PADI OW Final Exam Questions that are either wrong or just bad

[gamon]

It does not ask "what is the next step."

As I clearly stated, I paraphrased, from memory. Same difference.

 

[gamon]

I agree. There's an underlying assumption in the question that, in the instance the question is referring to, someone else has put an analysis label on your tank. But tursiops seems to say this assumption is addressed in the course materials.

Yes, the argument about the question addressing something in the course validating the question/answer as perfectly ok has happened several times on this thread, but my point is that the question, the answer or the whole idea being presented is simply wrong.

 

[tursiops]

As I clearly stated, I paraphrased, from memory. Same difference.

You rephrased the question, then criticized your incorrect version of the question.
You are also confusing YOUR experience with the material in the training manual. For example, you say tanks often do not have a sticker on them. That is YOUR experience, which is incomplete.

 

[Lorenzoid]

Yes, the argument about the question addressing something in the course validating the question/answer as perfectly ok has happened several times on this thread, but my point is that the question, the answer or the whole idea being presented is simply wrong.

By your definition of "simply wrong." We who are tempted to inject our own extraneous knowledge of diving into our attempts to answer PADI's questions may find the questions unclear and PADI's answers not what we would consider the "best" answer. But from what the PADI professionals in this thread have described, the answers that PADI says are correct are all objectively reasonable and, it being their exam, are the correct answers.

 

[gamon]

You rephrased the question, then criticized your incorrect version of the question.
You are also confusing YOUR experience with the material in the training manual. For example, you say tanks often do not have a sticker on them. That is YOUR experience, which is incomplete.

My paraphrasing did not alter the meaning of the question, and my experience reflects a very common situation.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

Taking the AOW course several years ago at a resort dive op, only my buddy and I were in a room to take the final exam. An instructor reviewed questions/answers from the book that had been assigned and made sure we had the correct answers. My buddy and I were then left alone to take the test. The instructor comes back, checks the test - I pass, my buddy missed too many questions. The instructor reviewed the missed questions with my buddy, who tried to explain why, in his opinion, his answers were correct - he is stubborn that way. The instructor then gives him the same test again and leaves, with me sitting there AND with my buddy's copy of the failed exam with the corrected answers laying on the table. Thinking my buddy was taking too long to answer the questions, I told him the instructor left the other exam on the table so he could look at it - he wouldn't though as he felt he would learn more if he did it on his own - good for him but I was getting impatient. He barely passed the 2nd time still trying to explain why his answers to the missed questions should be the correct ones. We easily could have collaborated if my buddy would have wanted to.

I didn't realize my father was scuba certified. I wonder why he has held that secret for so long.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

Attached is the picture in question…

This is a picture of an “Out of Air” hand signal used under water. If tested on this hand signal, it does not mean “Level Off”, “Stop Speaking”, or “Remove the head and just take the tail”. You will not be shown another picture that has the hands doing a similar motion. So choose your answer wisely!

Now we can all pick it apart and complain that it should be a picture of a diver horizontal in the water and in trim…

GET OFF YOUR KN.....!!!!

God I’m so glad I took OW before all this e learning crap!
I really enjoyed the face to face interactions with all the other students and the instructor. Great stories, good laughs, good question/answer sessions, great learning!
It was so nice to have an instructor in the flesh to explain stuff and when someone had a question about “OK, what do you do if this happens?”. The instructor was right there to say “you do this” followed by a quick story that illustrated the scenario. The rest of the class was there to absorb that conversation and log it in memory.
Good times man!
So sad they’re gone.

I’m sorry, but humans are social animals and we need and thrive on physicality.
I thought the pandemic would have proved that.

I will say that I was so pleasantly surprised as to how well my students understood basic dive theory when I switched to SSI.

It freed me up to discuss the really important concepts (my opinion) where it is more of a conversation (like what do you think a good diver looks like). Sometimes students bring up questions that we discuss and I love that.

I think the problem is more of instructors doing the bare minimum. Nothing stops an instructor from having these sorts of conversations. Diving is a social sport (except for salty curmudgeons like me - kidding), and students need to develop rapport not so much with the instructor, but with each other. It is really important for those who teach for local diving that the students continue to dive with each other.

 

[Gone for diving]

students need to develop rapport not so much with the instructor, but with each other.

rapport...
now there is a 5 dollar word, that needs to be inserted in a bunch of scubaboard threads... unless its ASD

 

[stretchthepenn]

Attached is the picture in question…

This is a picture of an “Out of Air” hand signal used under water. If tested on this hand signal, it does not mean “Level Off”, “Stop Speaking”, or “Remove the head and just take the tail”. You will not be shown another picture that has the hands doing a similar motion. So choose your answer wisely!

Now we can all pick it apart and complain that it should be a picture of a diver horizontal in the water and in trim…

I teach this stuff for a living, and in my professional opinion, that image is poorly designed.

There's far too much horizontal stuff going on (the arm, the arrow, the Aqualung logo, the octo hose's implied direction), and it's all clumped together.

The arrow's yellow is too similar to the hose color, and it's reasonably close to the diver's skin tone.

The arrow is too close to the diver's arm.

The arrow's head is far too long (its top slope matches the forearm's bottom slope), which makes it hard to distinguish from the diver's arm.

The arrow only indicates a single direction.

Here's an improved image (forgive the crappy Photoshop).

 

[Gone for diving]

A slash across the neck means similar things in different industries...
Usually its done in one direction as though your hand was a knife blade.

Some meanings..

Out of air (dying)
Shut off engine
Shut it down
STOP
Probably some military type, symbol as well...