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[divezonescuba]

Hello:

If you fail a portion of the IE, do you have to pay and retake the whole over again or just take and pay for part of this.

Thanks.

 

[Joe-Diver]

Just the part you fail.

You should not leave the IDC and be allowed to the IE if failure is a possibility. The IE is not that difficult.

 

[Crowley]

Just the part you fail.

You should not leave the IDC and be allowed to the IE if failure is a possibility. The IE is not that difficult.

Yes to echo that you only have to pay for the part you fail -

Agree with Joe Diver's sentiment on the second part, but I've seen some very good candidates fail because that one little moment of nerves let them down. The examiners are, in my experience, very good at what they do and they know a good candidate when they see one but rules are rules and unfortunately I have seen candidates fail for 'missing performance requirements' in the open water section simply because they forgot a 'student'....

Anyway yes, the IE is easy - nobody *ever* believes me when I say that - until they've passed and they realise it's true! Just make sure you meet all performance requirements and try not to drown anybody and you'll be fine!

Cheers

C.

 

[Diver0001]

One of the guys in our IE nearly bombed out on the last in-water exercise. He was taking a simulated group of students down and forgot to get them to do the steps for the 5pts descent. IIRC it was one of the "students" who decided to be a smart ass and left his snorkel in. I was also one of the "students" and I saw it happening so I positioned myself between the diver with the snorkel in and the examiner and pointed out his snorkel to him. He gave me an "ok" sign so I "ok-d" him back and just made sure the examiner couldn't see what he was doing. I figured eventually he'd have to switch, which he did, but not until he got almost all the way to the platform at 6 metres without the "instructor" noticing it.

As it was, the examiner saw it anyway and was set to fail the instructor candidate for skipping the steps of the 5pts descent. The guy talked his way out of it but he probably should have been failed, not so much--in my mind--for skipping the steps of the 5pts decent but for letting a "student" initiate a descent with the snorkel in. In the end the examiner used it as a teachable moment, which ultimately benefited everyone, I think.

From the little I've seen and heard from teh IE's from my colleagues, those who struggle with something invariably struggle with one of the academic portions, often the physics test.

R..

 

[ScubaRich]

Also don't take the open book standards exam lightly. Know where to find the answer in your manual quickly. If you have to look up the majority of your answers you will run out of time.

 

[Pearldiver07]

Yes, only that section, but if that's the OW, then ALL components of that section. I had a student get a "brain cramp" on the rescue assessment. This was my only student to not pass the I.E. the first take. He knew it when it happened, but got so nervous that he made another error on the retake.

Was he competent? Yes. Did he have test anxiety? Yes. Would I let him teach my family? Yes.

You can retake 2 sections without redo-ing the entire exam. After that, it is an entire retake. I'd say that if you have that much of a problem either your CD didn't do you justice, or you need to address testing methodologies, because not being able to show the examiner what you know can be very expensive.

I will say that I debrief my candidates and modify my IDCs accordingly. If I find that there was a potential weakness in a student that I could have shored up beforehand, I modify my teaching presentations/techniques. Over time I've gotten a pretty comprehensive set of review methods to ensure passing the academics, and now I have an iron clad way of prepping for the rescue diver (seems that candidates get nervous on this - the same way new OW divers get wound up over the mask skills).

Anyway. Joe-Diver is right. If either you or the CD feel you've got weaknesses, you shouldn't be attending the IE until those are resolved.

 

[Crowley]

I will say that I debrief my candidates and modify my IDCs accordingly. If I find that there was a potential weakness in a student that I could have shored up beforehand, I modify my teaching presentations/techniques. Over time I've gotten a pretty comprehensive set of review methods to ensure passing the academics, and now I have an iron clad way of prepping for the rescue diver (seems that candidates get nervous on this - the same way new OW divers get wound up over the mask skills).

Anyway. Joe-Diver is right. If either you or the CD feel you've got weaknesses, you shouldn't be attending the IE until those are resolved.

I would like to think all CDs approach the IDCs and am sad to report that some do not. My own CD was awesome and I based my teaching approach around him but I have found some very intractable personalities during my own transition from OWSI to Staff. I hope to make CD sometime in the next few years. In my former job I used to meet some of the examiners quite regularly and have talked with them about certain standards and requirements at some length. I don't claim to have any "insider knowledge" from PADI but I do know how (a) very difficult and (b) how very easy it is to fail an IE.

It is sometimes a difficult decision to make when recommending a candidate who has technically passed their IDC not to go to the IE. I know former students who have not been recommended for an IE and for whom that was the end of their diving career. Others decided to go for it anyway and some passed their IE, one or two failed quite spectacularly. Some of course did not pass their IDC. Some of these folks are now gainfully employed in the industry, others who may have excelled on their IDC are now back in small offices in the UK selling windows.

I mean no offence to the OP because they didn't really infer one way or the other whether they actually expected to fail something but more as a plea to other candidates - consider carefully what you are doing and if you feel you are not ready to teach - or a CD recommends you not to go - don't go to the IE. It's rare that it happens but it *does* happen from time to time so consider wether or not you are sufficiently well trained to hold other people's lives in your hands.

Instructing on IDCs and watching my students pass their IE - many of whom I had taught from Rescue Diver through DM to OWSI - is one of the greatest pleasures of my professional dive career and I am sure other staffies will agree.

Anyway so that's waaaaay too much info given the OP! Perhpas I should not drink wine whilst posting!?

Happy IDCing,

C.