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Originally Posted by AremRed
In my area we have review sessions where we have access to all the test questions, and share the answers among everyone. Almost everyone gets perfect scores.
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Originally Posted by just another ref
Which defeats the whole purpose of a test.
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Originally Posted by Camron Rust
Exactly. Nothing like making it so they don't have to know the rules very well.
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We had to go to a system similar to that used by AremRed due to the prevalence of cheating.
Before going to the system that we currently use, we all took our tests as individuals with an open book format. We sent in our test answers, which were corrected, and our test score counted 5% of our annual rating, which determines the number, and level, of games that we are assigned.
The main problem was that several members were always able to get their hands on answer sheets, often from IAABO colleagues in other states, that took their tests at an earlier time than us. If you knew a local board member with an answer sheet, it was just a matter of copying the correct answers, many never even looked at their test questions, and just sent in the correct answers to our local board's rating committee.
Others cheated in a slightly different way, forming "exclusive only by invitation" review sessions where one could attend by having already answered all the questions on the test. At least one person in one of these exclusive groups would have the answer sheet, and we would review both the questions, and the answers, with individuals correcting any answers that they may have answered incorrectly. Then the individuals would send in their answer sheets, with correct answers, to the local board's rating committee.
All of the above board members would get perfect scores, or near perfect scores in the not so rare situation where IAABO made a mistake on the answer sheet. Those who didn't know anyone with an answer sheet, or those who didn't "belong" to one of those exclusive review groups, or those who didn't want to cheat in any way, would do what they were supposed to do, answer their questions in an open book format, and get the score that they got, often quite low, due to the tricky wording that is infamous on all IAABO review tests.
Several years ago the leadership of our local board just threw their hands up in surrender, and came up with the officially sponsored review sessions that we now have today (see BillyMac's post #81 above).