Spaatz Preparation

[Turtle1]

  I have a cadet in my squadron who is beginning to get ready to take his Spaatz.  Any suggestions as to how to suggest to him the best way to prepare?

[jimmydeanno]

Other than study, do PT and brush up on his writing skills? 

My understanding is that there are apparently a lot of cadets who fail the PT, which is a shock to me considering the standards coming into it.

However, I understand that statistically, the essay is the portion most failed.

[DC]

Study, study, study, PT, study, PT some more, study some more, PT again, and keep studying... Make sure they are very familiar with the requirements, so there are no suprises.

I wish them luck!

[Turtle1]

 8)Thank you both.  The cadet in question is definitely deserving, five years in, always the first to volunteer, what I would consider a model CAP cadet.  My thoughts were the same, massive amounts of studying combined with the PT.  Just thought I would ask if any one had a set way they do things.  you are right about the cadets as a whole needing to brush up on their writing skills, they are for the most part horrible.

[Eclipse]

The PT is important - my SD has seen way too many cadets coming in thinking they have that portion knocked and they aren't even close. You only get three shots, make sure they count.

[caprr275]

make sure your cadet takes it as soon as they can. remember there is a time limit between retests dont be like me and loose your last chance because your turned 21.

PT is hard. review old leadership and AE tests and you will be fine. esay was a cake walk

[Senior]

I would ask other Spaatz cadets how they prepared.  They have 3 times
to pass it?  I only had 2 times to pass WIWAC.  Are we getting soft on the
advanced cadets?

[Eclipse]

make sure your cadet takes it as soon as they can. remember there is a time limit between retests dont be like me and loose your last chance because your turned 21.

Yes, I noticed that last night on a Spaatz scoring form.

You can't retest for 60 days after the first failed attempt, and 120 days after the second.  If your 21st Birthday falls past the 60 or 120 day mark, you can't retake the 2nd or 3rd try.  No exceptions.

So at a minimum you want cadets doing their first try at least 7-8 months ahead of the 21st birthday.

We had one in my wing recently who passed his final test on his 21st birthday.

[RogueLeader]

I've knowna couple of "one-day Spaatz-men"

[Nathan]

The PT should be the one test the cadet should KNOW he or she will pass. Period. Barring zombie attack, there really isn't much of an excuse for not knowing ahead of time that this test is in the bag. This doesn't mean, "I'm a C/Lt Col, and I'm awesome. Therefore, I will pass." It means actually doing PT with the basic cadets again, going out and timing your mile in a similar environment to the testing environment, and working on whatever is even marginal so that there is no doubt in the cadet's mind that he or she will pass.

I wouldn't understand why the essay would be the most failed. The essay has no right or wrong answer, so as long as the cadet knows how to properly use English grammar and can think critically enough to write a convincing essay, it really shouldn't be too difficult. The essay question I had wasn't deep enough to make my brain explode. If the cadet is worried about it, talk to the ML officer and have him/her give the cadet a topic to write over. Then have the ML officer grade the paper (assuming he or she knows how to write) based upon grammar, coherency, and critical thinking ability.

The leadership portion was more difficult than I expected. It isn't set up the way the other leadership tests are. The questions are written to be more concept-oriented than rote memorization. The questions covered everything from the Curry onward, so it is important that the cadet review every word of the leadership books in preparation. Going back and taking the leadership tests over again will help, but the questions are not the same as will be on the Spaatz exam, so attempting to cram questions and answers will be fruitless.

The aerospace was the hardest part for me, but I would imagine that would be because I am not particularly interested in AE myself. Unfortunately, the way the book is written, any randomly selected sentence out of the Journey of Flight textbook could conceivably be a question (especially in the first few chapters, where they throw hundreds of history facts at you), so it really is important to sit down with this material and KNOW it. Any cadets (like me) who more or less relied upon the open-book format of the officer aerospace tests are going to be screwed if they think that the fact they looked at the material once a long time ago is going to be enough.

A couple of things about the multiple choice. First off, subsequent retests on the Spaatz will provide different questions each time, because the questions are randomly drawn from a pool each time the test is loaded. Therefore, casing the test in an attempt to see what to study is useless, because the next time the test is taken, it will definitely be different (and you've wasted an attempt. So make sure the cadet is ready for ALL parts of the test before attempting it. Second, I don't recall specifically seeing any questions written word-for-word from the previous leadership tests. So while going back and reworking old tests is definitely helpful, they will not provide you with any insight into what the test will actually look like.

The cadet should have a date to begin the process of applying for the test, and then a date to actually take the test. Without these set out and in concrete, it is far too easy to keep putting the test off until it is too late. When there is a deadline, it forces the cadet to study in a productive manner.

I am available via email for any cadet who has questions about how to prepare for the test (although, obviously, specifics will be omitted...). nscalia@gmail.com

Hope that helps. This is probably the most ranting, disorganized post I've written in a while, but I have class in ten minutes, so I hope you can muddle through.

Nathan Scalia
Spaatz #1705

[SarDragon]

I wouldn't understand why the essay would be the most failed. The essay has no right or wrong answer, so as long as the cadet knows how to properly use English grammar and can think critically enough to write a convincing essay, it really shouldn't be too difficult. The essay question I had wasn't deep enough to make my brain explode. If the cadet is worried about it, talk to the ML officer and have him/her give the cadet a topic to write over. Then have the ML officer grade the paper (assuming he or she knows how to write) based upon grammar, coherency, and critical thinking ability.

