Testing night

[floridacyclist]

In your squadron, how is testing handled? Is it only on specific nights? Do cadets have to make an appointment in advance? Do they need any approvals from their chain of command to attempt a test? Are exceptions allowed?

[mikeylikey]

Usually we plan one night each month.  Usually later in the month so we can fit in classroom work, Moral Leadership and whatnot first.  Most of the SQD's I have been in have done it the same way.  No appointments needed to test, all the cadet does is report in to the testing officer at the required time.  Pass and Fail announcements are given at closing formation.  Promotions either that night, or the following week if time is limited.

[jeders]

We have testing twice a month for regular cadets and whenever wanted for command staff cadets. The cadets are informed that an upcoming meeting is a testing night and they, hopefully, show up to test. If not we march on. Pass/fail isn't announced, just told to the cadet in private, then if all the other requirements are met, they promote on the 4th week of the month.

[stillamarine]

Test once a month. If a cadet wants to test they must sign the testing log NLT than 1845. After testing cadets are asked if they want their score announced out loud or in private.

If all requirements are met, promotions are done on the first meeting of the month.

[floridacyclist]

So far, testing has been available on any desired night as long as the testing officer was there. There has been no strict time limit on how late a test can be requested, but it has been expected to be at the beginning of the meeting.

A form has been drawn up that the cadet has to have signed by his immediate supervisor (Element Leader or Flight Sgt) stating that (s)he is prepared for the test and accepting responsibility for remedial training should the cadet not pass. A second signature is required by the 1st Sgt, Dep Cadet Commander or Cadet Commander verifying that the cadet's supervisor has been briefed and is fully cognizant of their responsibility to guide and mentor their cadet.

Several proposals have been made regarding when to allow testing. The first, allowing testing only on two nights a month is pretty non-controversial. Ditto for the second, requiring that all tests have to be requested prior to 1840. The third is not quite so easy for everyone to agree on as it requires cadets to request a specific test a week in advance of the actual test date.

Thoughts on all the above?

[stillamarine]

we don't require advance notice on which test they are taking. But then again we have 15 cadets. It's really not an issue for us at this time. When they sign in on the testing roster they put the test they want. We don't actually do testing until the second block of instruction to give the testing officer time to pull the tests.

[jimmydeanno]

So far, testing has been available on any desired night as long as the testing officer was there. There has been no strict time limit on how late a test can be requested, but it has been expected to be at the beginning of the meeting.

A form has been drawn up that the cadet has to have signed by his immediate supervisor (Element Leader or Flight Sgt) stating that (s)he is prepared for the test and accepting responsibility for remedial training should the cadet not pass. A second signature is required by the 1st Sgt, Dep Cadet Commander or Cadet Commander verifying that the cadet's supervisor has been briefed and is fully cognizant of their responsibility to guide and mentor their cadet.

Several proposals have been made regarding when to allow testing. The first, allowing testing only on two nights a month is pretty non-controversial. Ditto for the second, requiring that all tests have to be requested prior to 1840. The third is not quite so easy for everyone to agree on as it requires cadets to request a specific test a week in advance of the actual test date.

Thoughts on all the above?

No offense, but the signature form for testing sounds like when my wife was separating from AD..."OK, make 15 copies of your DD 214, go around the whole base, get 45 different signatures and at each location drop off one copy - in duplicate of pages 1-3 and half of 4, but only if it's between the 7th and the 10th of the month, otherwise..."

It just seems a little superfluous.

It seems as though your squadron is attempting to make 'a big deal' out of testing by putting a lot of emphasis on it.  Personally, I think that testing twice per month decreases the importance of the test.  I don't see any problem with saying you need to sign up by a certain time either.

Your third option is what we do.  The week prior to the tests, they sign up.  If a cadet isn't going to make the meeting, they let their immediate supervisor know what test they want to take and they get written down.  Since we have about 30 cadets testing at the same time now, it makes it easier for the testing officer to get the tests ready and such right at the start of the meeting the following week.  It works pretty well.

Of course you always have the kid who is out of the country that couldn't contact his supervisor in time to sign up because he was too busy determining if he had to salute the Chilean flag if it was flying over the Canadian border on a family vacation...but exceptions happen.

