ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade Non-US Electrical Systems & Trades Inspector here

Personally,
I didn't do this for any sort of monetary gain per se.
I thought it would be a good challenge and I'm glad I passed, on the other side of the exam.
Having said that, I reckon that will be about the end of doing exams and things such as that, between all of the courses I've sat as a FF, a chopper pilot and an electrical worker, I've got qualifications fatigue.
Mind you, I'm always looking to take on new skills and it is amazing just how many different things we do pick up in a life-time.
I'm all for personal development (not the Anthony Robbins or whatever he's called type though).
I was talking to a tutor I had when I was doing my time as a sparkie and he told me something that really astounded the hell out of me.
Apparently, when people are taken in on these pre-trade courses here in NZ, not only are they helped along after the exam if they (dare I use the word) fail, but during these pre-trade courses, they are allowed to have all the material required to answer the questions (called an open-book exam) with them at the time of the exam.
Now call me backward, call me what you will, but I was under the impression that an examination was to test how much you could remember from what you had been taught??.
This sets a rather interesting precident, in that, while Polytechnics like to have as higher mark average as possible, they are giving people that want to be in this trade a false impression of what the real exams will be like.
Crikey, when I did my First Qualifying exam as an Electrical Apprentice, you weren't even allowed to use a calculator, in case it stored formulae and that would give you an unfair advantage over those that never bought one, so we were told.
My old tutor said that pretty much these days the training system here is more about "bums on seats" rather than any sort of quality in the actual training.
I don't think it's that bad though, I've been to a few refresher courses that probably could have been better, but it got the job done.

In serving writs I made such a name
That an articled clerk I soon became.
I wore clean collars and a brand new suit
For the Pass Examination at the Institute.
That Pass Examination did so well for me
That now I am the Ruler of the Queen’s Navy!
Of legal knowledge I acquired such a grip
That they took me into the Partnership.
And the Junior Partnership I wean
Was the only ship I ever had seen!
But that sort of 'ship' so suited me
That now I am the Ruler of the Queen’s Navy!


“When I was a lad I served a Term.”
HMS PINAFORE
Gilbert and Sullivan

I'm taking the PE exam this friday- they don't publish the raw score, but it's apparently around 50% correct to pass! Even then, pass rate for the exam is only about 30-50%, it's a really hard exam.

But that's right that it's so hard- people's lives are in our hands when we design, build and inspect. There is very little room for error...

[This message has been edited by SteveFehr (edited 10-19-2006).]