I read this as the implication being that at least some people’s phones would still be on them, and it would suddenly be very obvious.
Which incidentally, how do you enforce a rule like this without serious security like pat downs or metal detectors? Because otherwise you could easily sneak a phone in through the sophisticated hack of owning two phones…
Yes, I meant that not everyone actually turn their phones off, most just switch it to dot not disturb mode, which is overridden by those emergencies alerts.
And as for enforcement, yeah there isn't an effort in trying to avoid anyone sneaking in an extra phone, it's basically grounded on good faith and the fact that if they catch your phone with you (or even if it rings in the bag), you're eliminated from the exam. That's where I think the chaos would arise. If everyone's phones alerted at the same time, the examiner wouldn't know what to do.