Oral Assessment Test Sites

This list is absolutely subject to change from round to round of the Oral Assessment. It's using the last available information. Check with the DS before you book any travel.

Travel Tips

• Some people have had success with getting government rates at the various hotels
• Try http://www.kayak.com for your flight reservations

Atlanta

Address:
Regus Business Center
260 Peachtree St NW
Atlanta, GA 30303
Phone: [phone]

Map:

Parking:
TBD, see lodging, below.

Mass Transit:
Peachtree Center is nearest Metro (MARTA) station, 1.5 blocks. This is the Blue M.

From Airport, $1.75 to Peachtree Center.

Food & Coffee:
TBD

Sights:
Walking distance to Coca-Cola factory/museum, CNN Center, retail, convention center.

Lodging:
2009/2010 OA candidate made reservations at The Ellis Hotel via Priceline.com using "Name Your Own Price" feature, and paid $80 per night plus taxes. Hotel is three blocks down from site, on Peachtree.

[http://www.ellishotel.com/index.cfm]

Parking at The Ellis was, at time of this post, $22 per night for hotel guests, 24 hour valet.

Alternatively, there are parking garages nearby.

Austin

Address:
6th & Congress
Littlefield Building Center-Austin
106 E 6th Street Suite 900
Austin, TX 78701
Phone: [phone]

Map:

Parking:
This is a downtown area and parking is limited. You will pay to park —metered parking on the street (if you are lucky) or a parking garage. The Littlefield building has a parking garage with an entrance (I think) on 7th street.

Food & Coffee:
There are coffee shops nearby… a Starbucks directly across the street (opens around 5:30 or 6 am)and a local shop half a block up the street that opens at 7 am (and stays open until 11 with live music some nights).

There is a Schlotzky's Sandwich Shop in the building. There are also many other eating establishments in that area, as well as tourist shops.

Sights:
The Texas state capitol building is just a few blocks down the street.

Lodging:
About 10-12 blocks south are several remodeled 1930's motels with tons of personality. One got a recent mention in the Sept 25 2006 BusinessWeek article "Small Hotels, Big Personalities":

Hotel San Jose
http://sanjosehotel.com 512-444-7322
"A 1930's motel reimagined as a funky hangout for the local music industry, with lush gardens and vintage chairs."
$90-$315

Chicago

Address:
200 South Wacker Drive, 31st Floor
Regus West Loop
Chicago, IL 60606
Phone: [phone]

Map:

Location
The test site is located DIRECTLY across the street from the Sears Tower main entrance. It's a big white office building with a giant "200 S Wacker" cubed-sign hanging above the front door. Nearest train stations are Quincy (CTA lines Pink, Brown, Purple & Orange) and Union Station (Amtrak & Metra), both within two blocks of the test site.

Food, Coffee, etc:
Nearby establishments include Caribou Coffee, 7-11 and Potbelly Sandwich Shop. There is a food court inside the Sears Tower on the lobby, basement and first floor levels containing a Starbucks, Corner Bakery, Agustino's Deli, Dunkin Donuts & Baskin Robbins, a Mexican restaurant, a news stand and a Bank of America ATM.

Transportation:
The public transportation from the airport can drop you off right near the exam location. The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) operates train service to both O'Hare (Blue Line) and Midway (Orange Line) airports. You can hop on for about $2 and get just about a block from anywhere in the downtown Loop area. If you get a hotel near the site, you definitely won't need to rent a car. Most "El" trains start running at 4am…convenient for our early appointments. Nearest "El" station to test location is Quincy. Save money by purchasing an all-day or multi-day pass, available from any CTA station attendant or self-service ticket machine. For more travel information, visit the Transit Chicago web site:
http://www.transitchicago.com/maps/systemmaps.html

Note:
The Blue Line out to O'hare is under going major construction to reduce "slow zones". Consequently, the average journey of about 45 minutes can take anywhere from an hour to two hours now, depending on your luck. I travel a lot for my work now, and I used to take the Blue Line to O'hare, but it's too much of a hassle now. Something to keep in mind when selecting a flight! The Red Line was also experiencing heavy delays and construction as of June 22, 2008 and expected to continue through the end of June 2008.

