Prometric problems

Discussion in 'The Lounge - Off Topic' started by michael78, Feb 27, 2008.

  1. michael78

    michael78 Terabyte Poster

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    Amazing who could of thought that it could be soo difficult to reschedule an exam. Rang prometric who told me the testing centre no longer does Microsoft exams which came as a surprise to the testing centre and then they told me the 70-291 exam is being retired at the end of March and that’s why I couldn't do it after March which again came as a surprise to Microsoft. Clueless totally bloody clueless. I never had this problem with VUE. I could always get a exam booked and always reschedule an exam for a week later (now it's months). I have to do my last Microsoft exam to get the MCSA but I'm seriously thinking about not doing another Microsoft exam again. This isn't the first time I've had problems either with them as there website doesn't work half the time and my exam has dissapeared off my account :x:x:x.
     
    Certifications: A+ | Network+ | Security+ | MCP | MCDST | MCTS: Hyper-V | MCTS: AD | MCTS: Exchange 2007 | MCTS: Windows 7 | MCSA: 2003 | ITIL Foundation v3 | CCA: Xenapp 5.0 | MCITP: Enterprise Desktop Administrator on Windows 7 | MCITP: Enterprise Desktop Support Technician on Windows 7
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  2. Phoenix
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    Phoenix 53656e696f7220 4d6f64

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    291 should not be getting retired in march, im waiting to confirm this with MS but as far as I am aware the only 2k3 exams retiring are the upgrade exams from 2k (ie, 292 and 296)

    Trika has a list on her blog, I'm awaiting confirmation on if it is the full list or not
    http://blogs.msdn.com/trika/archive/2008/02/21/open-the-bottle-of-ammonia.aspx


    Edit:
    Having spoke to some folks at Prometric, a lot of the reasons for the wait times are very much the retiring of exams, a lot of people are still half way through 2k mcse's thus they don't have much time left, that at a time where a lot of centers were already going through the changes to gain Prometric status and actually CARRY MS exams has meant there's a few problems

    It's not pleasant I know, but it will be at least 2009 before we see what benefits the one vendor one exam provider offers, the fact that Cisco did the same thing leads me to believe there are perhaps some key business reasons behind such moves
     
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  3. michael78

    michael78 Terabyte Poster

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    I think the whole testing process has went downhill since VUE was dropped. It's been like this from the start with Prometric as I always tested with VUE and never had a problem. I had to cancel an exam last september and the next one I could get was november.

    The exam isn't being retired it's just they were clueless and said it was. Microsoft confirmed it wouldn't be retired for at least another year possibly two. I hope my title of the post being make anyone crap themselves (probably should of named it differently).
     
    Certifications: A+ | Network+ | Security+ | MCP | MCDST | MCTS: Hyper-V | MCTS: AD | MCTS: Exchange 2007 | MCTS: Windows 7 | MCSA: 2003 | ITIL Foundation v3 | CCA: Xenapp 5.0 | MCITP: Enterprise Desktop Administrator on Windows 7 | MCITP: Enterprise Desktop Support Technician on Windows 7
    WIP: Online SAN Overview, VCP in December 2011
  4. Phoenix
    Honorary Member

    Phoenix 53656e696f7220 4d6f64

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    Renamed it mate, hope you dont mind :)


    My experience has been the total opposite
    I did the majority of my exams (indeed, the very first ones) with Prometric, and never had a bad thing to say about them, I only recently started using VUE as there was a location 5 mins walk from the office, and again had no problems

    In fact I used to be very peeved that VUE seemed to charge me MORE for exams because they added VAT, and wondered how Prometric managed to NOT charge me VAT, something fishy there I guess :)

    My recent experiences at Prometric centres have not been brill that's for sure, MS exams are bloaty and clunky, very slow, even on decent systems.. but they ran fine on the newish Dells my old VUE place used, not the OLD compaqs my Prometric place uses, that said my usual two Parity ones have gone and I have been left going to QA-IQ centers and more recently an independent (which was ok)
     
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  5. BosonMichael
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    BosonMichael Yottabyte Poster

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    70-291 is not being retired in March. The only 2003 exams that are being retired are the upgrade exams, 70-292 and 70-296.
     
    Certifications: CISSP, MCSE+I, MCSE: Security, MCSE: Messaging, MCDST, MCDBA, MCTS, OCP, CCNP, CCDP, CCNA Security, CCNA Voice, CNE, SCSA, Security+, Linux+, Server+, Network+, A+
    WIP: Just about everything!
  6. michael78

    michael78 Terabyte Poster

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    I know it isn't being retired it's just the plank on the other end of the phone insisted it was and refused to move my exam back. I've found prometric to be frustrating to say the least and I'm p@ssed with microsoft for making the decision to shaft a lot of people using VUE to do their exams. I always got around the VAT thing by using vouchers bought online but did find it fishy to say the least as I thought you didn't get charged VAT for exams.

    Phoenix don't mind you changing the title mate probably for the best in case anyone had a stroke over the previous title :eek:
     
    Certifications: A+ | Network+ | Security+ | MCP | MCDST | MCTS: Hyper-V | MCTS: AD | MCTS: Exchange 2007 | MCTS: Windows 7 | MCSA: 2003 | ITIL Foundation v3 | CCA: Xenapp 5.0 | MCITP: Enterprise Desktop Administrator on Windows 7 | MCITP: Enterprise Desktop Support Technician on Windows 7
    WIP: Online SAN Overview, VCP in December 2011
  7. BosonMichael
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    BosonMichael Yottabyte Poster

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    Call again, and get some other Prometric soul to change it. If they won't, try a third time, or a fourth. Eventually, you'll be connected to someone who has a clue (or, at the very least, can borrow or rent a clue for a short period of time).
     
    Certifications: CISSP, MCSE+I, MCSE: Security, MCSE: Messaging, MCDST, MCDBA, MCTS, OCP, CCNP, CCDP, CCNA Security, CCNA Voice, CNE, SCSA, Security+, Linux+, Server+, Network+, A+
    WIP: Just about everything!
  8. Phoenix
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    Phoenix 53656e696f7220 4d6f64

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    If you do call back
    get there name / managers name
    MS were asking me who specifically was giving you the shoddy info
     
    Certifications: MCSE, MCITP, VCP
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