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Walter & Group....
[GH] To all MCI Candidates : One of the reason for us presenting all these details is that the more you know about the exam and what is behind it, the less intimidating it, hopefully, will become.
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[GH] From Guy Manning :
The readers might be interested in checking out the latest committee reports and changes: http://fedflyfishers.org/Default.aspx?tabid=5133
A lot can be learned of the current direction of the program by reading these documents..
Guy Manning
FFF Certified, Master Casting Instructor
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[GH] Carl Zarelli (member FFF Board of Directors) sends this message :
Hi Gordy hope all is well . My comments below in Blue :
In many sports there are “referees” that judge the outcome of a given event . The Triple F examiners are no different in my eyes. Can the process be improved ? Without a doubt .
Triple F has an attorney on retainer and he is used for questions such as this . I know Bruce Richards has used him in the past.
No matter what entity the CICP is it still is subject to being questioned .
I think if this issue is of any concern then the CBOG Executive Committee should consider a release form that the candidate should sign .
I would hope it does not come to that but this is America after all .
I would think the reason nothing has come of this to date is because most people recognize that like most testing with a referee, it is subject to their ( the referees’ ) interpretation.
If a candidate feels they have been treated unfairly they certainly can be re-examined . I have seen this happen firsthand.
The process is in place to deal with these sort of things . If the CBOG Executive Committee feels they need more insulation then I would refer them to the suggestion above.
Carl Z
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[GH] From Dave Barron (Dave is a member of the CBOG and I understand he is in charge of the CICP at the Conclave this year) :
Gordy
Here are some numbers that I received from Barbara about two weeks ago
Looks like there are 76 women who certified for Instructor and 11 of those went on to pass the Master’s test.
Total currently certified as CI’s (male & female) = 1,299
Total currently certified as MCI’s (male & female) = 218
I also have the break down of international vs US but can not find it right now
Note to Ted Warren:
Ted are you going to attend the MCI workshop on Monday morning? While you are at the conclave please look me up and introduce yourself, I would enjoy talking to you about the CICP.
Dave
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[GH] Dave,
Glad you brought that up. That MCI prep workshop on Monday morning will go a long way to help clarify the details and expectations of and for the Master's exam !
I understand you have planned a mock exam with different groups doing the grading.
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[GH] Bill Toone weighs in :
While I am all in favor for trying to improve our clarity of expectations, requirements and testing tasks regarding the Masters exam, doing away with the orals part in favor of a standardized written exam, really? What are we hoping to gain? Will this make for better Masters or just more of them? Not the same in my book. The orals part of the Masters exam is part of the exam. Everyone knows that going into it so it is no surprise. Yes the range which it can cover is vast but as a Master your knowledge should be vast. The orals allow testers to explore your depth of knowledge as well as you to defend or explain an answer which no written exam can do.
Like most of my fellow masters I needed to take the exam twice. My first exam was fair and I was treated courteously by my 3 testers. The amount to time I spent preparing, the expense of books or travel had nothing to do with whether I should or should not have passed. Either I knew the stuff or I didn’t; while it was a close call (darn spey casting), I failed. Certainly I was disappointed as I definitely thought I was prepared but clearly it was a reality check. Instead of findings some false external reason for my failure I redoubled my efforts. When I retook the exam a few short months later and passed I can absolutely tell you I was a more knowledgeable master than had I passed the first go around. Not by a little bit but by a lot. I am sure most masters will agree as their experience is probably no different then mine. When I took the exam the second time my testers were steelheaders however despite being a self confessed trout snob this was no handicap in the orals. It makes no difference whether you are tested by a group of saltwater anglers or warm water ones, steelheaders or trout snobs. You are taking an exam to be a master, the highest level of teaching certification we have at the FFF and as such should have some practical experience in other areas besides your typical home waters. Not to mention a lot of the knowledge needed as a master is common to whatever fly-fishing or casting you do.
As someone now on the other side and doing the testing I can unequivocally tell you it is the lack of preparation by the candidate whether for a CI exam or MCI which is the biggest single reason for failure that I have seen. Not orals vs. written, not confusion over tasks, not definitions of terms or any other reason. They just simply failed because they were not at the level required. If we had made the exams easier or changed the format sure some of them may have passed but that still would not have changed the fact they were not up to the level of a CI or MCI. As a tester I want you to pass. This is not some club I want to keep others out of but to be a member you must meet the skill and knowledge requirements. As such, doing away with the orals will only handicap me in assessing a candidate. We can debate and discuss changing this task or that word or even the format but by doing so we are missing the obvious and that is helping candidates help themselves in their preparation for the exam they are going to take.
Bill Toone
FFF Editor in Chief, Flyfisher
FFF Master Certified Casting Instructor
Instructor & Guide, Yellowstone Fly Fishing School
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