Could anybody who has taken the exam please tell me exactly what to expect on test day, especially at the beginning. It says to show up thirty minutes early, but what happens for thirty minutes? Then do you just sit at the computer and start at nine with everybody doing their own thing? Isn't it distracting to have each person getting up and sitting down at different times since anybody takes breaks at different times? Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

You get there early so you can sign in. It's like the DMV... you check in and sit around till they call your name. Then you get your picture taken, and away you go. Not everybody starts at the same time. You start whenever you get to the computer you've been assigned.

It's like the DMV... you check in and sit around till they call your name.

Where's Joan?

I'm Joan.

You are not Joan?

What Dx?

Hint: Look at a person's old driver's license picture.

i got there at 730 to take mine and started at 735. Not sure what the purpose is in getting there early except that you start early. Once you start, you are in charge of when you break and resume the test. After each block it asks you if you would like to break or start again. I took 100 questions at a time with a 5 minute break, 19 minute break and another 5 minute break. I got done with about 2.5 hours left on my timer. Also there are people taking other tests at the site usually too. When i took the step i think i was the only one taking it. others take the gre and others. if you put on the headphones you wont even notice them coming in

Where's Joan?

I'm Joan.

You are not Joan?

What Dx?

Hint: Look at a person's old driver's license picture.

Acromegaly. Cheapest test is to pull out their old driver's license. If I was in a dark room on the Hollywood set and heard someone behind me say in an Austrian accent, "I'll be back," I'd just tell him to smile and notice the pearly whites with gaps in between and know I found a classic acromegalic.

If you take it on a day when there are a lot of your classmates taking it, the check in procedure can take a while since they take everyone back individually. If you're the only one or the first one there, you'll start virtually immediately...the earlier the testing people start you, the earlier you get out of there and the earlier everyone gets to go home.

hahaha here's what happened on my day- we showed up at 8, got our pictures taken, then got the announcement that they were switching to FRED that day and it wouldn't load, and they were calling tech support. so we sat around until 9:15 :)

can you pause the test in the middle of a section or not? Also, do they let you leave the room during a section like if you need to use the restroom?