我AW中的意外事件——机考过程和与ETS交涉的经历

galaxysongUID: 152834

我在3月2日考完作文后，并没有像许多前辈那样，立即回来发考试经验与感想。那并不是因为我在做“倒计时作文练习”。

我对一些关心我的几位G友说自己考得还不错，其实事实并非这么简单。

现在整个事件早已经过去（基本上在4日就解决了，否则我也不会有心思开发什么工具）。虽然说不上是件好事，但毕竟也是十分难得的经历，所以特意在此与大家分享。
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我在临考前几天就回家进行最后冲刺。我家离考点有一个多小时的路程，所以我计划在2日早晨从家里出发，参加8点半的考试。为此，我在1日6点专程跑了一趟，以熟悉路线。以上几句主要想说明，我是十分重视这次考试的，而且一向是个谨慎周到的人。

2日6点半我就从家里出发，7点半多一些到达考场。我很仔细的听从工作人员的指导，生怕错过每一个字。

另一方面，我并不紧张。毕竟比我随便得多的人都平安完成了考试，我没什么理由犯下程序上的错误。而且我对作文比较自信，给自己的要求又不高（无论好坏，写完即可），所以精神上相当放松。总之，状态很好。

事实上，直到我最后一个走出考场时，我的感觉都很好。第一，作文题目虽然都没写过，但issue是我认真思考过的，真是正中下怀，argument也很简单。第二，我原本担心选四所寄成绩的学校专业时，会有什么问题，如突然忘记要选什么了，幸好也很顺利，这样几十美元就没有白送给ETS。

但当我坐上公共汽车时，我突然发现，自己根本就没有选择笔试的时间和地点！这简直是没有可能的。我拼命回忆，几乎都能想起我答过的每一道背景调查的问题了，却始终没有笔试的影子。

我在以前看过几位前辈的考试经历，不过并不清楚笔试选择是在哪一步，只以为大概在作文之后。这是有道理的：毕竟作文后要选择是否保留成绩，假如有人选择“否”，那么笔考就没必要再选了。

我在中午吃饭时考虑了各种可能原因，仍旧没有头绪。然后在13点（开始上班时间）给GRE考试报名中心打了电话。(顺便说一下，用手机的话，需要使用到*键。)

接电话的女生（听声音很年轻）客气地先安慰我说，考试程序里应该有默认选项（她猜是6月12日北京），我肯定有地方考。其实我并不担心这个，而是不希望被迫“reschedule”而花掉很多钱。然后她又说她那里只负责报名，更多的东西就不知道了。我向她要了我的作文考点的电话。

这回接电话的是考场里唯一的男工作人员（服务态度就明显差了一截）。我先问他选笔试时间地点这一步骤的前后是什么步骤，他说是在背景调查之后、作文之前。我立刻想起了一段我几乎要忘掉的插曲：

我这个人做事非常稳重，又是倒数第二个进考场的，所以当周围的人都已经噼哩啪啦写作文的时候，我还在半小心半好奇地做背景调查。这时，突然有一个声音从我身后传来：“你怎么做得怎么慢呀？快点儿点。”原来是工作人员中的老太太，正是她在开考前指导我们填表等各个步骤。

我考虑了一秒钟后，点击了“NEXT”。毕竟，当时她就相当于ETS的代表，况且我已经按她的要求作了很多步骤，她又看上去很和蔼（她无意间通过实际行动诠释了“软硬兼施”这一成语的含义）。另外，我自己也觉得的确有点慢。

随后她又连说了“点！接着点！”几次。在她的催促下，我就很快地又点过去了三四页。然后她说“好了”，我问“可以开始写作文了吗”，她说“对”。于是我不由得心跳加速，全神贯注于下面的作文中了。

于是，我最想象不到的事情居然就在我身上发生了：我客观上亲手跳过了像笔试这样重要的选项。在正常情况下，恐怕只有最最粗心大意的人才做得出这种事。

我自己不可能说毫无责任；但倘若因此出了什么后果，要由我一人承担，无疑也是极不公平的。

我向电话那头的男工作人员解释了一番，但他居然说“你为什么当时不报告？你应当知道选笔试是在背景调查之后”、“每一名考生都应当为自己的每一下操作负责”，还问我“鼠标是不是你点的？”！这实在不能不说是荒谬，尤其在我这样参加过辩论赛又练习过Argument的人面前。

不过我不是个爱争论的人，况且激化矛盾只会对我更不利。我只好告诉他，我最关心的是这件事情该怎么解决、有什么补救措施，至少让我查一查当前我的笔考时间地点是什么。这是他却说，他们只管输入考生信息，其余的跟ETS没有联系，查不了，叫我自己到ETS官方网站上找email。

整个下午的三节课上，我一直心不在焉地一边听讲，一边考虑该怎么跟ETS说。我以前从未跟老外联系过，所以感觉比AW考试还难，甚至考虑过先写份草稿请英语老师帮我改一下，但由于估计太费时间而作罢。

