<p>I mean I know they can’t help it, but sometimes it’s just like come on…if you’re sick, then reschedule.</p>
<p>Happened in my SAT room today. I was on the last few problems in a math section, very difficult, only like 3 minutes left, and this girl just wouldn’t stop coughing. I usually don’t let stuff like that phase me, but it totally broke my concentration. </p>
<p>Can anyone else relate to this?</p>
<p>49 bucks, and in most cases, by the time you realize you’re sick it’s too late to reschedule.</p>
<p>I understand you, pch340, but I was one of those sick people during a standardized test and it came the night before so it was too late to cancel.</p>
<p>It’s completely obnoxious, but you have to relate to them. If you’ve been preparing for this day for months, the last thing you want to do is not take the test. And for some people, it’s the last opportunity they have to take the test, so they have to take it whether they’re sick or healthy. So as annoying as they are, you have to understand where they’re coming from. I hate coughers/snifflers, but I’d totally show up to the SAT sick if I’d been studying for months (as long as I didn’t have something crippling, like a 104+ fever, puking, fatigue to the point of narcolepsy, etc.)</p>
<p>Years ago when I took the GRE, I had a gum popping sniffer sitting behind me. Because gum was not allowed, I could report that and did (to the proctor). I may have even offered a tissue. That kind of thing is SO distracting to me.</p>
<p>The coughers don’t want to cough as much as you don’t want them to cough…it happens. I was sniffling the whole test from the cold I had, but I tried my hardest not to inconvenience others.</p>
<p>Even when someone is breathing just a little bit louder than normal I can’t concentrate.</p>
<p>Coughing is fine, as long as they aren’t doing it purposely. </p>
<p>Tapping feet or pencils on the other hand…</p>
<p>At least you don’t have people at your school who cough during tests on purpose.</p>
<p>They can’t help coughing and it’s too late (and expensive) to reschedule.
You think they WANT to take a test when they can’t even focus on not coughing?!?
Ugh. I’ve been one of those coughers and I can tell you that I TRIED not to cough, but I COULDN’T help it.</p>