Fight the Noteboards
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18 Oct 2006, 07:58
I've read the posts on the subject and wanted to throw in my 2c:
While I agree that the noteboards can be a cause of heartburn for some people, I think the most important point for each test taker is to be mentally prepared for the setup (overall, not just the notebaords) before going to the test center. I've taken the test twice - first time with ETS, using paper and pencil, and then with Vue, using the noteboards. I honestly dont think the noteboards make that much of a difference. Like someone said earlier, any external factor can have a psychological impact on the test taker - it could be the awful cologne worn by the person in the adjacent desk, noise from the AC units, etc. During my second test, I had to endure a somewhat sick student who was coughing most of the time - the earplugs could only do so much.
The best strategy is to tune out all the extraneous factors and focus on the test. Specifically for the noteboards, I'd suggest using a similar setup on your very last practice test at home just to get a feel for it. About the only concern I really had with the noteboards was that all my fingers were soaked in ink by the time I was done - and the ink doesnt wash off easily.