I see....
First off, I don't subscribe to the whole, cross that bridge when you come to it, attitude, well not when it comes to a lot of life affecting decisions (do your research, cover or bases, ask any and all questions, and get all the information you can that is available to you, then jump in with both feet giving it your all, this is the program I subscribe too).
All of you have given me a lot of sound advice, to which I am grateful for and over the course of about 55 posts have a great deal of respect for each and every one of you. With that being said. I would like to address some points.
Inch
You're not getting screwed over man, did you ever think that math skills are important for those trades? The military may have different criteria than what your father will accept. I spent a few weeks at the recruiting centre in Sault Ste Marie while I was waiting to go on course, those tests don't lie. It's set out for each MOC what mark and which sections of the test are important. If you don't meet a certain criteria, and each MOC has a certain criteria, you won't be offered that trade, period. If those are the trades you want, then try doing some part time schooling in math or whatever you need to help you qualify for those trades, then try again.
Sound wisdom, thanks
Test do lie, I have no doubt. (especial with it comes to written test about manual work)
Kevin_B
If you are worried about doing math in your head, then you don't have to worry. They give you a piece of paper to do your calculations on. I'm sure those trades a require alot of calculations to be done so they test you to see if you are able to do it. Ask your father, I bet he had to do quite a bit of math when he was learning to do his job.
I'm sorry I had to laugh when I read this. My dad did have to learn a lot of math and I show him the technical math that is forced down my throat now, he looks at it and says â Å“I have never seen that before, nor have I never used it.â ? And my dad has been doing this at a large company for 40 years.
Thanks for the heads up on the paper issue. I sure it will help, but a calculator would help more, not possible I know.
Garbagman
Better get used to it if you plan on joining the CF. Tests are common, and not up for discussion. Throughout your career you will encounter many things that you may not necessarily agree with, but you're going to have to learn to see past that and complete them to the best of your ability anyway. The military is not a democracy.
I have no problems with doing tests. I'm more then happy to write a test of things that someone has taking the time to teach me. I can sit in a class and learn anything and as long as it's a fair test I have no issues writing it. Aptitude tests are not that, they are more like doing a test that has nothing to do with anything and some how someone can make a decision with out even meeting you whether or not you can do a job all based on a test that never even asked you to (for example) draw a resistor. I know the military is not a democracy that is a vary good point. But if you don't make your issues known then things never change, nor things never get questioned. Sometimes change is need and questions raise issues.
Inch
Tests are a fact of life, they're a way to measure your performance. You take a course then you write a test to make sure that you've learned the material before credit is given for the course. That's just the way the world works. Believe me, I've got no sympathy for people who complain about tests. I write or do flight tests at least 10 times a year regardless of whether or not I'm on course, it's just a requirement for my trade.
So no, there is no room for discussion. If you want to do the job, qualifying for it via the CFAT is the only way, period.
They are a way to measure what you are able to retain, education is what remains after you have forgotten what you learned in school. When it comes to some ones ability to do a job that requires tools marks don't mean a lot. Example (and I'm sure we have all seen this, I have alots of time) Two students, Students 'A' has good marks consisting of nothing lower then 85% and spends a lot of his time doing everything but school work . Student 'Z' has marks in the opposite end of the scale and works hard at school. Student 'A' beats Student 'Z' out of a job. Is this correct? No because if you hand Student 'A' a screwdriver he'll end up using it in the wrong fashion and it will end up going through his hand or someone else. Where as Student 'Z' has experience working with tools and worked hard for every mark he has gotten in school. But there are no written tests on things like that.
â Å“I write or do flight tests at least 10 times a year regardless of whether or not I'm on courseâ ?
Do they give you a picture of the cockpit and a little arrow pointing to a light followed be a test question of what sequence of buttons do you press if this light comes on. I hope not coz that's something you need to prove in an airplane (or simulator) not on paper.
MDH
There is sound advice here on the CFAT, but one thing you should be aware of - there is a minimal score you must achieve on the test to be offered even the most non-technical CF position. In other words there is a de facto failure rate, and it's something you should keep in mind. Do not - under any circumstances - take the view that you can't study for it; you can and if you have trouble with tests you should.
I will study for it, for sure. De facto failure rate is this common knowledge or generally people really aren't told this because it hardly ever comes up?