Lodging:

• Palmer House Hilton

It appears to be about .7 miles from the testing site. Sometimes you can get a small (quite small!) room with a double bed for under $100. You might want to call them and ask specifically about the availability of one of those rooms. If you fly into Midway, you can hop on the Orange line and be downtown
in about 30 minutes. I think the Blue line runs to O'Hare and takes about 45 minutes to downtown.

• Ray's B&B

It is in Bucktown, but close to the L which provides convenient access to downtown. The house is owned by a photographer who also use it a studio. The breakfasts are amazing and the other guest are usually very nice. Contact them ASAP as rooms tend to be booked far in advance.

Denver

Miami

Location:
The center is easy to find, just take I 95 South to Biscayne Blvd.

Parking:
There is metered parking at the hotel next to the building and also in the middle of the road a block down. It costs about $15 for 10 hours. The meters at the hotel don't start until 7am though, but down the road start at 6am.

BEWARE!!! Don't leave anything visible in your car. I left my suitcase on the back seat and my window was busted and it was stolen (with my laptop in it, weep,
weep). So please be careful.

There are also parking garages nearby for about $35.

Food & Drink:
There are plenty of restaurants, delis nearby. Just walk down the street and you'll find them. And FYI, there is a Starbucks in
the Miami Building.

Lodging:
I stayed at the Day's Inn near the airport (about $100). It was clean, comfortable, and had an exercise room (a pretty crappy one, but it had one working machine and a tv). It took about 15 minutes to get to the site in the morning. I left at 6 to make sure I beat traffic (but I think it was leaving my car in these wee hours of the morning that caused me to get robbed).

Phoenix

San Francisco

Washington Annex 1

Location
From Foggy Bottom:
Walk up the Metro escalators, the GW hospital will be on your left. Take a hard right so that you’re walking South on 23rd St. You should be walking towards the Washington Mall, on the right (West) side of the street.

Walk about 3 blocks to Virginia Ave. Cross Virginia Avenue and turn right down the sidewalk on the south side of the street for a few yards.

On your left you’ll come to a long driveway with a large parking structure on the left, and some office buildings on the right. Walk down the driveway to the end, 2401 E. Street (Annex 1) will be on your right. The building is called “Columbia Plaza” Office Suites, or something to that effect. You may or may not see a sign referencing the State Department. You’re here, good luck.

The above directions are to the visitor entrance at Annex 1. You may see people entering the building on the 2nd floor from the shopping plaza above, but as far as I know, you’ll need to enter on the ground floor as a visitor.

Map:

Washington Annex 44

Location:
The physical address is 301 4th Street, SW. It's
directly behind the Department of Education's main building, which these days has little red schoolhouses as awnings at the main entrances. The building is nondescript in that typically rectangular federal style, and unfortunately it looks a lot like every other building down in that federal mix.

There's a McDonald's on the corner and adjacent to the entrance, so when you see the golden arches or smell the french fries, you're on the right path because the building entrance is to the left of the McDonald's.
Map:

Transportation:
If you are taking a cab or asking directions, everyone knows it as "Federal State Plaza" not Annex 44. I hopped in my cab from a few miles away and told him Federal State Plaza and he knew it right away.

There are two Metro stations near the building.

• L'Enfant Plaza on the green/yellow/blue and orange lines is pretty close.
• Federal Center SouthWest is the better station to use if you're unfamiliar with that tangle of agencies that converge there. From the Federal Center SW metro station, come out of that station's only exit and you'll find yourself on 3rd and D streets. Annex 44 is kinda mid-block of 4th and C streets.

