- This topic has 8 replies, 6 voices, and was last updated 10 years ago by
.
- Posts
Hi all,
I have to travel some way to my exam hall (Birmingham) and am fed up of getting to the exam hall at 06:00 meaning that I’m tired before the exams even start so that all important last hour I’m done in and keep missing passes by a few points which I know that if I was firing on all cylinders I know that I would have got easily.
I’ve been looking at the centre in Newcastle under lyme and thinking that whilst further from me it looks to actually be that I would at least not have to try and beat the nightmare of the Southbound M6 so could start out a couple of hours later.
Does anyone know the actual address of the Newcastle under Lyme site as I want to google the journey to see how viable it would be to aim to get there at 8 (so start out at 7) rather than 6 (and start out at 5) which is currently the situation with the Brum venue (Hockley circus… truly awful site… Bring back the Villa sports ground which was just so easy to get to!).
Of course, for all this planning the day there’s nothing to help with not being able to sleep the night before the exam but at least the fear of missing waking at 5 might let me get in at least a few winks.
Many thanks in advance for anyone who knows the actual address of the exam hall,
kind regards,
Shaun.Or you could start out at half 7 and go to Birmingham? I go down the M6 and it really isn’t THAT bad..certainly not worth arriving 4 hours early to the exam centre!!
Many thanks for the reply Louise.
Unfortunately from my own experience of the journey I beg to differ. I think that it really is that bad.
If I set out at 7 I could not (even assuming no crashes) be at the car park before 9 by which time the car parks full and there is nowhere else to park that I would expect for the car to still be there in the same condition when I got back out of the hall.
I know that when I do the journey in reverse when the roads are less busy than the morning rush hour from leaving the hall to home I cannot get back before 15:30. Done it a few times, done a few different routes including via Walsall and its always a nightmare of a journey.
For info, the gates to the new Bingley open at 7(ish) in the morning and by that time the streets close to the centre are crawling with cars waiting to ensure that they manage to get a parking space.
I find it really frustrating that in all of the other centres (Villa, NEC, Edgebaston) I passed almost every exam first time but at this one I have had repeated fails and put those few dropped points down to the early start.
I gave the ACCA a quick call about Newcastle but at this stage they cannot commit themselves to an address which is fair enough. I would just be happy to know where it was last time and run the risk of it moving.
If nothing within the next couple of days then it will be Birmingham again, hopefully for the last time as only P7 to go (a retake).
kind regards,
Shaun.Which way do you travel to NBH? There is one main route in which once took me 90mins to do the last 2 miles. My sat nav normally routes me around that road, and I can do my journey in 30 mins (from about 5 miles the other side of Dudley) so your route for the last couple of miles can really increase your journey time if you’re not careful. I generally hit very little traffic.
I’ve also had quite different experiences at NBH, I normally get there between 8 and 9 depending on how much last minute revision I want to cram in and have never had issues parking. At 8 I’m normally one of the first there and park in the best spot for a quick get away at the end! Can I just check you know about the indoor parking to the left of the building – I only ask as I only realised it was there in December, but even arriving at 9am, I’ve never struggled to park in the main car park. Perhaps I’ve just been really lucky and had quiet exams?
Many thanks for replying,
I travel from a village just outside Cannock which gives me the option of either M6 (joining at junction 10) or via Walsall.
The issue with junction 10 is that you have all the traffic from the North joining all the traffic coming off the M54.
All local traffic knowing this to be a serious issue go off motorway via Walsall jamming those roads too.
From seven till nine much of the area is pretty much a parking lot.
If I go on the M6 there is also the bit from the M5 to NBH where drivers just seem to make up their own lanes although last sitting I found the way from NBH to Perry Barr so could miss the M5 all together
You are right in that some days are worse than others. No day is brilliant but Tuesday and Wednesday of the second week is the real nightmare but at least I don’t have the face that one anymore (F3 and P2 sat on the Tuesday followed by F2 and P1 sat on the Wednesday. First time I took P2 it took over 40 mins just to get out of the car park).
I didn’t know about the additional parking and I wonder how many others don’t know about it. Many thanks for that info.
kind regards,
Shaun.Oh yes, I agree getting off is a nightmare. I’ve got a bit wiser to it now and try to park near the exit but I can still end up stuck for 30mins or more.
The extra parking is the left bit of the building (if you face the front doors). If you come in the entrance which is off the side road (rather than the one directly off the ring road), just keep following the road to the left and you’ll see the big roller doors in front of you. No idea how many spaces there are inside but there was a nice queue trying to get out if it. Bearing in mind the size of the venue and the fact that it caters for huge weddings, I can only assume that the indoor parking is quite substantial.
- Topics: 0
- Replies: 11
- ☆
Hello,
You could head towards wolverhampton, cut across wednesfield, willenhall, darlaston, west brom and end up on the A41 and straight from there to the hockley circus roundabout.
The Black country route.
Hope all get there ok
ACCA Exams in India starts in the after noon 2.30PM, so students have no issue on getting on to the exam hall ahead of scheduled time. I have about 1 hour drive to my nearest exam centre in Mumbai. However I prefer going by a taxi, which would ensure that I do not lose any steam preserved for the fuel needed for the exams. Parking of cars is a global problem and it make little sense to try out our luck on getting a parking lot on a D day.
I wonder why no body write about hiring taxi to get the exam centre???
I wish all of you good luck
It’s probably a bit late now, but can you come up the night before? I was working in Birmingham two years ago, and the Travelodge overlooking the market was nice, and very cheap (I think I paid about £19 per night). It might be worth it to ensure you’re relaxed on the exam day.
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.