If you read my previous post, you know I was preparing to take an exam. There had already been a great deal of confusion regarding the security of my preferred room. The saga continued and, while I am more than ready to share some images, I’ll save that for Thursday. Really, come back and I’ll change tone. Right now, I’m dealing with what I have dubbed as PSJ or Post-Stress Jocularity. The stress removed, I spent the weekend collapsing into the loving arms of the native dad joke. There will be no apologies.
Yes, Of Course It Is No! Maybe
I won’t bore you with the details, but by the time I sat down for my actual exam, I had already been through six contacts, only one who actively worked to resolve the issue (thanks, Dimitri!). The previous contacts had all failed to answer the one question I had or setting me up for further frustration by making simple mistakes. There was a lot of “Yes” with heavy doses of, “but not me,” vibe. I was left with a whole lot of “maybe” before the end.
One Example of Confusion
For what should have been a quick security check, I was asked to do a demo exam. This would allow a proctor could advise what, if anything, needed to be done with my space. As instructed, I scheduled one for 0900 Central Daylight Time (CDT). I received an email verifying the time was scheduled for “0900 your local time”. All is well. I can even see the note of my request for CDT.
At 0817 CDT, I receive an email alerting me that I am late to the demo. Logging in, I spoke to the proctor. We talked at some length about the time issue. Looking at the scheduled appointment on the website, I had two demos listed. The first was for 0900 CST (Central STANDARD Time) which would be 0800 CDT. The second exam? Scheduled for 0900 EST (Eastern Standard Time). I only scheduled one demo. I am not sure why I had two listed.
Recovering From the Confusion
Sigmund Freud would have a field day with the dreams I have had following the stress of Friday. The short of it is this: I scheduled for 1500 CDT to take the exam. Due to other scheduling confusion on the proctor company’s end, I actually started the exam at 1555 CDT. You see, even though I signed up for the actual exam, they decided I needed to do a demo exam. Yes, I protested. Yes, they insisted. Then, having been promised I could do the desired exam as soon as I was done, the proctor said that if I had any questions about the process to contact the service desk.
And then she disconnected me.
How Did It All End?
Well, it hasn’t. Not yet. My employer is aware of the several hour struggle to get to the one hour test that took me 20 minutes to complete. I am not alone in having customer service issues. All that aside, my preliminary test shows that the test was difficult, the proctors need to use it for customer service training, and I passed.
I say “preliminary” because, at this point, the certification group only shows I completed the exam. Despite official notice occurring, “within 24-48 hours”, I’m now at 72 hours and holding. Well, as of the time I’m writing this. Hopefully, when this posts, I’ll have news, but I’m guessing that will happen Wednesday.
While I will not apologize for the PSJ, I do apologize for holding photos off one more day. I think you will find them worth the wait.
Literally 15 minutes after posting, I received the official “Pass” notification… and the opportunity to buy a piece of paper recognizing my accomplishment that “remains the property of the issuing Examination Institute and shall be returned immediately upon request” for $50. Oh, but with a coupon to bring it down a bit. Did I mention it has to be renewed every three years?
Classy!