Why is everyone in such a rush to fault the instructor for not doing his job right? How about the student who does not do the assigned studying and tells you he should pass because he paid his money. I had such a student D.M. candidate once in a class of 4 he failed the physics repeatedly and with many hours of extra help from myself and his fellow classmates he still failed the class as he just could not do the math he even tried memorizing the answers to the A and B exam and still failed so who's to blame? Some people are just not meant to progress up the ladder of education it's just a fact of life that we are not all created equal in abilities even though society would like us all to feel warm and fussy and if were not let's blame someone else besides ourselves.
How many attempts are allowed for PADI DM Written Test?
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flots am
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With less than 50 dives (according to your profile), you're nowhere near ready to accept responsibility for the lives of groups of random divers, and anybody who suggested the class to you at this point in your diving career is either trying to sell you something or is more-or-less clueless.
In fact, 50 or so dives is exactly the point where you think you know more than you do and think that there isn't much that can go wrong in SCUBA, are taking more risks, and is exactly not the time you want to be doing anything except working on skills and judgement with a good buddy.
I'd suggest coming back a few hundred dives later, at which point you'll be much more prepared for the class and able to actually become a good DM.
flots.
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So.... Why would a shop take a guys money when it should be obvious the student doesn't have the aptitude to succeed in the training? I could be wrong, but the OP likely went through all his training with the same shop, maybe the same instructor. They should have an excellent idea of where the OP is in all areas relevant to the DM course. If he's deficient in physiology or physics, that should be very clear before even Nitrox class.
I fault the instructor for selling the course. DMs should be developed, not processed as matter of sequence. As things are now, DM is the new AOW.
I think your trainer is failing you...not the other way around.
Historically wise I've always sucked at science/physics. That's why I didn't become a engineer or doctor. With that being said, does that mean that I won't qualify to be a PADI DM? That's for another thread. So back to the recent test I took
hysiology. 2nd attempt did worse than version A. I ony studied the workbook. I found out after the fact that 50% of the questions relate to the workbook. I had read the Encyclo/Rec/Div book but it was the week before. The rest of the questions related to that and ch. 4 in the rescue manual. I'm condifident the next time around I'll be better prepared. I just want to know this time will I be taking version A and if I fail that then what? The instructor is doing his job. He's not teaching just to pass a test. I also should point out that maybe the test questions and selections might be an issue. Example; a drawing of the ear and its parts. This arrow points to vestibular canal or oval window or round window. By the way a DM can't look into someones ear and see the inside parts.
hysiology. 2nd attempt did worse than version A. I ony studied the workbook. I found out after the fact that 50% of the questions relate to the workbook. I had read the Encyclo/Rec/Div book but it was the week before. The rest of the questions related to that and ch. 4 in the rescue manual. I'm condifident the next time around I'll be better prepared. I just want to know this time will I be taking version A and if I fail that then what? The instructor is doing his job. He's not teaching just to pass a test. I also should point out that maybe the test questions and selections might be an issue. Example; a drawing of the ear and its parts. This arrow points to vestibular canal or oval window or round window. By the way a DM can't look into someones ear and see the inside parts.
I'm sure we've all heard some variation of the OP's complaint/question before -- "How much do I need to know?"
I'll admit I've always "tested well" and I was always close to the top of my class (including grad school), so maybe I just don't get it. BUT, I always studied hard for exams too -- INCLUDING my DM exams. I didn't just "read the workbook" -- I actually studied the various texts -- including some that weren't mandatory but that I found helped me to understand the various concepts. In addition to underlining my texts, I also took some notes so that I knew I finally understood not only the answers but, in fact, how I came up with my answers.
In reality, none of the DM tests were all that difficult -- and I NEVER had any physiology in school and my high school physics had been taken 40+ years before I even thought of becoming a DM. But honestly, don't you WANT a DM to actually, in fact, understand the physics of buoyancy? I certainly do. And if you really understand the simple concepts of "Diving Physics" (and I'm NOT saying you need to understand who's old name is on which law but just WHAT the laws may be) then the problems are easy -- are they not?
