An exam score is a measuring stick. It lets the examinee (and instructor) know how well the individual understands the material. For now, let’s set aside the practical portion of the certification exam for a backflow preventer tester, and focus on the ‘fundamentals’ or written exam.

Most tester certification exams are primarily composed of multiple choice questions. Did you know that if a person were to take such an exam and knew nothing of the material, the statistics would predict that individual would earn a score of 40 or 42? That seems pretty high for relying on random chance.

During most tester training sessions, attendees are encouraged to spend time at night with the written materials, such as the class notes, manual or textbook. Of course those that do ‘homework’ perform better on the exam than those that don’t.

Consider this scenario: ‘My boss told me to be here. I really don’t want to do this, because I don’t like spiders in crawl spaces, and besides I might be wet and melt.’ The author’s money is on this person getting a 60-65 on the exam. They have sat in the class and listened to the presentation. The score is simply a reflection of how much they retained during the week without opening the book at night.

And then there’s the score of ’69.’ If 70 is a passing score, a 69 is possibly the worst score somebody could get. How does somebody explain a 69 to others? “Well, I never have been a good test taker.” If somebody knows they have written test issues, it’s all the more reason to buckle down and learn the material. There’s a good chance that person will be back to take another test.

Now we’re working our way up to the low 70’s. This is a gray area for an instructor to interpret. This individual could be new to the backflow prevention industry segment. Perhaps it is someone looking for a career change. Of course they are proud of their score, as it represents an accomplishment. The instructor needs to recognize that, and reinforce their achievement.

On the other hand, there are those in life who do just enough to get by. They have retained the minimal amount of information to pass the test ‘today.’ Tomorrow and the day after, less and less will be remembered from the class. Perhaps in a month they will have forgotten the difference between a device and an assembly. Eventually, they talk about going out to ‘test backflows.’ Really? They don’t cut grass, they test backflow preventers.

There is generally a difference between those that receive a 72 and an 85. The difference is a level of understanding of the applications and limitations of devices and assemblies. For example, a customer may ask the ‘72’ tester why an AVB must be installed 6 inches above the highest outlet or use and the PVB installed 12 inches above the use. The response might be, ‘because it’s a code requirement.’ The ‘85’ tester would likely be able to explain the hydraulic limitation.

Well, it’s time we circled back to the last comment of the author’s previous column. The student taking the written exam made the observation that, it really didn’t matter the he got a 72, because his card looked just like the person that earned a 95. What do you think?

Here’s an observation from the author. The person receiving the 95 has the desire to be an industry professional. There is no doubt that person 1) payed attention during the class, 2) spent a few hours every night studying and retaining the content of the training materials, and perhaps 3) reviewed and word-smithed the study guide questions. Personally, I want that person on my team. These folks make great resources in the industry. They may become proctors or maybe instructors.

When it comes to protecting the general public’s health and welfare, do you seek out those that get by on the hair of their chiny chin chin? Or is the public best served by those who continually improve their skills, and become true professionals? Indeed, professionals likely made their way to the end of this column.