大家好,我是David ,
原PO提到的這件事讓我非常的不爽,
其實本人不是當事人,但身邊有幾個同學也和原PO一樣,
臨時被換了考場,並且沒有接到ETS 的主動通知,
而這件事不是第一次,
幾個同學還因此趕不上申請的deadline,只能明年再申請。。
他們的憤怒,我很感同身受,
也想提醒各位,如果你還打算繼續考托福,這件事情完全可能發生在你身上,
和各位報告一下事件的前後脈絡:
事件一、公館地球村考試當天出包
9/14(日)當天,有一次托福考試,
約數十名的考生到了公館地球村後,發現分成A/B 二考場,
其中A 考場開放進場了,但B 考場卻遲遲無法入場,
經與現場人員溝通,了解「該考場並不存在」,且「責任歸屬為ETS,請自行聯絡」,
現場人員並不願表明自己身份,眾考生只好離去,事後在本板發表文章,記錄全程,
並寫信給馬來西亞ETS ,
數日後,ETS 並無解釋,僅表示考生可以免費reschedule或是全額退費,
地球村方面無回應,亦無解釋,
考生向消基會提出申訴,目前尚無後續,
*可參考valerie0825 板友一文,標題搜尋:[考場] 地球村 公館
延伸閱讀:
*cholauda 板友近期一文,標題搜尋:R: [考場] 地球村
事件二、ETS 臨時取消11/2公館地球村考試,並且未主動通知
即本事件,
10/26 、11/2、11/8亦即最近幾個週末,原定都有考試,
但包含原PO在內的幾個同學,皆表示登入ETS 確認考試資訊時,
突然發現「考試日期和考場被更改了」,
這個考場,正是一個多月前出過一次包的公館地球村B 考場!
一個多月前,我的幾位同學也是受害者,事發後打電話去公館地球村追問過,
得到的回答是
「我們已經和ETS 取消考場了,只是他們自己沒有取消,去問ETS 吧~」
這樣的答案,
valerie0825 板友文中並提及「現場人員直接把貼在牆上B 的考場資訊撕下」,
就地球村單方面說辭,是ETS 的問題,
然而不論是地球村的錯或是ETS 的錯,
這個考場於9/14出包後依然在ETS 的網站上,
而ETS (或地球村)近日才發現,故臨時取消近幾次的考試,
並直接把考生轉安排到11/29 或臨近日的考試,
並且未主動發信通知,
更未提供任何解釋或道歉,
這部分可參考原PO文中提供之圖檔,我手邊也有其他幾位同學轉給我的螢幕截圖,
許多同學被轉到11/29 ,
然11/29 的考試結果預計12/9出來,對許多同學來說,
已經過了12/1的申請deadline了,
也就是說,如果無法reschedule到更之前的考場,今年就沒有申請的希望了,
只能黯然明年再來,
ETS 或是地球村犯下可能延宕考生夢想、時間一年的錯,卻毫無解釋和道歉,
且是累犯,
我感到憤怒,我想親身經過這個事件的考生更感到憤怒,
台灣人的時間和心力是可以這樣被玩弄的嗎?!
公館地球村的B 考場,從今以後再也不會出現,
還是依然如幽靈一般存在在ETS 的網站上,一直要到考前,才會被臨時取消,
考生被重新分派考場和考試時間?
既有此例,其他考場,又怎能保證不會出現一樣的情況?
先前板友提到已和消保官申訴,不知道這方面結果如何,
我想,ETS 太大,我們確實動不了他,但憤怒是可以表達的,賠償和道歉是可以要求的,
我草擬了一封信,打算寄給ETS ,
這封信寫在文末,我想邀請大家和我一起寄這封信,
一個人寄這封信或許沒什麼,但許多考生寄,許多板友寄,或許ETS 就會感受到壓力,
就不會再隨意更動台灣人的考試日期、更改考場,
更不會不主動通知,只傲慢的期待「反正你們自己會發現」,
現今許多美國的學校已經只接受雅思分數,英國則更為全面的拒絕ETS ,
我想在這種節骨眼上,ETS 接到大量的抱怨信,不敢不處理的,
很開心之前無所作為的板主被拔掉了,
也有許多板友(還有西斯板板主)充滿熱情的出來選板主,要為大家服務,
我也希望,之後的板主能凝聚托福板成為一股勢力,
遇見板友的不平,可以結合全部板友的力量一起解決,
讓托福板可以成為一個能團結個體、更超越補習班的平台!
