any tips for Wright Bros./anyone know the main points to study?

Started by Sgt. Papa, October 21, 2011, 01:46:00 AM

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Sgt. Papa

'kay, so i'm taking the Wright Brothers Exam this November and there is NO WAY i wanna fail it over and over. i wanna get it over with, and get onto studying for C/TSgt. I've heard C/SSgt is a toughie, and it's ruined some cadets CAP careers. so please if you have any tips, AT ALL, please share.

titanII

I have my WB exam scheduled soon (next week if the tests come in). Basically what I have been doing to study is: read the chapters a bunch, study with the review questions a lot, and study the bolded terms. In short, I'm making sure I know that book cover to cover. :D
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davidsinn

I have a hard time believing that this test ruined a cadet's career. The downside of it is that it's closed book, untimed. The advantage of it is that it's closed book, untimed. Don't forget that there is a drill portion to it as well.
Former CAP Captain
David Sinn

Ron1319

We have had several cadets that have had a hard time with this test.  What we have found is that many of the answers could be true.  It is rather tricky.  I consider myself somewhat of an expert on both test taking and CAP knowledge.  This one left me really scratching my head on many of the questions. 

Once you find the question in the text, it very clearly states the answer and the question is not ambiguous in any way.  However, you do have to really know the material and what they state in the book.  Whether you pass it or not the first try, my advice would be to go back and review the material after taking the test and learn the answers to the questions that you missed. 

This is probably your first hard test, and I would recommend preparing for it as suggested above.  Read the material thoroughly, take notes, and know the terms and definitions.  Understand them and what they mean.  Don't get as hung up in passing it the first try and worrying about it ruining your career, though. 
Ronald Thompson, Maj, CAP
Deputy Commander, Squadron 85, Placerville, CA
PCR-CA-273
Spaatz #1319

Extremepredjudice

Read the bolded text, in all of the chapters.

Use logic, think about it... provided a "test" of it, mentally.

Look at the grammar, a lot of answers can be counted off by improper grammar.

Passed my wright bros first try.


The Drill portion is pretty easy, just stuff about how you should order a flight around. There is a bit about NCO CoC, that I had no clue on, and never heard about.
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Hanlon's Razor
Occam's Razor
"Flight make chant; I good leader"

crisptheyounger

Since it's a cumulative test, it'll cover everything from Chapters 1-3. I've found that outlines help a lot. They let you see what concepts/ideas flow through each of the chapters so you can better connect each chapter to another. There are outlines online, but I recommend making your own. Making the study materials is part of studying itself.

That being said, if you do happen to fail, immediately (or as soon as you can) go back to your textbook and highlight the portions you remember being on the test. This will help you recognize the concept areas you need to study more.
Cadet: 2006-2013, Spaatz #1873

M.N.

I recommend reviewing the first three chapters for an hour a night until you take the test. When you come across a question that you're not sure about, ask yourself which of the options would be the most logical. Also, be sure to brush up on your drill knowledge.

Best of luck.

johnnyb47

Capt
Information Technology Officer
Communications Officer


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Ron1319

We should probably have asked whether you are in the new material or the old material.  I've spent some time working with this exam recently, and with both versions, logic will not prevail.  You have to know the book answers for many (many!) of the questions. 

Also, I was the GLR NCC Team commander in '07 and I've escorted the PCR team the last two years (3rd place this year!) and a couple of the drill questions were rather obscure and very hard.  I asked our team commander from the last two years and he didn't know, either. 

It is a hard exam.
Ronald Thompson, Maj, CAP
Deputy Commander, Squadron 85, Placerville, CA
PCR-CA-273
Spaatz #1319

Extremepredjudice

Quote from: Ron1319 on October 21, 2011, 07:23:07 PM
We should probably have asked whether you are in the new material or the old material.  I've spent some time working with this exam recently, and with both versions, logic will not prevail.  You have to know the book answers for many (many!) of the questions. 

Also, I was the GLR NCC Team commander in '07 and I've escorted the PCR team the last two years (3rd place this year!) and a couple of the drill questions were rather obscure and very hard.  I asked our team commander from the last two years and he didn't know, either. 

It is a hard exam.
I must use different logic then...
I love the moderators here. <3

Hanlon's Razor
Occam's Razor
"Flight make chant; I good leader"

Ron1319

As we're talking about testing, I can't give you examples. 
Ronald Thompson, Maj, CAP
Deputy Commander, Squadron 85, Placerville, CA
PCR-CA-273
Spaatz #1319

Noble Six

United States Marine Corps Retired
Earhart#13897

titanII

Also, the objectives at the beginning of the sections are good study tools.
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Майор Хаткевич

The WBA, at least the "old" test was not hard...

