Looking to take my 3 A/E exams finally. I’ve heard places like Boston and Miami are horrible testing sites for example. Are some REC’s known to be better than others for testing?
REC Miami is in some big federal building and a pain to get in because they have a lot of security and a line around the block in the morning but will sometimes let people testing skip the line. Everything was fine once I got in. They handed me tests and I took them and they told me my score.
REC Toledo was in a random (but historic) office building in downtown Toledo and was about the same once I got in. I don’t think there’s really too much to an REC. I haven’t been to any others. If you have the material down you’ll only be there for a few hours in your entire life for engine exams.
REC Baltimore is located in the historic 1907 Custom House downtown and is well worth a visit even if you don’t need to visit a REC. there is a security guard that sits immediately inside the large doors at the grand entrance. Ask him or her nicely if you can visit the Call Room (usually locked) and they will most likely arrange for someone to let you in.
From wiki:
The Call Room is the Custom House’s most impressive, and historically significant, space. The walls have paired Ionic pilasters supporting an entablature with a paneled frieze. The paneled cove rises to the central ceiling panel, measuring 63 feet by 30 feet, and adorned with a mural entitled Entering the Harbour . It depicts a fleet of ten sailing vessels: ships including a whaler, barks, a barquentine, a brig, and a schooner entering the harbor. The panels of the cove and frieze, five lunettes on the east wall, and the borders of the ceiling panel depict the evolution of navigation. They portray over 125 vessels, from ancient Egyptian ships to the R.M.S. Mauretania of 1907, accompanied by J. P. Morgan’s yacht, the Corsair .
2 Likes
New York is a pain in the ass to get to.
Boston is a pain in the ass to park at.
Houston is in a building with an easy lot right near Hobby Airport.
New Orleans isn’t anywhere near New Orleans and is in a strip mall.
Oakland is straight forward. Parking garage across the street, not that expensive. There’s a cafe in the federal building where the REC is that has good breakfast burritos. Lots of big tables where I crammed before the tests.
Long Beach REC isn’t too bad. Parking garage around the corner. Sometimes it can take some time waiting to go thru security since they are in the world trade center in LB. Plenty of good places to eat in walking distance.
Boston
The Boston REC is pretty good. No exams on Friday, you must finish up your exams on Thursday. I don’t know if Bill is still running the exam room, but he does (did) a good job. Boston REC is not busy, except when the academy kids (that flunked the exam at school) are retesting in the summer.
Parking in Boston is either virtually impossible or quite expensive. Driving in Boston is no picnic either. It’s easiest and cheapest to take the bus, commuter rail, or fly into Boston.
A strategy: you could drive to Mariner House and unload your gear on Sunday afternoon, then drive to moderately priced long term parking outside the airport, and take the courtesy bus and Blue Line subway from Airport to Aquarium which is easy walking distance of Mariner House. The cobblestone streets in the North End are rough on rollerbags.
I like staying at Mariner House (next to Paul Revere’s House on North Sq). and studying on the large tables in the library. The $65 rooms (free breakfast) are adequate, but if I’m taking exams I get a $100 room on the third floor. Easy walk to the REC. Make a reservation at Mariner House well in advance.
Lots of good restaurants (mostly Italian) in the North End neighborhood, Giacomo’s (pronounced Jock-a-mow’s) on Hanover Street has outstanding seafood at a reasonable price. The Fanniel Hall Marketplace with many restaurants is within easy walking distance.
Seattle
In my opinion, Seattle is no longer a practical place for an out of towner to test. Very expensive hotels and parking (even miles away from the REC), plus heavy traffic and expensive food in that part of town. Too many homeless and drug addicts in that area too. Ubers and taxis in Seattle have become super expensive. It’s been so long since I’ve tested in Seattle that I cannot say what the exam room might be like now.
Anchorage
The REC should not be busy, but it has moved since the last time I tested there. No idea what it’s like now
New Orleans: Most Relaxed. Lenient on time.
Mobile: Sticklers when I was there in 1980, and that’s where I learned that all RECs were not equal, and that there were interpretive differences between them. I did end up with a 100 Ton Ocean Operator that was valid for the ENTIRE gulf. I had to take an additional Coast Pilot Exam for the extended route.
St. Louis: Small and under utilized when I was there. 8 chairs no waiting.
Portland, OR: The proctor was thoughtless and careless about my time. Every morning he burned 15-20 mins of MY exam time. The exam ending time was rigidly enforced.
Memphis: pretty much the same. Used to have a really good former evaluator running things there. If you’re sitting for the full week, you’ll have the exam room to yourself by lunch the second day if not the whole time.