Should I still try to take the MCAT this Friday? Expired ID

[narla_hotep]

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Well I feel pretty dumb right now. I'm scheduled to take the MCAT this Friday, but I think I will get turned away from the testing center since I have an expired ID. My drivers license expired a few weeks ago when I turned 21, and I only went in to renew it last week because I didn't realize there was a DMV in my college town. I haven't gotten the new license in the mail yet, just a temporary paper one. I thought it was okay for the MCAT since it had my photo and signature on it, but then I was re-reading the guidelines today and saw some fine print about temporary IDs not being accepted. I called my testing center and they said they would go with whatever the "client" (AAMC) guidelines were, but they had no idea if the ID would be ok or not right off the top of their heads. So then I called the AAMC and they said they absolutely would NOT take a temporary ID or my expired one.

What do I do now? My passport is expired and I can't get a new one within 4 days, and there's a good chance I won't get my permanent license in the mail yet. Should I still keep studying this week and try going to the testing center on Friday, hoping that they will be ok with temporary ID? Or not even bother and reschedule for June? Ugh, I'm really pissed off at myself for not finding out where the DMVs were and renewing my license a week earlier... May have just wasted $300 and hours of my time/sanity. :'(

 

[narla_hotep]

whoops, may have just posted this in the wrong forum, will repost in the MCAT section shortly. I am just a hot mess today

 

[backside_attack]

Do you live near a passport office? You can get same day passports - just say you have travel immediately and need it (they don't verify as long as you're willing to pay the $$)

 

[narla_hotep]

I called two of the passport offices nearby and they both said you have to make an appointment, and even if I do make the appt it would take around 14 days to get it. Should I keep calling or will they all be the same?

EDIT: by passport offices I mean random places like post offices that will renew your passport. But not the actual govt passport agency

 

[ZombieDante]

I mean at this point you don't have many options I'm assuming. I would personally still try to go take it but when you present your ID don't act like you know anything about the policy. Just play it cool. Maybe they won't check/won't know. I mean it couldn't hurt to try IMO

 

[Dr.NickRiviera]

At my MCAT testing center, they swiped my driver's license. Presumably that would instantly tell them that the license is expired but I suppose there's no harm in trying?

 

[jk1006]

if theres a DMV you should be able to go get a state ID same day, that'll solve your problems

 

[narla_hotep]

jk1006, I looked into the possibility of that online, but it says that in my state you can't hold both a driver's license and a state ID at the same time, so I'd have to lose my license to get the ID...

 

[jih]

if theres a DMV you should be able to go get a state ID same day, that'll solve your problems

It depends on the state. My state recently started giving them out by mail only, and it takes a few weeks after you visit the DMV. You get temporary IDs in the meantime, but they don't work at the test center.

 

[narla_hotep]

It depends on the state. My state recently started giving them out by mail only, and it takes a few weeks after you visit the DMV. You get temporary IDs in the meantime, but they don't work at the test center.

yep, that's exactly my issue. I wasn't too upset when they gave me a temporary at the DMV because I thought the temporary would work because it had a photo, but turns out they don't take temporaries in general.

 

[Mansamusa]

yep, that's exactly my issue. I wasn't too upset when they gave me a temporary at the DMV because I thought the temporary would work because it had a photo, but turns out they don't take temporaries in general.

Bring your ID, temporary ID, and expired passport. I like to believe that test center would be able to reasonably confirm that you are who you say you and may allow you to take the test?

Does the temporary have an "issued" date? You could say that your new ID got delayed and you expected it to be in by now

 

[Spector1]

Have you called AAmc to ask?

 

[ZombieDante]

Have you called AAmc to ask?

Pretty sure they said in the original post that they called AAMC already..

 

[dougy]

I have gotten a same day passport before. Needed to drive from MA to MI the fast way through Ontario, went in to passport office and waited in line. Returned at 2 pm for pickup. At least 50 other people at same day pickup. Also know a friend that needed a same day, they bought round trip refundable airfar for next day and took tix in with them. Got the passport and cancelled the tickets🙂

 

[dougy]

https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/passports/information/where-to-apply/agencies.html

 

[narla_hotep]

@Mansamusa: Unfortunately my temporary does have an issue date, they’ll be able to see it was issued last week. But I'll still show up this Friday and try!