当天晚上，我先把ETS官方网站研究了半天，然后反复斟酌，一直写到22点，终于把一封845单词的email发了出去。原文内容如下，除有关我身份的信息外，未作更改；大半与上文重复，无需细看。

galaxysongUID: 152834

Dear Sir or Madam:

I am very sorry to bother you, but I have to change my paper-based test center choice, for I actually did not select them at all due to an accident. I sincerely appeal for your patience and insight on my story as follows:

This morning, I took my CBT Analytical Writing session (which started from a little earlier than 8:30 a.m.) in XXXXXXX, P.R.China. As a prudent person, I followed every direction offered by the employees at the test center as accurately as I could. At the same time, I continually reminded me of two important things except the writing test itself: to choose my next text center for writing-paper test and to choose the four graduate schools to which my scores would be sent.

Although one classmate of mine had told me that I would not need to take the Background Information Questions too seriously, I answered the questionnaire step by step since I did not want to overlook any bit of interesting or valuable information. When I almost finished the investigation, unexpectedly, an employee (the eldest woman at the center) stood right behind me and said: "How slow you are! Click quickly!"

After another glance through the texts on the screen, I found nothing for me to choose and therefore clicked the "Next" button. A second later, however, she hurried me once more. And again, after a glance I did as she had wished. "Click, click!" she ordered me two or three more times and I followed her for three reasons:

(1) I assumed that she knew what she was doing (after all, she could see the screen as clearly as I did) and had no reason to mislead me; (2) I had noticed the outline of the steps before my writing test and had seen nothing important in the list; and (3) the background was somewhat boring which made me intend to finish it more quickly too.

Then she told me that I could start my writing. The fact that she recognized the introduction page of Analytical Writing within a mere second confirmed my assumption. Moreover, the impendent test drew all my concentration to the extent that I did not notice when she left. Therefore, understandably, there was no room for doubt on this short episode.

Everything went well and I felt even a little cheerful when I left the test center. About an hour later, however, I realized that I had not seen the menu of selection of my paper-based test! The only one male employee had mentioned that but he had failed to let me learn at which step the selection would be. I was totally at a loss.

I contacted the center in the afternoon and hence recalled the episode. I explained to the man (the male employee) but he unfairly denied my explanation by simply insisting that a test-taker must be responsible for his/her every click of mouse. If putting his view a little further, the only case in which I can blame the eldest woman would be that she took my mouse violently and clicked it despite my objection.

My time of this afternoon and this evening has already ruined by this trouble, for which I can find no better appellation than accident. In many accidents, it is unjust to blame one party for all responsibilities; likewise, I myself cannot escape my share of the loss. Anyway, I cannot guarantee that anyone else if put in the same scenario would have followed the woman as credulously as I did (in fact, as the man said, such thing had never happened before), nor do I want to complicate the trouble. Therefore, I don't ask for any compensation for my loss (which is not easy to calculate, after all). This accident was really dramatic, but I just need a reasonable end of the story.

The only thing I concern about most is my paper-based test, and my only claim is to let me select where to take it. Otherwise, either I will have to pay a large sum of money to "reschedule" my paper-based test, or I will fly to take a train to Beijing (the default option, as an employee at the GRE registration center of China guessed) which would be even more expensive both financially and mentally.

I hope that you or your colleague would check my "choice" that I did not make indeed. I anticipated to choose XXXXXX, where I was born, grew up and am studying. Any other selection does not make sense.

If you need to confirm my identity and statement, you can feel free to contact me by e-mail and have my cooperation.

PS
My whole test process was under monitor. If there was a video record, it would be much more convictive than my one-sided statement.
I am a prudent optimist and regard this accident as precious life experience. After all, few students would begin such a long writing like mine immediately after their AW test.

galaxysongUID: 152834

第二天醒来，我却感觉轻松很多，甚至可以说基本没什么感觉。一方面，我该做的都做了，只有等ETS答复；另一方面，最坏的结果也无非是交40美元重选一下。话虽如此，但其实我有很多值得担心之处，例如假如ETS歧视中国大陆人该怎么办。从种种迹象来看，这样的担心很有可能成为现实，那么我就会被卷入更大的问题之中了。我的心理调控能力一向很强，不过这一次连我自己也有些吃惊。

自动回复的email要我等3到5个工作日，但没想到4日就收到了回应：

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Thu, 4 Mar 2004 03:10:27 +0800

Thank you for contacting the GRE Program.

Regarding your inquiry:

I sincerely regret any inconveniences you may have experienced while completing the Computer-based Analytical Writing section.

Please be advised that according to our records you are currently assigned to the XXXXXX[正是我所在地] Test center, code xxxxx.

I hope this information is helpful.

Please include all previous inquiries when responding to this message.