Just take a look at the posts on CS and CT and tell me again that you don't understand. Our language skills, as a nation, are going down the proverbial crapper. People either aren't being taught properly, or don't care to use what they have been taught. Not understanding the real importance of good language skills is another issue.

Every day I see misteaks pop up in places I wouldn't have expected to see them five or ten years ago. I'm going to stop here, before I get into the "Grammar Cop" rant mode.

Yes, there's an error in the previous paragraph. It was intentional.

[dwb]

Yes, there's an error in the previous paragraph. It was intentional.

And it's making me hungry.

[Michael]

I've said this before.  If PT is an area of considerable difficulty, join a sports team.

(Preferably the Track team.)

Having the obligation of being part of that team, and having the element of interscholastic competition will give you an outstanding edge when you go for C/Col.

[Pingree1492]

Advice I'd add to Nathan's Post:

For the PT- make sure you can not only pass the standards, but pass them by a comfortable margin before testing.  My testing day was a very cold, gray day, and I ran on an uneven street, not a track.  My time wasn't even close to my Personal Record, but I was in Track so it didn't really matter anyway.  If you're just barely squeaking by the standards, either train more or pray for a good day and good conditions (obviously not the best way to go into a test).

Remember the Leadership Test is on MORE than just over your leadership text.  You'll also see questions on the D & C Manual, CAPR 52-16, CAPM 39-1, the Special Readings, and CAPP 52-18.  If you've been doing your job as a Cadet Officer, you'll already be very familiar with these; however, you will STILL need to study them!  Being on a Cadet Competition Team REALLY helps with this- if you have a chance to get onto a Drill Team (at any level), what you will learn as you prepare for competition will be invaluable to you on your Spaatz Exam, especially if you're the Team Commander.

One thing that really helped me when I studied for my Spaatz was that I had some type of first-hand experience in almost everything I was studying (especially the aerospace).  For example, if the Airport signage stuff, and powerplants, etc. confuses you, go talk to a pilot in your squadron.  They'd probably be more than happy to take you out to the airport and SHOW you everything, what it means, and why it's important.  I watched one pilot (and sort of helped) him change the oil in his aircraft.  It was a HUGE learning experience and helped me better understand Chapter 1 come Spaatz Time (was still on the old Aero Texts when I took my Spaatz- chapter 1 was similar to Module 2 is now).

The more you can put this material into context in your mind, the better you will do on these tests.  For you younger cadets not quite to your Spaatz yet- start seeking out these experiences and opportunities now, they will serve you well later.  Also, make study sheets from your material now that you're studying (as well as highlight what you were tested on).  I actually used the sheets I made as a C/A1C studying aerospace for the first time while I was preparing for my Spaatz.

I was a one-hit wonder who studied for about 1 hour a night, almost every night, for two weeks before my exam.  I don't know how this compares to other Spaatz cadets, but this worked for me because I had a system and because I could connect most of what I was studying to something I had done or watched first-hand sometime during my cadet career.  YMMV

[es_g0d]

The Spaatz exam has a mystic aura connected to it that I found undeserving.  It no harder than any of the other milestone awards, really.  Its essentially a comprehensive final exam to the cadet program.  A candidate would be served well to review everything that was on every previous exam, as the points of emphasis remain the same.  To my knowledge, its generally always been that way.

Best of luck ... I highly recommend the one-shot-one-kill method.
/\/\/\
\/\/\/ #1179

[Nathan]

It no harder than any of the other milestone awards, really.

I don't know about that. The sheer amount of information that the test covers is enough to make it much harder than any of the milestones, since each other milestone test only covers the material since the last milestone.

That, and the stress of knowing one only has three tries, plus the pressure from squadron and family to make it, plus the stress of knowing what is coming up on the test is enough to make it more difficult, even if the material itself was not.

On that note, if you are given a chance to choose the order of your tests, I would highly recommend doing PT LAST, and doing your most dread portion first. For instance, if you aren't good with AE, do that test first. Otherwise, you'll be worrying about it through the rest of the tests, which can be distracting and cause you to second guess yourself. As I said, PT is the one test you should KNOW you are going to pass, so there really should be absolutely no reason to worry about it.

[es_g0d]

I stand by my previous statement that the Spaatz exam is no harder than the previous milestones.  Yes, its comprehensive, and of course it covers the entire cadet program.  But there's nothing new!

Moreover, my important point is to not make it any harder than it is by hyping it up or stressing yourself out.  Worrying about the fact that you only get three tries doesn't do you any good on your first try!  Carpe diem and take the test.

[Gunner C]

I stand by my previous statement that the Spaatz exam is no harder than the previous milestones.  Yes, its comprehensive, and of course it covers the entire cadet program.  But there's nothing new!

Moreover, my important point is to not make it any harder than it is by hyping it up or stressing yourself out.  Worrying about the fact that you only get three tries doesn't do you any good on your first try!  Carpe diem and take the test.

From what I've seen, any good, sharp cadet who has paid attention thoughout the program can make it.  You need, of course, to be in good shape, you need to do a comprehensive review, and be confident.  Even 40 years later, there are things from Phase 2 and Phase 3 that stick with me (like Red Fuming Nitric Acid from the Goddard Achievement).  I think if a cadet is well prepared, they'll do well.