Of course, all of this will be unnecessary shortly when NHQ rolls out the online testing for cadets.  It should free up a few hours a month.

[DC]

We hold testing once a month. At the beginning of the meeting after formation the cadets who are testing sign a log with their name, grade, and the test(s) they wish to take. The testing officer gets the tests out and the cadets sit for their tests while the rest of the squadron does something else (usually Flight Time). When a cadet finishes their test they return it to the Testing officer and waits for him to grade it. If a cadet needs a drill test a Cadet Staff Member will go and administer that.

We try to keep testing to one hour, but if a cadet needs more time (milestone, multiple tests, etc) we find somewhere where they can continue to work.

We do allow exceptions to test on non-testing nights in certain cases, usually if the cadet is going on vacation, needs to promote before a specific date, etc. I can only remember it happening twice in my time in the squadron.

[davedove]

We have testing available on any week that either the Testing Officer or the Alternate is there.  Cadets are required to sign the week before and specify what test they are taking.

[notaNCO forever]

The week before I tell he cadets there is testing and on Monday I call to see if they can attend the meeting and ask if they are testing. Next I give the list to the testing officer then they have the tests out and ready for testing. While they test the other cadets have drill time.

[jason.pennington]

When I ran my squadron in CAWG, I would allow the cadets to take their Leadership tests on the Leadership training night and their AE tests on the AE night.  It just helped out with planning the meetings.

[Pylon]

Testing is available one meeting night per calendar month, and is pre-scheduled on the quarterly schedule.  Every cadet is aware in advance of the date and time for testing.

On the evening of testing, during sign-in, the cadets can also add their name & desired test to the appropriate sheet.  One of our senior member ATCO's will retrieve the tests and prep them for the testing block.  Cadet tests are normally corrected the same evening.  The response portion is cut off, and the signed test head put into the "To be entered into SIMS & Records" box.   After entry (may not be the same week), they are filed into the individuals personnel record.

[RogueLeader]

All cadets in our squadron a required to notify the TCO, or Alt one week in advance, because we hold testing from 1700 to 1830, when the meeting starts.  The only exceptions are when schedules do not allow the cadet to be there at 1700.

[floridacyclist]

How does everyone think their existing system works? Strong points, weak points?

[DC]

I think our system works fairly well for us. It gives the cadets a specific date that is predictable so they are never suprised by testing and have plenty of time to prepare. It also allows us to keep all cadets on the same schedule when doing promotions, so we can promote several cadets once a month rather than one cadet here, one cadet there; it simplifies logistics and keeps the paperwork simpler.

[brasda91]

I'm surprised at how many squadrons have a testing sign-up sheet.

[jimmydeanno]

We do because the cadets test in a different area than is convenient to the file cabinet.  We have facilities in one room for administrative space where the file cabinet is and the cadets take the test in a completely separate building where our classroom are is.  So to avoid any 'lost' tests and help remove some of the temptation to violate ones integrity we have them sign up so the testing officer can get everything ready while they are doing something else. 

It has also served as a verification because the TO writes the scores on it, then puts it in a binder separate from their records.  So if a cadet says "well, I passed this test on this date and you didn't put it in my record" we can just whip out the sheet and say - uh, no - you didn't test that night.

[DC]

I'm surprised at how many squadrons have a testing sign-up sheet.

It allows the testing officer to get everything ready ahead of time, and gives us a record of what went on.

[JAFO78]

We have testing available on any week that either the Testing Officer or the Alternate is there.  Cadets are required to sign the week before and specify what test they are taking.

This is what we did at our squadron. If the cadet did not show up for testing, for what ever reason they had to write an apology letter to the Testing Officer, before they could sign up again.

We did have some Saturdays when testing could be done if needed.

[DC]

We have testing available on any week that either the Testing Officer or the Alternate is there.  Cadets are required to sign the week before and specify what test they are taking.

This is what we did at our squadron. If the cadet did not show up for testing, for what ever reason they had to write an apology letter to the Testing Officer, before they could sign up again.

We did have some Saturdays when testing could be done if needed.

I have thought about that but have found difficulty getting SMs to supervise, unless we did it along with something else, like O-Rides...