overkill

[stewcall]

Our association held the exam part 1 last night
What an nightmare to administer.
every other seat- 4 versions of the exam (A The person beside you had a different test.
The integrity of the test (IE TOO many cheating) had been questioned and this was the remedy..
First of all 200 officials fitting in an Elementary school was tight enought---- sitting on tiny stools...
So uniform testing..... across the state...no I don't think it happened....
Don't get me wrong, I like the fact that there is some cracking down on cheaters..In my brief tenure a select few have copied answers from other testers.. but this seemed a little bit over the top.

Stew in VA
CVBOA

[Jurassic Referee]

Stew, do you write, or usually write, the NFHS part 1 test? Or a different test, like the IAABO refresher exam?

Just wondering.

[stewcall]

Originally posted by Jurassic Referee
Stew, do you write, or usually write, the NFHS part 1 test? Or a different test, like the IAABO refresher exam?

Just wondering.

I believe the VA VHSL took the NFHS exam part 1 and scrambled the order of the 100 question test making 4 different versions of the same test that was taken by our association.
Stew

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally posted by stewcall

I believe the VA VHSL took the NFHS exam part 1 and scrambled the order of the 100 question test making 4 different versions of the same test that was taken by our association.
Stew

Thanks, Stew. That's what I was afraid of- you guys writing the same exam that the test answers for it have already been made public and available. Hate to say it, but that's exactly why I don't like to see these exam answers sent out on the internet before all areas might have written the test. That goes for the NFHS part2 test and the IAABO refresher exam too.

[JRutledge]

I agree with you JR, but here is the problem. Our state is done taking this test. We will get the confirmed answers on the 19th. They tell us our answers online immediately or we can figure out what the correct answers are. How are we supposed to know when everyone has taken the test or what they use it for? And no one posted the answers directly on the site. All they did was communicated through email which is something you are never going to stop. You can contact all the state organizations and tell everyone they are "cheating" but there is not one thing you can do about it. As long as this test is used for these purposes, it will be distributed in some way. It would be handed out if no one had to take the test for any kind of requirement. And what about those states that does not use the test at all?

One year I took the football Part 2 Exam and someone talked about having the results so I could check my answers before my state had sent out the results, this person's state made their own test. So checking my answers was pointless with this person. If states do not want this kind of problem, make your own test. And you still would have people that would give it over the internet and talk to people to get the answers before everything is finished. This is the very reason these test are overrated. Because I have yet to see anyone become a better official because they received a higher score. And despite what a particular person says from my state, you do not jump far in the playoffs if you do not have other things in your favor. No one went from on year to not working the playoffs, do a Sectional the next year all because of the result of their test. That does not happen in my state because you have to be ranked high in many other categories. The test is the easiest category to control.

Peace

[rockyroad]

Don't know how anyone else does it, but we take the test online, and get immediate results...so within minutes of taking the test I knew the answers to all 100 questions... not sure how you can keep that information from getting out if people want to spread it - the test really only counts for the State to allow us to do post-season stuff, not really a part of our local ratings, and it's those ratings that determine who does post-season stuff, not the test - ok, now I've confused myself. The test isn't that big a deal around here is what I'm trying to say...now I need some aspirin for the headache I just gave myself...

[JRutledge]

Rocky,

We can take the test online too. We know the answers immediately as well.

Peace

[DownTownTonyBrown]

I would assume that those taking Part I "officially" as part of their certification don't have a copy of the test ahead of the time when the test is administered.

T/F answers would be of little value without the questions.

#83 was true... big deal. What was the question? Of course some of our own discussions here include a question and an answer - but I have not seen all 100 questions with 100 answers.

What is NFHS's position? Do they intend for Part I to be more than a prompter to get into the books?

Maybe it is the way we test locally but I had always figured that Part I was simply a practice test and provided impetus for us to open our books before Part II came along.

[bob jenkins]

Originally posted by DownTownTonyBrown
I would assume that those taking Part I "officially" as part of their certification don't have a copy of the test ahead of the time when the test is administered.

T/F answers would be of little value without the questions.

If the questions were in the same order, they answers would be useful for those wanting to cheat. It's not hard to memorize 100 T/F answers, especially when they were in groups of four as in prior years.

[JRutledge]

Bob,

You can speak for yourself on this one. I cannot remember that many T/F answers in order without some idea of what the questions are.

Peace

[denref]

In California we have a 200 question Study Guide (open book) that must be completed prior to our instructional sessions (15 hours for returning officials and 20 hours for 1st and 2nd year officials)and it requires 80% correct for eligibility to work. Then we use a 100 question Classification Exam (4 versions) and it also must be passed at 80%. If an official does not achieve 80% on both of these they can take a Make-up Classification Exam and if they achieve 80% on that then they are eligible to receive assignments.

[ref18]

The only way I see for this "cheating" to end is for everyone who takes the test to take it at exactly the same time.

The tests are shipped out the day before they are writtain. No one has time to send answers around.

That's my suggestion.

[ChuckElias]

Originally posted by rockyroad
Don't know how anyone else does it, but we take the test online, and get immediate results...so within minutes of taking the test I knew the answers to all 100 questions... not sure how you can keep that information from getting out

You keep it from getting out by telling people their grade, but not which questions they missed. That's what happens with our NCAA test, starting this year. I can't say I love it, but I understand why they do it that way.

That way, the only way to know all the answers is to get 100%.

[Nevadaref]

Originally posted by denref
In California we have a 200 question Study Guide (open book) that must be completed prior to our instructional sessions (15 hours for returning officials and 20 hours for 1st and 2nd year officials)and it requires 80% correct for eligibility to work. Then we use a 100 question Classification Exam (4 versions) and it also must be passed at 80%. If an official does not achieve 80% on both of these they can take a Make-up Classification Exam and if they achieve 80% on that then they are eligible to receive assignments.

I'm in northern Nevada and our association is part of the CBOA. We get the CA handbook and study guide and use the CA test. In my opinion this is silly. Here's why: two versions of the CBOA handbook are printed, a membership version and an instructor's version. The instructor's version has all the answers to the 200 study guide questions.
Our crew chiefs have preseason meetings where we go over the study guide questions in small groups. So we get all of the correct answers to these questions. Then the 100 question test that you mention, which comes in four versions labelled A, B, C, and D, consists of 100 of the 200 study guide questions in different orders.
So there is no secret here. You are given both the questions and the answers before you take the test.
I think we also require an 80%, but what moron can't score an 80 after having both the questions and answers beforehand?
The Las Vegas association still uses the NFHS exams. Clark can confirm this.

[Jurassic Referee]

Originally posted by Nevadaref
[/B]

I think we also require an 80%, but what moron can't score an 80 after having both the questions and answers beforehand?

[/B][/QUOTE]