problems with test sites allowing earplugs?

[quietude]

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Anyone had problems with sites allowing earplugs? This is a new rule this year, so it wouldn't surprise me if not everyone is up to date. I don't think they'd let me take them in based on a printout of the 2009 rules.

I'm taking mine in NYC so any local reports would be appreciated.

 

[Fox4]

Not in NYC area, but I wasn't allowed to use earplugs at my exam. That is to say, I was told that if I chose to use earplugs I wouldn't be able to answer the audio/multimedia questions, because once I put the earplugs in they would have to remain in for the entire exam, and I wouldn't be allowed to remove them at any time... 👎

 

[Steiner]

The testing site i was at had soundproof headphones at every station. you could wear those the whole time except for the audio questions.

 

[TMP-SMX]

You should get big orange ear muffs that block out other sound. There are also big black headphones to listen to the 4-5 audio questions. It tells you when there is audio to play on a questions.

I had both off for most of the time. To say you can't take them off whenever you want is BS.

 

[BrickHouseMD]

Yeah, I took soft ear plugs in at my first break and even asked the proctor. She told me I would just have to leave them in the room at my desk for the entire day. To say you would have to "leave them in" for the day sounds like a misunderstanding of the rule. That's kind of an unreasonable request.

 

[Fox4]

I had both off for most of the time. To say you can't take them off whenever you want is BS.

Yeah, it's total BS, and makes no sense.

Yeah, I took soft ear plugs in at my first break and even asked the proctor. She told me I would just have to leave them in the room at my desk for the entire day. To say you would have to "leave them in" for the day sounds like a misunderstanding of the rule. That's kind of an unreasonable request.

Yep, that is the official NBME rule -- if you use soft-foam earplugs you must show them to the proctor at the beginning, and then you leave them in the exam room the whole day. This staff person insisted that you had to leave them in your EARS the whole day, which, as you said, is a totally unreasonable request. I tried and tried to dispute it, but she wouldn't budge And since it was a Sunday, i couldn't call the NBME candidate care center for help or anything.

In retrospect, I wish I'd just left and rescheduled, cause it totally effected my work speed and ability to get through all the questions. I've always been a slow reader as it is, and timed exams have always been a challenge, so for me, foam ear plugs are as important a tool for adequate speed as the white board is. No matter how fast I tried to race through, I had about 3 questions per block that I didn't even see at all (added up to 21-22 total!). So, yeah I'm totally, completely, bummed, especially since my practice exam scores (where I always finished all the questions, if barely!) were in the 220-225 range, which is already kinda the minimum cut-off score for Rads interviews. So since my real score has to take a big hit from all the non-answered questions, I'm thinking I better start trying to love another specialty.

 

[Currantjelly]

At my cubicle/station was a pair of orange ear headphone things to block out sound. I also saw that they offered the little ear plug things as well. I did not use anything as I don't like anything in my ears during the exam. Overall the exam room was very quiet except for some construction/excavation going on right outside the building 🙄 Anyways.....I was so zoned in nothing was going to bother me anyways. That's how I think most will be during the exam as well.

 

[dbth77]

Yeah, it's total BS, and makes no sense.



Yep, that is the official NBME rule -- if you use soft-foam earplugs you must show them to the proctor at the beginning, and then you leave them in the exam room the whole day. This staff person insisted that you had to leave them in your EARS the whole day, which, as you said, is a totally unreasonable request. I tried and tried to dispute it, but she wouldn't budge And since it was a Sunday, i couldn't call the NBME candidate care center for help or anything.

In retrospect, I wish I'd just left and rescheduled, cause it totally effected my work speed and ability to get through all the questions. I've always been a slow reader as it is, and timed exams have always been a challenge, so for me, foam ear plugs are as important a tool for adequate speed as the white board is. No matter how fast I tried to race through, I had about 3 questions per block that I didn't even see at all (added up to 21-22 total!). So, yeah I'm totally, completely, bummed, especially since my practice exam scores (where I always finished all the questions, if barely!) were in the 220-225 range, which is already kinda the minimum cut-off score for Rads interviews. So since my real score has to take a big hit from all the non-answered questions, I'm thinking I better start trying to love another specialty.

i'm confused about why not be able to use ear plugs made you slower taking the exam.

 

[Fox4]

i'm confused about why not be able to use ear plugs made you slower taking the exam.

Peripheral noise distracts the mind and draws some of its attention, thus slowing your work speed. I imagine that's why earplugs exist in the first place, and why a lot of people use them for both studying and the exam.

 

[rahulb]

those big orange headphones were very uncomfortable, cheap as hell, and probably only killed about 10 decibels. i brought earplugs and showed them to the proctor at the start. she said i had to leave them at the computer when i signed out for breaks. i kept them in and worked through the entire block marking all the media Qs. when i finished the non-media Qs i would take the earplugs out, slip the regular headphones on, pimp the volume up to max, and listen to the murmurs.

i advise bringing earplugs because there were a bunch of newbs taking the mcat and when they got to the essay the keystrokes were quite deafening. i'm sure there were people coughing and sniffling too but i couldn't hear anything 😎

 

[dbth77]

Peripheral noise distracts the mind and draws some of its attention, thus slowing your work speed. I imagine that's why earplugs exist in the first place, and why a lot of people use them for both studying and the exam.

i'd suggest getting used to "peripheral noise" and not allowing it to slow you down as much as it did

 

[Fox4]

i'd suggest getting used to "peripheral noise" and not allowing it to slow you down as much as it did

I'd suggest being less condescending.

i advise bringing earplugs because there were a bunch of newbs taking the mcat and when they got to the essay the keystrokes were quite deafening. i'm sure there were people coughing and sniffling too but i couldn't hear anything 😎

Very true, I had an essay test-taker right next to my station and she was typing away non-stop.