Visit the GRE website at: http://www.gre.org
GRE Customer Service number: 609-771-7670
GRE Fax number: 609-771-7906
cam[不知道这是什么意思]

TRACKING NUMBER: xxxxxxxxxxx-xxxxxxxxxxx

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这正是我所预想到的最好的可能，即默认笔试考点正是机考考点。有鉴于ETS的软件极其落伍，我本来无法对这种考虑周到的本地化设置抱有希望，所以早已做好更改的准备（只要能免除那40美元的费用就很好了）。这个消息令我喜出望外，不过由于这里没有说明时间，我又发了一封：

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Dear sir or madam:
I'm really grateful for your quick and kind response. But only one more question to confirm my understanding of your response, please.
Will I take my paper-based test in XXXXXX on 12nd, June?
If so, although I still don't know how it comes, I can set my heart at rest anyway. This would be the best end of my story and add even more dramatics.
Thank you again, and I wish that no more such accident will trouble any test taker or you in the future.

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这回更快，5日就得到回复：

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Fri, 5 Mar 2004 21:36:33 +0800

Thank you for contacting the GRE Program.

Regarding your inquiry:

You may print the following to use as an admissions ticket if you do not receive one by mail.

GALAXY, SONG
[我父亲名字拼音] PO BOXxxxx
XXXXXX  [邮编]
CHINA, PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC

Present this letter and two forms of positive identification to the test supervisor for admission to the test(s) shown below. One form of identification must bear a recent PHOTOGRAPH AND SIGNATURE. If testing outside your country of citizenship, you must present your passport as your Identification document. If you receive an admission ticket for the same test(s) and test date, present the admission ticket rather than this authorization.

TEST GRADUATE RECORD EXAMINATIONS

8:30 a.m. General Test - Paper Based

DATE: June 12, 2004

TEST CENTER CODE AND ADDRESS:

xxxxx
XXXXXX XXXXX
XXXXX XXXXXXX XXXX
XXXX XXXXXX
XXXXX xxxxxx
PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA

REGISTRATION NUMBER: 3929001

Please be advised that your GRE admission ticket was mailed the week of March 3, 2004.

I hope this information is helpful. Good luck on your test.   

Please include all previous inquiries when responding to this message.

Visit the GRE website at: http://www.gre.org
GRE Customer Service number: 609-771-7670
GRE Fax number: 609-771-7906
lkk

TRACKING NUMBER: xxxxxxxxxx-xxxxxxxxxx

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我非常高兴地回了一句：“Thank you very much!”（这不单单是表示感谢，也是为了说明我已收到email）没想到认真的ETS工作人员又作了回复：

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Thank you for contacting the GRE Program.

Regarding your inquiry:

We are glad we could be of some assistance to you. Please contact us back if you have any further questions or concerns.

Please include all previous inquiries when responding to this message.
Visit the GRE website at: http://www.gre.org
GRE Customer Service number: 609-771-7670
GRE Fax number: 609-771-7906
axm

TRACKING NUMBER: xxxxxxxxxx-xxxxxxxxxx

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至此，故事应当算是结束了。

不过，假如我临考前知道了选笔试时间地点是在背景调查之后，情况又会如何呢？

根据心理学研究，正常人有服从权威的潜意识，所以我仍旧有相当可能听了老太太的话。那么将会发生最最糟糕的事情：当我面对作文部分的introduction时，我会立刻知道我错过了什么。那么除非我有狙击手的冷静，否则我的作文恐怕就完蛋了。

所以有些事情，事后想起来，还真蛮令人后怕的。

教训经验什么的，我就不总结了。我只想说，当遇到麻烦的时候，不用怕去面对它。有时候它来得意外，去得也很意外。

鱼的宝贝UID: 150861

看来要好好的把程序过一下才可以阿，怕怕

imongUID: 140258

唉，没想到还有这么复杂的故事~

Comfort~~

nkqyxyUID: 155694

但最对的是最后的话,怕没有用,有用我们一起害怕好了.

blueqiaoUID: 111634

往往是这些教训让我们成长！
祝你有好成绩！呵呵

xxxwwwUID: 154835

机考时忘选或选错笔试地点都是可以申请更改的.没必要太担心的!

baddream77UID: 117736

其实不用写那么长的信，简单表叙你的要求即可，因为同学有经验ets理解能力都超强的。

miffyqxUID: 157663

谢谢，给了我个很好的提示啊——明天我可要看看清楚啦……

ValentinerUID: 121676

嗯,正好我也打算给ETS写信,想改一下笔考地点. songGG的这篇帖子我要好好研究一下!

forwwwUID: 154260

好曲折阿~~~不过没什么就好了。

xiangUID: 138532

刚开始有一些关于如何使用电脑的一些很白痴的问题
可以跳过,以免耽误时间
但千万不可以太快,犯同样的错误

libbyUID: 151455

galaxysong，libby真的很佩服你啊！要是我遇到这样的事真不知道该怎么办啊！

DriverEntryUID: 143979

恩，前人的经验对偶们后人很有帮助。THX