Monitor refresh rate !!?

[saleh]

Hi every body,
When I run power preparation software from ETS, it changes my monitor's refresh rate (under 75 that means screen flicking that bother me very much).
My this problem be on the real test?

regards
S.M.

[saleh]

the Following is what I recieved from ETS:

Dear Saleh Mosaddegh:

I have received your email regarding the CBT TOEFL that you are
scheduled to
take on July 5, 2004. It is possible that there may be something wrong
with
the power prep disk that makes the monitor refresh rate on your
computer
appear changed. Refresh rates on the test center monitors should be 75
Hz.
Please check with the test center directly. If you have additional
questions, please contact me.

Sincerely,

Steve Krimstock
Educational Testing Service
CBT Candidate Relations
609-771-7285
skrimstock@ets.org

[Erin]

If you have any problems at the test center, you should make sure that you notify the administrator ASAP.

The last time I took an ETS CBT test, I cleaned the mouse, and adjusted the monitors display settings and the keyboard. You may also want to request that the screen be cleaned, since you are concerned about being able to see the screen.

Good luck!

[hamster]

Refresh rates on the test center monitors should be 75 Hz.
Please check with the test center directly. If you have additional
questions, please contact me.

Sincerely,

Steve Krimstock
Educational Testing Service
CBT Candidate Relations
609-771-7285
skrimstock@ets.org

I took GMAT last month and obviously they had 60 hz refresh rate for my screen (I have a Computer Science degree, if you doubt in my statement).
As I understood I could not talk in the test room so I could not complain and took the test hoping my eyes would handle it. As a result in 2 hrs just when verbal section started, I could not read from the screen , so the score was V-24 (typically i got 32-34 in practice tests).

What can I do to make somebody compensate for this mess and allow me to retake the test for no charge?

I have filed a case with ETS already, they said they forwarded my letter to CBT Candidate Relations. I wonder, how long it will take them to investigate the case and contact me.

That is soooo wrong to set test-takers up like that with screen refresh rate. 3 months of preparation in vain just because of some inresponsible computer administrator.

[nitinag]

How do you really know the screen refresh rate with your naked eye? Can someone explain me the screen refresh rate? I used to get 41-44 on verbal and got 35 in real test.


As an aside, does having a compute science degree mean that you are also an expert hardware engineer?

[hamster]

You don't have to be an expert hardware engeneer to check your monitor settings (sorry for you if you don't think so)

Try doing this with your monitor and see the difference. After I took my test, I went home and did those steps to see the actual refresh rate that I had on the screen in the test center. That's how I know. The computer experience tells me that low refresh rate is old-style and they don't use it for 10 years already. So I worried if they actually was supposed to allow such settings and complained to ETS.

Ok. The steps (for windows):
1. Right click on your desktop
2. Select "Properties" from the pop-up menu
3. Select "settings" tap
4. Click on "advanced"
5. Tab "monitor" (if you have several tabs)
6. You will see "Monitor settings" and a field for "refresh rate." Notice what number you have now and change it to a lower. Did anything change with your screen? Keep doing that until you set refresh rate on 60Hz. Does your screen flick like crazy now?
7. Now, change everything back to the way you had it first time. You are done.

[nitinag]

my comp has a refresh rate of 60 hz only...guess thats why i didnt feel the difference... Helps to be at a place where 60 hz is still a standard...

[motivation]

I get the same problem and send a complain to them.


Dear Sir ,

When I started the powerPre for Toefl , it changes my screen resolution to 640 *480 and the refresh rate of the monitor to 60Mhz . Would I get the same configuration for the test ? I think that would affect my test.

Thanks