Adequacy of test centers? test center bathroom experiences? Beware Boston level 3 candidates!!

CFA Level III
#1

I am curious about others test center experiences? This is more likely an issue for males (Ironically) because of the skewed candidate distribution …

My Boston test center experience:

I feel that the CFA institute really let the Boston CFA candidates down this year! An awful testing experience for me. Essentially no pretest access to bathrooms. Despite getting to test center almost 1 hour early, andhaving waited in this endless (100s long) pretest bathroom line, I had to take my seat under duress of an ethical violation file and start the AM level 3 test …having a terrible urge to go (hard to think) and knowing now i would have to lose valuable AM test time in long bathroom lines during the test!!!

The situation was so bad I actually saw a man urinating against a column/post right in the line right next to me, just after the proctor was threatening to take slips (and filing an ethical violation) for those still in line at 9am!

Therefore, in the AM session,I ultimately had to waist valuable AM test time to get into bathroom…(left 2 questions completely blank)…I thought to myself…I can see failing because you don’t know the material but failing because CFA provides inadequate bathroom facilities (after 300-400 hours of exam prep!)…how depressing.

In afternoon no better! 15 minutes before start…I looked up no line!!!..great chance to go before the afternoon session…

As I approached the bathroom, attendant gave me the stop sign with his hand and denied me bathroom access….said he was instructed to take my test slip if i tried too get in to the bathroom (now i know why no line!!!)

You can’ make this stuff up.. must be.all captured on video/audio. After all that studying and preparation to be treated like this!!!..

It may just be a cultural organization issue! Candidates…are just candidates, no standing/importance in this organization!

I feel the CFA let us down in Boston creating a terrible testing experience for some like ME.

I issued a formal complaint to the CFA institute …and unfortunately the complaint seemed to be on deaf ears!

It appeared to me that the CFAs investigation staffs goal was to just give me some boiler plate line…we do our best…etc etc… and just close the complaint out. I wish the CFA used information from a complaint to research identify problem take corrective action to improve centers etc etc. Maybe they will…i won’t know?

After dealing with the anxiety of thinking I failed for two months because I had trouble concentrating and i missing two entire AM questions…afraid to open the email!!!

Well happy ending for me…fortunately a 90% performance on the afternoon session helped me pass and receive my Charter!! …

I would like to know whether other candidates in other test centers experienced lack of access to bathrooms before and/or during the test? Hope it is not tip of the iceberg situation? and Boston was the 2 /3 sigma left tail data point!

I encourage others to issue a complaint to the CFA if you had a similar experience? The CFA institute has to do better in providing good test venues! And more data helps them to make better pivots/corrections to improve candidates test experiences.

Now after venting here, I will put this awful test experience behind me and feel both proud and lucky to be a new CFA Charterholder!!

Ron Z…

P.S. New level 3 candidates be fair warned…Because of the time pressure in the AM exam, it might be good idea to skip the morning coffee before the AM test! or find a test center that provides adequate bathroom facilities!

#2

I have been to Chicago and Madison WI in my CFA journey. Madison is better by far, no crowds, friendly staff, and easy access to amenities (rest rooms, food, hotels, etc)

#3

CharLIT center was good for me L1->L3

#4

Say what you want about Philly, but there were plenty of bathrooms with no lines

#5

Hi.

Very pity to hear that. That’s a real betrayal for all those who were sitting for the exam.

We had no problems at all with restrooms, but it was kind a mess with places to eat between the sessions. I had been to the test center earlier so when we were dismissed I turned the maximum velocity towards the food court. The test center was located just nearby a local mall, so it was full of visitors. If you didn’t manage to get to a cashier’s in front of the common people, you had to wait till all those families with children chose their MCD Happy Meals. But the real shit was with the canteen that was just opposite the testing room. The bell rang for the PM session, but the line to the cashier’s didn’t shorten as candidates were hungry not for exam but for food. Many brought their sandwiches and ate them along with bottles of water or juice. So if you don’t know how to have a lunch REALLY fast you will be trapped and satisfy yourself with free plastic glasses of water.

#6

Good job passing despite the circumstances Zollaron.

#7

Would it be an ethical violation to piss your pants during an exam?

#8

San Diego – one bathroom for 1,000 people… felt sorry for the guys in line for the stall at 8:40am, they had no chance.

CFAI should at least rent port-a-potties for sites like this.

#9

In London the AM exam started about 15 minutes late. I suspect because of the number of people arriving at the last moment, as opposed to 8am, thus avoiding toilet issues within the exam centre itself.

