Personal MCI Prep. & Exam esperiences

Walter & Group...

[GH] We have more MCI Prep. and testing experiences to share.

What was the single most important thing that you did that was most helpful in preparing for the MCI test?
What was the one thing that you spent time doing that was not very helpful in preparing for the MCI test?
If you had to pick the one thing that gave you the most trouble on the test what would it be?"

This from Pat Damico :

1. Most important thing was pre-testing with 2 BOG and one Master with a lot of testing experience, then practicing with another Master candidate twice a week for several months. We would take three test questions and critique and question one another while performing the task.

2. Preparing a 3 ring binder with Published articles, Teaching outlines, Teaching events, etc. Never asked to show it, but learned a lot in the process.

3. During test : Initial jitters, but really enjoyed the experience once I settled down.

Highly recommend combining the oral and performance test.

One must be prepared for anything, but having the performance down pat is essential! It's a mistake to not be prepared for all parts of the test.

Pat Damico, MCI

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[GH] As most of you probably know, the MCI exam can be administered in one of three ways at the option of the lead examiner. Some examiners may give the candidate the choice :

A. Oral first, followed by the casting performance.

B. Casting performance followed by the oral portion.

C. Both administered simultaneously out at the casting area. (Pat's experience).

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[GH] Jim Penrod fails to tell the whole story as he gives his own "short answers" :

What was the single most important thing that you did that was most helpful in preparing for the MCI test? Spending time with BOG's Tom White and Gordy and having them watch my casting.Second would be all the background reading especially Modern Fly Lines.

2. What was the one thing that you spent time doing that was not very helpful in preparing for the MCI test? Fishing

3. If you had to pick the one thing that gave you the most trouble on the test what would it be? Consistency on distance casting and accuracy casting especially over the opposite shoulder.

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[GH] Jim,

Need I remind you :

You had done well as Tom White and I coached you in the Florida Keys. Tom had picked up a tiny bit of creep on your distance cast which I had missed. He cured that in short order. This was Tom's last coaching just before we lost him to cancer.

Then, a few days before you took your MCI test, you attended a public demonstration of fly casting at the IGFA in Dania.

I was scheduled to give a talk and casting demonstration on the Casting Instructor Certification Program. The crowd included some flycasting notables and "heavyweights" including Joan Wulff and several BOG's.

You were completely unaware of what I was about to do as you stood as an observer.

I then announced over the loudspeaker, " Folks, we' are fortunate, today, to have an MCI candidate in our audience who will demonstrate many of the casts required for the Master's exam"....... "FRONT AND CENTER, OUR OWN JIM PENROD !"

You stepped right up with no hesitation. I handed you my fly rod and then right on the spot had you perform many of the MCI exam tasks.

I think you were too surprised to be flustered as you performed each perfectly without a single flaw.

The audience gave you an ovation.

When Dusty Sprague's team tested you shortly thereafter, you passed. I think one of the reasons for that was that after what I had done to you, all apprehension had been deactivated.

Gordy

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[GH] From Brian Martin :

My recent experience in successfully taking the MCI leads me to answer the 3 questions as:

1. Practice the performance test as frequently as possible. Practice to be able to perform all the tests easily and continue right up to the test date. Get mentoring from an MCI who is currently familiar with the test and get ‘pre-test’ feedback to identify where the weakness are. Have a final mentor/pre-test session a month or so before the test. This leaves enough time to fine tune before the test.

2. Spending too much time on technical details relating to casting physics. Spending more time on broadening fly fishing knowledge would be more useful.

3. Off shoulder casts, particularly the accuracy casts.

Hope this helps,

Bryan

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