(29-02-2016, 10:13 AM)dorothy.pipet Wrote: I agree people underestimate the exam prep required, plus I think most of them don't take it in when we try and tell them!
I also agree that the focus is more helpfully on the candidates (and I did mean Either help OR examine, poorly phrased, sorry).
I wondered if a set of preparatory tests, for candidates to use to test their readiness would help? Something they can use as their own tool to say "If I can't do well enough at this then I'm not ready yet". Not really thought through what form it would take or how often it would need to be updated though.
A series of preparatory tests have been discussed many times I think. In principle it is a good idea, but as ever the "devil is in the detail" and can't devise something that would be practicable.
We are all used to online tests which are ok for testing something very specific such as PTS knowledge, but making it accessible to all from different countries, different roles, different type of railway isn't going to be easy. The keeping it fresh and updated makes it even more difficult if not impossible. Only real option would be to make people study " a set book" such as an IRSE textbook and ask questions on that.
However I do like your twist on the idea of giving a tool to the student to use rather than treating it as an initial part of the exam itself. This certainly does overcome some, but not all, of the difficulties. It may have some mileage but I do feel that those who should use it would be the least likely to do so.After all we have never had huge quantities of attempts posted on this Forum or indeed had much response when asking for attempted answers prior to a YM IRSE event in the UK.
The real killer for any automated test or self-check template is that I can't see it could do more than assess level of knowledge, so even if someone passes this and does really have adequate knowledge of facts, it does not mean that they would be able to pass the exam. As I understand it whereas some candidates grasp of facts is poor, those aren't the really time consuming ones to mark; it is those who write lots of stuff that is reasonably accurate but barely relevant to the question which poses the real problem to the examiner. The problem seems to be a lack of deeper understanding, inability to see what the question is really requiring and poor technique in answering.
It's hard to see there is any pre-qualification test of these, other than something akin to an IRSE exam itself; which brings us back to how many actually practice past papers and show their attempts to anyone else? Hence this is where we feel the thrust must be.
Reminds me- I am still carrying around one of your attempts- really must find the time to respond; now that I've done what I needed t for that recent meeting, it can hopefully get higher up my action pile!
PJW