There is NO new material there...a cadet should know it. If they do not, then the program is working correctly and they have to spend more time learning the basics.

BillB

The old WBA was an achievement. The new WBA is a milestone. The new test is much harder and has a higher percentage of cadets failing on the first attempt.
Gil Robb Wilson # 19
Gil Robb Wilson # 104

davidsinn

Quote from: BillB on October 22, 2011, 09:16:38 AM
The old WBA was an achievement. The new WBA is a milestone.

No. The old WBA was a milestone as well. The version before that was an achievement.
Former CAP Captain
David Sinn

Ron1319

Correct, however, the new test database is designed to be taken open book and the previous question database was designed to be taken closed book.  The questions on the new Wright Brothers exam are often specific enough and tricky enough to make me think that they are open book questions given on a closed book exam.  It'd be nice if there was a filter box one could check to change the responses from "all" to "those who have read every question on both the current and previous Wright Brothers exam."
Ronald Thompson, Maj, CAP
Deputy Commander, Squadron 85, Placerville, CA
PCR-CA-273
Spaatz #1319

Майор Хаткевич

Quote from: BillB on October 22, 2011, 09:16:38 AM
The old WBA was an achievement. The new WBA is a milestone. The new test is much harder and has a higher percentage of cadets failing on the first attempt.

What davidsinn said. *Even though I did take the achievement when I hit that point*.

I've had plenty of cadets pass the WBA on the first try, and plenty that did terribly. The reason? studying.


If you are barely passing each achievement, then you can be sure you'll struggle on the WBA. That is multiplied with OPEN book tests, and proves the system works.

Open book does not mean that you don't study and just use the book. Open book means it's an option to use, but the EXPECTATION is that the cadet learns the material. If the WBA seems hard, then the previous lessons have not been learned, and the cadet is not ready to progress from Airman to NCO.

Ron1319

I'm going to say this a final time -- I understand the concepts.  I know the lessons.  For the new test, I did not know the answers to many of the questions because they were intentionally misleading as you would expect from an open book exam, however this exam is closed book.  I felt it was more a test of whether the cadets specifically remembered the exact line in the text rather than the concepts.  Here is my own example which I believe is NOT a question from the exam:

The warrior spirit is one of what type of condition?
a) tough-mindedness
b) motivation
c) heart
d) character

The answer is "c" but all of the answers are correct.  You can understand the concept, but unless you remember specifically the wording of the text, you can not deduce or reason out the answer.

This is much different than a question like:

What are the four core values of Civil Air Patrol?
a) Integrity First, Volunteer Service, Excellence in All We Do and Respect
b) Integrity First, Volunteer Service, Compassion and Respect
c) Integrity First, Fitness, Compassion and Respect
d) Integrity First, Fitness, Compassion and the Warrior Spirit

This question has a clear right answer, which the cadets are expected to know, and even though it still can not be reasoned out, all of the answers are not true.

Here is another example?

Who forms the squadron in line?
a) The commanding officer
b) The first sergeant
c) The flight sergeants
d) The flight commanders

There is a book answer on page 55 of the drill and ceremonies manual.  I believe that the answer is dependent upon the situation.  If the commander tells the flight commanders to form the squadron in line, then the flight commanders could fall in their flights.  In that case the answer would be a or d.  That question is not nearly as hard in my opinion as the drill and ceremonies question that is on the exam.  Please note that I believe anyone can look in the book and make up questions and these are all from my opening the books (in the PDF sense) and making up questions of my own.  I have access to the tests, but I do not believe that these are questions from the exam. 
Ronald Thompson, Maj, CAP
Deputy Commander, Squadron 85, Placerville, CA
PCR-CA-273
Spaatz #1319

DakRadz

Quote from: Ron1319 on October 22, 2011, 07:15:33 PM
Here is my own example which I believe is NOT a question from the exam:

The warrior spirit is one of what type of condition?
a) tough-mindedness
b) motivation
c) heart
d) character

The answer is "c" but all of the answers are correct.  You can understand the concept, but unless you remember specifically the wording of the text, you can not deduce or reason out the answer.

Ever heard of the NREMT Exam? Did you help write it? ;D
Wow. Much prefer my WBA exam if this is truly how they are wording questions.