<p>I took the ACT at a local private military academy (largely used as a boarding school for troublesome students all over the east coast) and it was an awful experience that I want to be sure no one has to go through again.</p>
<p>I arrived and expected a perfectly fine test this morning. The parking attendant for the school pointed me toward the gym, so I figured we would register in there and be directed to separate rooms or something. But no. All 100 or so students taking the writing portion were in one incredibly humid and sweaty gym with desks set out. They let us in at 7:45, so I was in my desk at 7:50 or so. The proctor didn't begin reading the initial instructions until 8:50. Which, I suppose would be understandable, but I was sitting in my desk for a full hour in a sweaty gym. But anyways, we got to the test, and I assumed everything would be fine.</p>
<p>There was one proctor using a microphone for 100 students, with 2 assistants to take up and pass out papers. He mumbled constantly on the microphone, and so a friend who had never taken the ACT before didn't realize he was supposed to put in the form number or his name on the test booklets. But that comes up later.</p>
<p>The proctor told the assistants to take up our admissions tickets, but we hadn't filled out the match name, number, and birth date yet. I told the assistant this and almost started fighting with him (I was afraid they would just throw all our tickets away) and I was just ignored. So I just went on and began my test and hoped for the test.</p>
<p>The environment was incredibly uncomfortable because the gym was so hot but the fans couldn't be turned on because they were so incredibly loud. Half my answers in the English section got almost wiped off because the lead stuck to my arm because my arm was so sweaty, so I had to refill in a bunch of answers (it didn't matter though - I had already finished and was well under time anyways - but still, if it had mattered, that would not have been cool).</p>
<p>Remember this is at a military academy? Well, half the kids there were the students of the academy (I think they were required to take it), and they did not want to be there. They threw pencils and knocked down desks during the breaks and tried to sneak out and leave early and the proctor had no authority. Granted, it wasn't during the test, but still, that was totally lame.</p>
<p>So, after the mathematics test, the proctor was like "Oh, crap, we gotta fill in that number" like I told him. So they handed back all 60 admissions tickets and wasted a ton of time telling the students to fill the number in.</p>
<p>Finally, the main four sections were finished. I had one test left and I was out of the inferno. But, alas, more mishaps would find me! Ah, woe!</p>
<p>The proctor and his assistants took up the testing booklets. Halfway through, they realized some of the students weren't filling in their name and whatever else we have to enter on the front of the booklet because the proctor was mumbling whenever he gave those instructions and promptly yelled at all of us for it. They then wasted more time by passing out all the testing booklets in order and having the students who didn't understand the proctor fill the booklets out. And then they decided it was time to take up the answer sheets as well. Which is awesome, since all 100 students are taking the writing portion, and the lined paper is in the answer sheet! Yay!</p>
<p>They got to me, and I was like, "WTeffOMGBBQ DON'T PULL THIS **** AGAIN." And I pointed out to the assistant that the lined paper was in the answer sheet. But he was a bumbling zombie and just followed the proctor's orders and argued with me. So I gave up my sheet figuring that they would eventually realize that there's no way to answer the essay with out the answer booklet. They take up about 3/4 of the booklets and then realize "LOLz, TEH ANSER SHETS R WERE U PUT UR ESSAY!!!1111!!!!2211oneoneeleven11!!!" So they waste more time passing back out the 75 booklets they took up.</p>
<p>The test took an hour and a half more than the previous tests I have taken. I don't feel as though my score was affected in any way, but I'm betting several other students' scores were. Can I complain to ACT and make sure that this doesn't happen again?</p>