@gonnif: Yeah the reschedule deadline passed a week ago 🙁

@HopefulPilot: $300? Might as well sign up for another MCAT test date, haha

@dougy: Thanks for the link! I live in Kansas and my state isn’t on that list… Is that the full list of regional passport agencies in the US? I know they also do passports at various local places like post offices but those places all told me 14 days minimum. It was a good idea though 🙂 Why does Kansas have to be so far away from everything lol

EDIT: Random question for anyone who may know... If I do get in and take the test, is there any way the AAMC would void or cancel my score later if they find out I got into the center with an invalid ID?

 

[dougy]

Yes, unfortunately that is the full official list of passport offices where u can get a same day passport. If there are any new ones I am unaware. and the rush fee at these offices is an additional $60 not $300.

Quick road trip to hot springs Arkansas🙂

 

[narla_hotep]

So this morning I just got an email with the subject line "Honoring Your Examinee Agreement" and the only text was the examinee agreement itself. Is this something every student receives a week before their MCAT to make sure they're familiar with the agreement before test day? I hope I'm not the only one who got this email. I know it's an incredibly paranoid thought but what if the AAMC recorded my call yesterday and is now warning me to "honor the examinee agreement" by not showing up with a temporary ID on test day?

 

[ZombieDante]

So this morning I just got an email with the subject line "Honoring Your Examinee Agreement" and the only text was the examinee agreement itself. Is this something every student receives a week before their MCAT to make sure they're familiar with the agreement before test day? I hope I'm not the only one who got this email. I know it's an incredibly paranoid thought but what if the AAMC recorded my call yesterday and is now warning me to "honor the examinee agreement" by not showing up with a temporary ID on test day?

Relax. I got it too. I'm pretty sure everyone who is taking the test on Friday got the email. AAMC isn't some big brother watching us lol

 

[narla_hotep]

@ZombieDante: Thanks lol. I do get overly paranoid sometimes but just wanted to make sure 😛

 

[narla_hotep]

Okay, I hate to resurrect this thread again and further indulge my anxiety, but... if they do let me in and I am able to take the exam, is there any chance the AAMC will find out about the ID and cancel my score later or even accuse me of fraud/misconduct? The testing centers probably take pics of the ID and send it to AAMC. The risk of that would be literally the only thing stopping me from showing up this Friday.

 

[tantacles]

Okay, I hate to resurrect this thread again and further indulge my anxiety, but... if they do let me in and I am able to take the exam, is there any chance the AAMC will find out about the ID and cancel my score later or even accuse me of fraud/misconduct? The testing centers probably take pics of the ID and send it to AAMC. The risk of that would be literally the only thing stopping me from showing up this Friday.

It's possible. It's also possible that you'll die tomorrow of a heart attack. Or that pigs will sprout wings.

Go to the testing center with your old ID and your temporary license; Proof that you're renewing along with the old license often works.


Large dogs

 

[ZombieDante]

Curious, were you able to take the test?

 

[narla_hotep]

yes, thankfully everything turned out okay 🙂 The testing center was still able to scan my ID to take a photo of it, and they said that was all they really needed to be able to do. And they said temporary IDs were okay under their policies. I obviously didn't start telling them about the AAMC policies lol. I'm especially glad they let me in because there were other people I knew taking the MCAT on the same day, so if I was turned away everyone would know about it. The MCAT itself was difficult, harder than some of the practice exams I've taken, but that's a different story 😛 You took it on Friday too right?

 

[ZombieDante]

yes, thankfully everything turned out okay 🙂 The testing center was still able to scan my ID to take a photo of it, and they said that was all they really needed to be able to do. And they said temporary IDs were okay under their policies. I obviously didn't start telling them about the AAMC policies lol. I'm especially glad they let me in because there were other people I knew taking the MCAT on the same day, so if I was turned away everyone would know about it. The MCAT itself was difficult, harder than some of the practice exams I've taken, but that's a different story 😛 You took it on Friday too right?

That's awesome!! Glad to hear! And yeah I took it Friday too. IMO C/P was totally ughness. CARS was much easier (passages were easy to understand and questions very straight forward, except like 2-3), B/B was okay, and P/S wasn't too bad.