For my part I stayed ay a hotel five minutes walk away, so had unlimited time to ‘clear the pipes’ etc in comfort. I also took an imodium tablet just in case! Also I could eat lunch away from the crowds and get drunk in the bar after the exam.

Yes this came at a price, but I wanted to maximise my chances of passing. The infamous (and probably fictional) account of a guy dumping in a sink at NY pre-exam served as a warning. For those too young to know this story, I’m sure it can be found by searching this site.

#10

Here it is. This must be preserved and passed on to future generations of exam takers:

Author: ccooper55 Date: Thursday, August 12 @ 1:49 pm

This year, level III, NYC

I am waiting for the bathroom in this massive line about 10 minutes before the start of the exam. There is this guy panicked out of his mind in line ahead of me who I noticed for the previous half hour had been rocking back and forth in the corner of the lobby murmering his notes back to himself from memory…a real whackjob.

Anyway, As I am standing in line with this guy in front of me he starts to sweat profusely and I can litterally hear this guys stomach rumbling…this is where he really freaks out. He starts pounding on the stall doors ( there were only 2) and, of course, no one is coming out so this ass clown drops his pants, hops up on the sink, and blows SH**T all over the sink! The most disgusting thing was the backspray all over this guy! He was COVERED in his own Sh**t. I am laughing my ass off but this guy didnt miss a beat, he rinses off his pants, throws his shirt in the trash and walks into the test wearing only his windbreaker and wet pants.

I could hardly stop laughing to myself a full half hour into the test…I knew then I was going to be alright because at least I didn’t just blow ass chunks all over the bathroom…priceless.

Author: hughj Date: Thursday, August 12 @ 2:29 pm

NYC this summer, I’ squirting lemon in my iced tea (for a little caffeine pick me up) right before I walk in to the exam center. Some of it squirts the wrong way, gets me in right in the eyes and I literally, can’t see a thing. I ask someone to help me get to the bathroom so I can rinse my eyes. I feel around for the sink, run the water and immerse my face in the sink, and to my horror, it’s full of sh**! I scramble to find a paper towel and the bin’s empty! At this point I go rummaging through the garbage in sheer hysterics to find anything to wipe my face, and to my relief I find a discarded shirt. I wipe my face as quickly as possible w/ the shirt, only to find I’m caking on more sh**, and now I can’t see again. I was totally confused until Cooper’s post put the pieces together for me. BTW I think I did ok in the morning session, afternoon was a little tough.

http://www.analystforum.com/phorums/read.php?1,613712,613754#msg-613754

#11

Kill me somebody! I was laughing like crazy.

#12

I was also in Boston and it wasn’t good. I honestly couldn’t believe how poor the setup was. I feel bad for the dozens of people who were waiting in the bathroom line. My bladder is like a steel vault so I was ok. Thankfully, I passed level 2.

#13

My understanding is that stories like this are the motivation for having two exam days next year.

That said, you don’t have to accept the boiler plate answer when they give it. That decision put candidates health at risk, in addition to the items you highlighted. I would view it at a customer service issue, you paid to take the exam and they failed to provide an adequate examination experience. I do realize CFAI is very stubborn as an organization, but this is something that would be hard for them to be stubborn about.

Thankfully I’ve not experienced this. I took Level 1 in New York, and Levels 2 and 3 in Dallas (each of these at different locations in the city) and at all levels I felt the facilities were sufficient.

I did, however, have proctors having a very loud whispered discussion right next to me during Level 1. I actually had to raise my hand, ask one to come over, and ask them to be quiet. That’s just ridiculous. I actually complained to CFAI on that one to hedge myself; if some butthurt proctor decided to use the PCP process to teach me a lesson, having my formal complaint registered beforehand would make it easier to highlight that. Thankfully it never got to that and I didn’t have any issues like that for Levels 2 and 3.

#14

if you take the exam in a backwater town like Boston, what do you expect? Indoor plumbing only made it to that city a few years ago.

(seriously tongue in cheek. I’ve lived in Boston and it’s a great place)

#15

I took in Boston this year too, and I’m glad the head proctor was an asshole. He told the people in the bathroom line like 5 goddamn times to clear out and they still wouldn’t, so he called for write-ups. Harsh maybe, but they delayed the exam for everyone by a few minutes…sit down so i can take this damn test!!!

#16

Jokes on you, why not bring a Catheter next time? #alreadylivingin3018