From the Metro you’ll walk down D street to the end of the block which will put you at 4th and D streets with something called the Washington Design Center on your left. (Yup, there’s a picture of this lovely landmark in the PHOTOS section also.) You’ll make a right onto 4th street and almost immediately on your left you’ll see Federal Center Plaza, which is 301 4th street, a.k.a., Annex 44.The entrance to the building is just left of the McDonalds. The entrance isn’t prominently marked, and since several agencies share the space, there’s nothing at the entrance that implies that it’s associated with the State Department. Once you’re in the building lobby, you’ll see framed pictures of Hillary Clinton and others, and then you get some hint that you’re in State’s domain.

Note: Once you get there, the reception desk will have no clue if you tell them you are taking the FSOA. There are so many agencies and divisions in the building, and the FSOA takes up just one little suite. You will have to wait (there are couches) for the secretary to come collect you all at 7 am. The rest of the day, you will be upstairs as you must be escorted to and from the FSOA office. The one exception is lunch, when she will escort you out.

Washington area information

Lodging
Tips & tricks: As a general rule of thumb, hotels in Northern Virginia (Arlington County) tend to be slightly cheaper than in downtown DC; the downside is it will involve a slightly longer and more expensive taxi or Metro ride. In south Arlington's Crystal City neighborhood, there are many hotels around Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport; you'll find more hotels near Pentagon City; both neighborhoods are served by Metro's Blue and Yellow lines. In north Arlington, there are many hotels along Metro's Orange Line corridor in Rosslyn, Court House, Clarendon, Virginia Square and Ballston; each of these neighborhoods has its own Metro station. This area, particularly Clarendon, is a great hip neighborhood and fun nightspot with tons of restaurants and bars.
In Washington, avoid the cheap hotels on New York Avenue which are located on a busy, loud highway and not in the safest of neighborhoods. Avoid any hotel in Northeast and Southeast DC that is more than five blocks from the US Capitol; dodgy neighborhoods. Avoid staying in Suburban Maryland, which is much too far from the testing locations. The beautiful colonial village of Old Town Alexandria (King Street Metro) is a possibility for early-risers, but be prepared for a 30-40 minute trip into downtown by Metro or taxi.

Hotels recommended by previous test-takers:

• The Holiday Inn at Federal State Plaza. It is consistently quite expensive ($360).

• The Residence Inn in Rosslyn, Va. (about $100)

• The Capitol Skyline (about $100) is about 3/4 mile from Annex 44. It's much nicer than other hotels in that price range. It's so cheap because it's not in the greatest neighborhood. It's not unsafe; the area is just pretty desolate. A several minute cab ride (for $8 or so) will get you to Annex 44, as will a 20 minute walk with only one turn. Simple. There's an outdoor pool, a decent restaurant, a small gym, etc.

• Sheraton in Crystal City. (As low as $63 per night on Hotwire.com). Five minute walk to Crystal City metro station; 20 minutes to Annex 44.

• Courtyard By Marriott Washington Capitol Hill/Navy Yard.

• Residence Inn Washington Vermont Avenue, about 2 miles from Annex 44.

• Marriot at the Metro Center ($110 per night scored on Priceline.com).

• The State Plaza Hotel is less than two blocks from Annex 1. Rooms start at $229 per night.

• If you're on a tight budget: consider the Washington International Hostel. It's cheap, clean and comfortable, if you don't mind the college dorm-like atmosphere. This hostel has cheap dorm rooms ($25-$40) and private rooms for a bit more. Bring earplugs!

• If you are on a super tight budget, consider staying for FREE in a private home by using couchsurfing.com.

Food & Drink:
Right in the area of Annex 44/ Federal State Plaza, there is a Starbucks, a Quiznos, a CVS pharmacy and a deli. All are to the left and right down the block. Also, there is a McDonalds that you can get to through the actual lobby. In the lobby, there is a small convenience store selling lots of drinks, snacks, newspapers, etc. After you PASS the orals, go celebrate in one of Washington's popular nightspot neighborhoods like Dupont Circle, Adams Morgan and Georgetown, all of which have many restaurants and bars. In Northern Virginia, popular nightspots for dining & drinks include Clarendon, Courthouse, Old Town Alexandria and Shirlington Village.

