unpleasant experience. The staff need to find another job. read more

Had a great experience here recently. The staff was professional and courteous. Parking was sufficient. Yes, the building is a bit old so the bathrooms are dated. The secure testing room was neither cold nor warm. My only criticism is that the cheap earmuffs are extremely uncomfortable; however even with a room full of test takers, the room was quiet enough so the earmuffs weren't needed. Very satisfied with my experience. read more