Study Guide

[ElvisLives]

So, what is the point of the study guide? Are they just giving everybody the questions in advance so they can work out the answers, then take the scored exam, so everybody gets 100?

[JasonTX]

They aren’t in the same order so it's a chore to find your answer and then mark it.  I was confident I made a 100 but hit submit and was short.  I passed but not the 100.  I'm racking my brain trying to figure out where the train came off the track.  Most likely on the replay questions and whether or not to reset. Reviewing and will take it again.

[ElvisLives]

But, still, publishing the questions ahead of the exam helps improve the scores, artificially. If nothing else, those guys that are not good with rules (which is criminal, particularly for NCAA football, IMHO) can get a good set of answers from somebody, and match up the printed questions with the on-screen questions, and mark their answers according to a known set of passing answers, and keep their coord happy.

Yeah, for guys like you and me, we'd want to know why we missed a question, so we can learn and get better. But there are those skating by, and publishing the questions ahead of the exam doesn't help.

[Snapper]

So, what is the point of the study guide? Are they just giving everybody the questions in advance so they can work out the answers, then take the scored exam, so everybody gets 100?

It's been that way for a long while.  A pdf version of the test available, which allows people to work through it ahead of taking it online.  The only difference that I see is that this year they call it a Study Guide.

And then as Jason says, they mix up the order of the questions online.  Which makes it more of a clerical exercise finding the right question on your pdf and matching it to what you're seeing online.

I see the CFO test as more of an educational exercise.

But remember, a lot of the officiating consortiums also require their officials to take an additional timed test at their clinic or online.  Those you do have to take on your own and they're timed.

[ElvisLives]

It's been that way for a long while.  A pdf version of the test available, which allows people to work through it ahead of taking it online.  The only difference that I see is that this year they call it a Study Guide.

And then as Jason says, they mix up the order of the questions online.  Which makes it more of a clerical exercise finding the right question on your pdf and matching it to what you're seeing online.

I see the CFO test as more of an educational exercise.

But remember, a lot of the officiating consortiums also require their officials to take an additional timed test at their clinic or online.  Those you do have to take on your own and they're timed.

“…a long while…” is relative. Wasn’t that way in my FBS days, but that was 10 seasons ago, now. I guess that’s a long while. With the pre-published questions, it is, indeed, nothing more than an educational exercise. And that’s OK. But it is not a viable gauge of knowledge. I go back to the time that the national test was on paper, and was given during our clinic. Now, that test had value as a gauge of knowledge. And, in fact, I knew folks that did not do well, across several seasons, and were, eventually, replaced. I’m glad to hear some groups are using localized exams, to encourage rule study.
I hope everyone does well, but earns their grade. I will probably take a shot at it on Tuesday, since I’ll have nothing else to do.

[JasonTX]

For my crew I have them all take the first time by themselves and see what they can score.  Then for the second attempt we will compare what we had and try to figure out what questions we missed.  I've seen groups of 20 people compare answers and it creates a lot of discussion, because once you submit a test it won't show what questions you missed.  As we compare, we see that several people might have a different answer on a question, so we discuss it and dig in the rule book to state our reason for the answer. 

[ElvisLives]

For my crew I have them all take the first time by themselves and see what they can score.  Then for the second attempt we will compare what we had and try to figure out what questions we missed.  I've seen groups of 20 people compare answers and it creates a lot of discussion, because once you submit a test it won't show what questions you missed.  As we compare, we see that several people might have a different answer on a question, so we discuss it and dig in the rule book to state our reason for the answer.

And, in that, that is a great educational tool. If coordinators don’t use the exam as a performance tool, then it is nothing to lose sleep over, but it is a good learning resource, especially when used like Jason - with the crew actively exchanging information and knowledge. 

[JDM]

Just completed my CFO test. Although I passed in my first attempt, I am not a fan of the new platform given the fact it only shows what answers were recorded and doesn't advise which questions were missed.

[JasonTX]

Just completed my CFO test. Although I passed in my first attempt, I am not a fan of the new platform given the fact it only shows what answers were recorded and doesn't advise which questions were missed.

When the test closes, you'll find out what answers.  Now go take it a second time and see if you can guess what questions you need to change the answer on.  That's an exercise all by itself.

[JDM]

When the test closes, you'll find out what answers.  Now go take it a second time and see if you can guess what questions you need to change the answer on.  That's an exercise all by itself.

I wasn't aware. On the CFO/Arbitersports platform, the incorrect answers were included in an email notification immediately after completion along with the score.

Re: "exercise all by itself." - that's an understatement.