Not passing the exam twice? Hey, why are you not passing it the first time? To me THAT is the real issue because if you haven't done the work required to gain the knowledge, are you going to do the work required to be a good DM?
I'll admit I've always "tested well" and I was always close to the top of my class (including grad school), so maybe I just don't get it. BUT, I always studied hard for exams too -- INCLUDING my DM exams. I didn't just "read the workbook" -- I actually studied the various texts -- including some that weren't mandatory but that I found helped me to understand the various concepts. In addition to underlining my texts, I also took some notes so that I knew I finally understood not only the answers but, in fact, how I came up with my answers.
In reality, none of the DM tests were all that difficult -- and I NEVER had any physiology in school and my high school physics had been taken 40+ years before I even thought of becoming a DM. But honestly, don't you WANT a DM to actually, in fact, understand the physics of buoyancy? I certainly do. And if you really understand the simple concepts of "Diving Physics" (and I'm NOT saying you need to understand who's old name is on which law but just WHAT the laws may be) then the problems are easy -- are they not?
Not passing the exam twice? Hey, why are you not passing it the first time? To me THAT is the real issue because if you haven't done the work required to gain the knowledge, are you going to do the work required to be a good DM?
I test well. I never studied any of the required texts. Hell, I never even opened the workbook, and I missed 4 questions on all sections combined. I have always been fortunate about test-taking. Some people have trouble testing, others get overloaded when given too much content in a deluge. This does not mean that they are hopeless or that the instructor is failing them. It means that the student requires a different approach and preparation plan. What worked for you in school, when studying for a big final exam?
Also, PADI just Loves to throw vague misleading questions and answers through their tests. Relax and break them down. Usually the answer is the simple one.
Also, PADI just Loves to throw vague misleading questions and answers through their tests. Relax and break them down. Usually the answer is the simple one.
I think there is blame to be assigned to both sides in a typical multiple failure scenario.
For the person who can't do the math: The highest level of math required is algebra at a level typically taught in 8th grade today. You may well be out of practice with it, but you must have known it at some time. There are plenty of math tutorial web sites and books available. If being a DM is meaningful to you, you can learn it.
For the people who read the text and can't remember it: Just as Peter said, reading the test is not enough. You have to study it. You have to take notes and quiz yourself. Get friends to quiz you as well.
For the instructor whose students are failing: How much instruction have you given them? Did you check their level of comprehension (formative assessment) with some practice questions before administering the exam? I don't administer any exams to students until my informal checks of their readiness shows me they are ready to go.
For the person who can't do the math: The highest level of math required is algebra at a level typically taught in 8th grade today. You may well be out of practice with it, but you must have known it at some time. There are plenty of math tutorial web sites and books available. If being a DM is meaningful to you, you can learn it.
For the people who read the text and can't remember it: Just as Peter said, reading the test is not enough. You have to study it. You have to take notes and quiz yourself. Get friends to quiz you as well.
For the instructor whose students are failing: How much instruction have you given them? Did you check their level of comprehension (formative assessment) with some practice questions before administering the exam? I don't administer any exams to students until my informal checks of their readiness shows me they are ready to go.
PADI is famous for questions - and book passages - where they are simply poorly/inartfully worded in such a way that the obviously correct answer is actually wrong. One example in DSAT materials is about what to do in case of a missed deco stop. The book says to descend back to the appropriate depth and "extend the stop by 150% of the original stop time." On the exam I got a question wrong, because apparently what they meant was "extend the stop TO 150% of the original stop time." What's the difference?
Extend by 150%...
Stop time = 10min
150% of stop time = 15min
Extending a 10min stop BY 150% of 10min = 25min stop
Extend to 150%...
Stop time = 10min
50% of stop time = 5min
Extending a 10min stop TO 150% of 10min = 15min stop
They also seem to like to have "choose only one" questions where the choices are not mutually exclusive and/or there are multiple correct answers, but no guidance was provided as to which "correct answer" is the "correct correct" answer.
As Peter points out, the best way to prepare for exams is to study until you ensure you UNDERSTAND the material. If you understand it, you'll be able to determine what answer they are looking for vs. providing the one answer you memorized.
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