Cisco Live is just a few days away and I wanted to blog about the Pearson Vue testing center location.  I waited a few days to release this post until I was able to confirm with Cisco Live Support my suspicions on the location.
In the past, the testing center has been located in the lower levels of the Mandalay Bay Convention Center, but this year we see a departure from that routine.  If you review the Cisco Live Certifications Page (Link Here), you will notice that one section mentions that the testing center is located over at the MGM Grand Hotel. Yes, the testing center is at a different hotel this year.


When I noticed that section I sent Cisco Live Support an e-mail to confirm the location as well as how transportation will be arranged.  My initial concern was that MGM is a decent walk from the Mandalay Bay and was concerned about travel.  Checking Google maps, that is a good 35-minute walk!

Cisco Live Support responded that there would be shuttle services between the locations, so that does help. The one thing we need to be aware of is that these shuttles will run every either every 10 minutes or every 30 minutes, depending on the time of day.  Below is the email from Cisco Live support:

So all this means that we need to be aware that we should allow at least an hour before your test to get to the testing center.  This is not an ideal solution in my opinion as having the testing center on-prem made getting to the next session after a test easier.   With the testing center being a shuttle ride, taking a test is could easily be a 3-4 hour adventure (including testing time).
This also means that just walking in to see if there are available seats for a test is going to be a pain.  In past years people just walked into taking a test when they had time, this year you really need to plan to take your test.
You may also want to keep in mind that there is a no-show fee of $40.  I would urge you to show up as close to on-time as possible.  Not sure how strict they will be with this fee, but just be aware that it is posted.

Good luck on your test!
See you next week!