Tourist attractions
Annex 44 is just two blocks from the National Mall and many of Washington's world-famous Smithsonian museums. The closest attractions including the National Air & Space Museum, the National Museum of the American Indian, the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, National Museum of African Art, the US Botanic Gardens and the US Capitol Reflecting Pool. All are great places to reflect and relax during OA breaks. Annex 1 is located four very long blocks away from the Lincoln Memorial and Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

Getting Around Town
Washington's Metro train system is fast, efficient, clean and inexpensive. Metro trains begin running at 5am, perfect for making that early OA start time. Metro's website, www.wmata.com, allows you to plot your door-to-door itinerary. The minimum fare is $1.65 and the total is based on the distance traveled. (Note: Do NOT purchase the one-day tourist farecards; they only work after 9:30am!!)

Getting to Washington

Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA): This is the nearest airport to Annex 1 & 44. It is located right across the Potomac River in Crystal City, a neighborhood in Arlington County, Va. The airport has its own Metro station and takes just 20 minutes to Annex 44 by taxi or Metro. Note: most locals and taxi drivers still call it "National Airport," whatever their political preference.

Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD): The second-closest and largest airport in the area, Dulles is located in Northern Virginia about 25 miles west of DC; during rush hour it can take 60 to 90 minutes (or longer!) to go between Dulles and DC! Locals and taxi drivers refer to this airport simply as "Dulles Airport." To get to downtown by public transportation, there are several options:

• an expensive taxi ride (at least $50).
• Super Shuttle shared van (varies based on number of passengers, but figure about $29).
• Washington Flyer bus ($8) to West Falls Church Metro, where you can transfer to the Orange Metro line into downtown DC.
• The absolute cheapest but longest way to get from Dulles to downtown DC is Metrobus 5A, which ends/begins at L'Enfant Plaza Metro Station, less than two blocks from Annex 44. Best of all, it's only $1.35 one way! This bus runs at least once an hour (every 30 minutes during rush hour) from 6am to 11:30pm. Click here for detailed bus schedule.

Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI): DC's furthest airport is located about 35 miles north of downtown, closer to Baltimore than DC. But don't count it out. Many low-cost airlines serve BWI and consequently, flights to BWI are often much cheaper than to DCA or IAD. Locals refer to this airport simply as "B-W-I." There are several options to get from BWI to downtown DC:

• A very expensive taxi ride (at least $65).
• Super Shuttle shared van (varies based on number of passengers, but figure about $35).
• MARC train: The airport is served by MARC trains which go from BWI to Washington Union Station for just $6 and 45 minutes. But be aware the trains only run about once an hour, and only on weekdays.
• The cheapest option again is Metro bus & train. MetroBus B30 travels between BWI and the Greenbelt Metro Station, where you connect to Metro's Green Line train to downtown DC. The Metro bus fare is $3 one way; Metro train fare is another $2 or so. Click here for detailed bus schedule.

Washington Union Station: All Amtrak, MARC (Maryland Area Rail Commuter) and VRE (Virginia Railway Express) passenger trains stop at Union Station, located just two blocks from the U.S. Capitol. This station is served by Metro's Red Line. On a nice day, you could walk to Annex 44 in less than 30 minutes.

Greyhound Station: Greyhound buses stop at Greyhound station, located two blocks behind Union Station, which is the nearest Metro station.

By car: The National Capital Region is one of the most heavily congested areas of the country. If you bring or rent a car, be prepared for heavy traffic, lack of parking, high parking fees, high gas prices, infinite one-way streets and lots of stress. Driving in DC takes practice; visitors are often left bewildered by Washington's multitude of confusing traffic circles (roundabouts). Avoid driving at all costs! If you absolutely positively insist on driving, PMI and Colonial Parking have a virtual monopoly of public parking garages in the DC area, including several locations near Annex 1 and 44. Expect to pay about $25 a day.