RE: Dvorak vs GMAT and GRE

If you have to take the exam on the crippling keyboard, consider informing
the universities to which you apply that you were at a disadvantage because
you use only the rational keyboard and were unable to persuade the
recalcitrant administration to switch the keyboard layout for you even
though it is technically trivial to do so (on a regular computer-Fred Craven
correctly mentioned that those computers are set up to prevent tampering).
You might mention your touch-typing speed if it is high. (If it is low, your
complaint is less compelling.)
 
Scott Horne
 


  _____  

From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On
Behalf Of Fred Craven
Sent: 14 janvier 2010 17:04
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [altkeyboards] Dvorak vs GMAT and GRE


  

Sometimes you have to speak a different language, which in this case means
that you have to type with two fingers. This sucks majorly, but what else
can you do, I type QWERTY all the time on my iPhone...

When I last took a test at Prometric (my test didn't involve a lot of
typing) I asked about accommodations to switch the layout, and I got blank
stares and confusion. Apparently there "might" be a way to get them to
change it IF you talk to the right people ahead of time, but these things
are locked down to the hilt. God help you if your computer has an old CRT
monitor with a 60hz refresh rate.

Nevertheless, they do have separate stations for "accommodations" of
different needs. Whatever you do don't tell them that it is your
"preference". A doctor's note might be helpful too. Maybe you can get more
time...

But plan on two finger typing, plan on being at a disadvantage.

On Jan 14, 2010, at 5:03 AM, nathansmithgoestowashington wrote:

> I use the dvorak keyboard. I did not learn QWERTY. I am looking to go to
grad school soon and have found that the GMAT and maybe the GRE will not
allow me to change the keyboard settings to dvorak during the test. Since
there are essays on the tests, and I am required to use one of their
computers to take the tests, this puts me at a disadvantage. I was wondering
if any of you have heard anything about this since you are a proponents of
the dvorak keyboard and I see that some of you may have had issues with this
in the past. I told the GMAT people that all I needed to do was change one
setting but they still refused my request. I do not want to learn QWERTY
just so that I can take a test. If any of you know of anyone that can help
me with this issue I would greatly appreciate it. 
> 
> Thank you,






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