ear plugs?

[chattkis]

A friend told me that I can't wear ear plugs during the test, true?

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[MollyMalone]

That is true. From AAMC:

8. Do not use or take into the testing room beeping, alarm, or calculator watches; timers (other than watches), pagers; cellular phones; books; notes; slide rules; rulers; calculators; cameras; radios; tape recorders; highlighters; colored pens; lapboards/deskboards; or aids of any kind. You may not wear earplugs during the test. The MCAT Program Office, MCAT staff and testing facilities are not responsible for lost or stolen possessions.

 

[firebird69guy]

This girl wore some earplugs last April.. Our proctor wasn't very strict. People had beeping watches/alarm clocks, got up and left during the test and came back, etc.

I guess it just depends on the proctor you get.

 

[MollyMalone]

Wow. Doesn't sound like the sort of chance I'd want to take.

 

[Fusion]

Don't count on being able to wear ear plugs during the test. They are not supposed to be permitted during any part of the MCAT, though I agree that some proctors may be more lenient than others (why this occurs I do not know). I distinctly remember one guy asking the proctor if they were allowed, then taking them out just before the test started.

 

[beponychick]

whoa! guy, im confused about the whole timer thing. i have a timer that i bought from radio schack (its white, and has a counter). It does not beep because i make it start counting from one on instead of counting down. Is this ok to use? I have been practice with this timer and i dont want to get another one im not used to.

thanks everyone!

 

[SailCrazy]

This was mentioned in another thread, but I can't remember which one off the top of my head.

I'm pretty sure that the answer was a resounding NO. If it isn't a watch (fitting the description above) then it is not allowed.

Fortunately you have time to get used to a new watch between now and test day!

whoa! guy, im confused about the whole timer thing. i have a timer that i bought from radio schack (its white, and has a counter). It does not beep because i make it start counting from one on instead of counting down. Is this ok to use? I have been practice with this timer and i dont want to get another one im not used to.

thanks everyone!

 

[virilep]

whoa! guy, im confused about the whole timer thing. i have a timer that i bought from radio schack (its white, and has a counter). It does not beep because i make it start counting from one on instead of counting down. Is this ok to use? I have been practice with this timer and i dont want to get another one im not used to.

thanks everyone!

you can use a timer that doesn't have a beeping noise. my friend's were funny cuz their watched beeped once and whenever they saw it coming, they coughed. kinda funny. but not worth the chance. if u do have one , u can always open it up and take out the speaker. but you're golden if no beeps.

yeah, the variance on the proctors is kinda wierd. i got up and went to the bathroom in between, but in all actuality, what's the most that it can really do? i mean, u valuable time. but then again there are those people that have the formulas on a little sheet of paper. i dunno. not a big fan of cheaters.

but hey.. if u gotta go, u gotta go.

 

[lightnk102]

whoa! guy, im confused about the whole timer thing. i have a timer that i bought from radio schack (its white, and has a counter). It does not beep because i make it start counting from one on instead of counting down. Is this ok to use? I have been practice with this timer and i dont want to get another one im not used to.

thanks everyone!

i bought a timer last year from radioshack too, and I even did "surgery" on it so it wouldn't beep. if you ask me, i don't see the difference between a digital watch and a digital timer if neither beep. i thought about strapping the timer to my wrist, to make it a "watch". To be on the safe side, I ended up practicing with both the timer and a digital watch, and brought both to the testing site (i still preferred the timer. bigger numbers). The proctor wouldn't allow me to use the timer. I ended up taking the digital watch off my wrist and laying it on the desk so i could see it.

its a stupid rule in my opinion. But you can get a digital watch for about 10 dollars at any drugstore. Just make sure to get one with indiglo in case the numbers are hard to read.

 

[LT2]

i would think twice about bringing the timer in. during my mcat, they didn't allow any timers, only watches. some people tried to tape the timers to their arms, but they didn't allow that either. it really will depend on the proctor and how much they try to abuse their power for the day. just to be on the safe side, i would get used to working with a watch if you can, just in case! a good thing to do is to set the watch to 12 before every section, so you know how much time you have.

 

[SpeedRacer]

someone might have said this already, but i feel like they prefer analog watches. plus i've found they're pretty nice to use once you get used to them...just set it to 1200 at the beginning of every section so you know exactly when to stop.

 

[myodana]

true.
however, the girl sitting next to me got frustrated at the noise outside our window (ugh, NYU) and shoved some wadded-up tissue in her ears during the bio section. it was pretty funny, especially when she had a real problem taking it out after the test!!!

 

[myodana]

just to be on the safe side, i would get used to working with a watch if you can, just in case! a good thing to do is to set the watch to 12 before every section, so you know how much time you have.

that's exactly what i did. just used a regular analog watch and set it to the top of the hour at the beginning of each section of the test. MUCH easier! just use your watch! the people that bought new watches to bring to the MCAT inevitably had problems figuring them out the day of the exam. just use a regular watch and don't panic about it.