[Wannafree]

Based on NASBA webinar what I understood is that scratch paper and pencil is allowed in exam but you have to ask for it.I got confused though because they mentioned advisability ,accommodation etc same breath .Is paper and pencil can be asked in Prometric ?
Anyone else noticed this disclosure ?

[Anonymous]

@Jennifer – yeah I think I did the squishy earplugs too last time. Maybe I'll skip the noise canceling headphones…they ain't Bose or Beats, that's for sure. I haven't been comfortable on any of my exams though. When I took FAR, it was freezing in the room, and the noise cancelling headphones didn't fit. And, there were helicopters zooming around outside, and I could still hear them through the headphones. Somehow I trucked through that exam but I couldn't wait for it to be over.

[Jen-J]

Mmm, I requested paper and pencil with less than a week to go and they gave it to me. (I never did get an email confirming my email, but the person taking my fingerprints remembered my name, they had received an email.) I had put my testing site, date/time and 7 digit number from my NTS). I definitely recommend it, because the whiteboards had a dark grid on them like graph paper and it would have distracted me.

[hana]

For those of you that requested and received paper, how much paper do they give you? Do you need to ask for more like with the whiteboards? Thinking about doing this for BEC because there are so many calculations and I can't imagine doing it all with a blunt marker on a laminated paper…

[Troys22]

I requested paper and pencil for my most recent exam. I sent an email to make sure NASBA approved the request. However, when I got to the Prometric center, Prometric did not have my “accommodation” in their computer. I showed him the email from NASBA saying I could use pencil and paper. The Prometric guy called NASBA, but because it was Saturday, the department that handles accommodations was not available so I was not granted pencil and paper for my exam. The Prometric guy told my that I should have requested it when I schedule my exam. It did't really matter either way. I guess I would suggest not only emailing NASBA to have the request approved but make sure NASBA actually forwards the request to Prometric.

[Recked]

Prometric will give you a blue booklet that amounts to 2 normal sheets of paper, of which you can use front and back, so 4 sides of a normal 8.5×11 in total.
They also give you 2 pencils.

I received paper and pencil for all 4 of my exams. The first one was a close call as I asked the Prometric staff the day before when they called to confirm my appointment. The other 4 exams I would call them a week before my exam. Every time they knew nothing of my request, so they had to contact NASBA and coordinate, etc. I would then confirm a second time when they called me the day before to go over my appointment.

If I had to do it all over again I would still request the paper and pencil. Hands down, if you have small scratchy writing, avoid the markers.
Anything to save you time and give you more confidence.

Stay on them. Do your due diligence and never assume “it's been taken care of”.

[hana]

thanks guys. @Recked if you use up the booklet, can you get another one? Or you only get one booklet and have to make do with that?

[Recked]

You can request more paper, but they will take the original paper back.
I never ran out of room. Probably used the book the most on BEC out of all the exams but it's hard to say for sure.

[nikkie320]

My test is on July9th. Just put in request now. Hopefully they get it ready in time. Thanks for all your help

[Anonymous]

I made my request for scratch paper and it was pretty easy. I emailed candidatecare@nasba.org with my name and section ID on Sunday evening.
I got a response Monday at 1:21pm. They sent me a letter that I have to print and take to the testing center. It states that its valid for one year.

This was mush simpler than what I expected.

[CS]

@Bobby I would follow @Recked's advice and confirm with the testing center some time before you sit, as I also never assume NASBA and the centers are coordinated properly.
In hindsight I definitely wish I had done the pencil/paper route. Even though using the markers/laminated paper worked out for me, for REG, my last one, I felt like I kept wiping numbers accidentally, or coudn't make out certain numbers and would have to re-calculate, such a waste of time. Since the markers are thick, and I just write sporadically across the paper as I'm focused on the test at the time I have to constantly ask for new paper. Anyone know the reason behind markers/laminated paper as opposed pencil/paper being the default?

[Recked]

I think the idea behind the markers and white boards was to increase security, to make sure nothing inadvertently left the testing facility.
I could see if Prometric had good quality materials, like fresh white boards and nice new fine tipped markers that did not smudge, but sadly that is not the case.

Paper and pencil all the way. Confirm 2x with prometric, once a week out from exam (just in case there is a SNAFU that they need time to address) and once the day before your exam.
Take notes, gets people's names, etc.

I think by the end the Prometric staff knew my name and face, so it made it easier. I also bothered them more than my fair share.

[Author]

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