Test anxiety? Take it in the testing center

By Catherine-Engstrom Hadley
Staff Writer

Tucked away on the third floor of the student center is the testing center. For students with test anxiety, the testing center can be a step in the right direction to help.

“The tests have no time limits” said Brenda Kentor, a lead proctor at the testing center. Although breaks aren’t allowed during tests, proctors are always in the room students are testing in.

“Sometimes we can give them a glass of water, give them a second to breathe” Kentor said. Students can make arrangements with professors to use the testing center for exams if they are interested.

“When students use the center frequently, that can also help with test anxiety, they get to know us and we get to know them,” Kentor said.

Professors can also use the testing center for their exams instead of using class time.

“If they are running behind and need to cover more material, they can send students to test here and use the class time to teach” said Kentor.

Some professors currently use the testing center for all exams, but around the time midterm exams and finals are taken is the Testing Center’s busy season, according to Kentor.

The Testing Center is openseven days a week in order to be flexible with students’ schedules, Kentor said.

Students can drop in whenever their schedule opens up to take an exam they need to. A proctor is in every room along with cameras to monitor testing.

You must show that your phone is turned off before you even enter the room to take the tests, and on the rules list, you can’t have a water bottle with a label on it.

“I’ve seen some real creative ways people have tried to cheat over the years,” said Kentor.

Two massive cabinets with make-up exams are in the corner of the testing center, with hundreds of incoming and outgoing exams from professors.

“Make up exams can be a source of hope for students, I remember when they didn’t exist!” said Brenda.

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