我草擬的信件全文,歡迎板友修改使其更為中的:
To whom it may concern,
This is _____ (name) writing from Taiwan.
Halloween is coming, and my guess is that you are thinking about
how to celebrate it with family and friends? On the unfortunate
contrary, I’m not in the mood to celebrate anything. I am writing
to express my concern about and request actions taken to deal with
the problems TOEFL test centers in Taiwan.
It started like this:
On the morning of 9/14, a Sunday, a few fellow Taiwanese students
went to to take the TOEFL test, at GLOBAL VILLAGE ORGANIZATION
GONGGUAN BRANCH (STN12974B). However, when they arrived, they
were told by the person in charge, that the test center was
canceled, and there was nothing he could do about it. “Go ask
ETS, we told them we’re shutting the place down; they just didn’
t remove it from the available test centers when you registered
for the test,” he said, “it was ETS’ fault.” The students were
told to go home and contact ETS themselves; no apologies or
further explanation was given.
Then, they did what they were told; they wrote ETS in Malaysia-
and after a few days, they received a reply, saying “you can
either reschedule your test for free, or receive a full refund.”
That was it. No explanation, no apologies, nothing.
Guess what, IT WAS HIGH SEASON FOR TAKING THE TOEFL in Taiwan; no
test center was available until at least a month later. 30 some
students suffered. Some were lucky enough to have “purchased” a
test from other people, some had to fly to other countries to take
the test, some, had to wait until more than a month later to take
the test that is going to decide whether they can go abroad and
study. And, well, a few took IELTS instead.
Yeah, I know, we all slip once in a while. But it didn’t end like
this.
Just a few days ago, a lot of Taiwanese students realized at the
same time that “their test on 10/26, 11/2, 11/8 had all been
rescheduled to later dates, and they were not even notified.”
They all had to log in to their ETS account to know this.
What’s more, their test center was all the same- the one that
should have been removed a month ago. THEY WERE FURIOUS. They did
not receive either any notification, or any apology or
explanation, just like last time. They shared the news with the
other Taiwanese students, now WE ARE FURIOUS. ETS did not update
test center information; not once, but TWICE.
So what? Ain’t it just a test? No, no. 12/1 is the deadline for
submitting the applications and the TOEFL score for many American
schools and schools worldwide; not being able to take the test on
time means the students can’t receive a score before the
deadline. THEY HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL 2015 TO APPLY.
But with no apology, no explanation, nothing but an “already
rescheduled to later dates” notice. Are they gonna trust ETS and take
yet another TOEFL? WE DOUBT IT.
In order to regain trust, and to make up for what happened TWICE,
we ask, that ETS provide all students whose tests were canceled on
9/14 and on later dates, due to the incidents, with:
1) a compensational refund for their original test, which got
canceled without any notice;
2) a chance to reschedule their test, if they have not yet done
so;
3) an apology about what happened, an explanation of why it
happened, and a promise that it shall not happen again.
We ask these three simple things, for though only 30 some people
were influenced each time (together 60 some people), A FEW
THOUSANDS Taiwanese students are observant of the situation now
and are planning to take action.
If no reply, apology or explanation is received within 5 days, we
will:
1) call for actions: ask the Taiwanese students to not take TOEFL,
but IELTS, which is now accepted by most schools worldwide;
2) write to the famous schools: write to the admission boards of
schools worldwide and let them know of the situation- that ETS
postponed the test dates without any notice, explanation or
apology- and ask them to not trust ETS anymore, for they may lose
great students JUST BECAUSE THINGS ARE CANCELED AND POSTPONED ALL
OF A SUDDEN AND FOR NO REASONS, if they keep on accepting TOEFL
scores;
3) spread the news: contact every English-proficiency-test taker
and every future test taker we know, and tell them what we’ve
experienced.
We are from a bulletin board system that welcomes 800,000 users a
day, called “PTT”, in Taiwan; and we’re inviting more to join
us in expressing our concerns and requesting an apology and
actions taken on what has been happening. We ask that ETS give us
a swift response.
_____ (name)
週末結束,ETS 開始上班之時,將視板友意見修改信件文字,
並提供dropbox 載點以利大家下載寄出,
以上,深夜發文,文長或有文字不到之處,歡迎板友指教!
這是各位的托福考試,請大家一起來關心!!
~David