Gordy - As I suggested at the conclave I think it would
be an excellent idea to have a pre-examination work shop at the conclave(s).
It would be a win-win. Candidates who want to find out where they
are in their preparation would get the opportunity. In
addition, current masters who want/need experience as examiners would get more
opportunity to do so. As an added suggestion I would also say
that anyone who attempted the test without taking
advantage of a pre-examination opportunity, or took a pre-exam and were
informed that weren't ready for the exam but tried it anyway, and wasn't
close to passing shouldn't be allowed to retest for a
year.
Other than that the only improvements I can think of in the current situation would be to have a
consistent view of the key words and a set of accepted methods for teaching
beginners.
As Jim stated in one of the earlier messages I don't
believe anybody is going to be failed due to a gray area or even a number of
gray areas. With two independent BoGs administering the test I don't
see how anyone could be treated
unfairly. Yes, there will be areas of strength and weakness for both the
candidate and the examiners, but there is a minimum knowledge set that every
candidate has
to demonstrate and if they can't
demonstrate it then they will not, and should not, pass.
I know the test hasn't changed but I have heard more
than one BoG say that the CCI test is harder to pass than when they took it. I
don't have the experience to say if that is true or not but I would expect
it may be true for some because the organization is
growing and evolving and standards will be more
consistently applied as time goes on. Certainly, from what I've seen, everyone
who is currently on
the BoG would have no problem passing either the CCI or
MCI on a moments notice but I do think a regular refresher course for long
standing CCIs and MCIs to make sure they stay current on terminology,
tools, and instructing
methods wouldn't hurt. Many professional organizations these days expect
people holding certifications to either show that they have been actively
keeping their knowledge set current or
to recertify every 3-5 years.
My 2 cents worth.
Walter