OK, its started...the beginning of the end.
My web existance is about to breathe its last breath. The death rattle has been wheezing for years and its about to be put out of its misery. I have a week to go and I have nothing to do but wait for my exit. Ive been recently using my idle hands to study for my BTSC Health and Safety exam which I attended yesterday.
I rather foolishly booked my exam before I had any of the study material so have spent most if this week with only 1 book. Ive therefore been reading and re-reading the rather dry, scant chapter on Health and Safety. Fortunately my second book arrived 3 days late from Blackwells on the morning of the exam. I had a quick flick and set off for my test.
I arrived for the exam early yesterday due to the high winds and poor weather conditions. I did not want to miss this test through detours, being struck by falling objects or being whisked off to Kansas without my ruby slippers.
My exam was at 2:30pm and I spend my final 20 minutes cramming. Yesterday, there were only 2 of us taking the test, me and another newbie, who's name I think was Enrique. I think the rest of the other students in the room were all taking other exams as the two if us were furnished with the exam etiquete (no phones, not bags, no talking etc)
The Health and Safety Exam.
Individuals are allocated one of a number of PC's to sit their exam on and the module which is being tested is loaded onto that allocated PC. It's therefore possible that everyone being tested in the room could be sitting a different exam.
The test consisted of 50 questions which were to be answered in 50 minutes. It was of multiple choice format and you had to choose 1 of 4 possible answers.
The test itself wasnt too difficult as I managed to complete it in about 15 minutes. I think its mainly a formality which just proves that candidates have read the H&S chapters of the study material. I think there are about 60 odd pages of text and diagrams in total so its not rocket science. The course suggests about 10 hours of study time to cover this, which is about right if you read though it a couple of times ... assuming you have all the study material that is!
Once candidates have finshed their exam they can leave and they then have to wait for their results to be posted to them. I was told that I could also telephone the admin department for my results on Saturday morning, and if I was successful, I could book my first module.
I think the passmark is about 80% and since I reckon there were about 5 questions that were either ambiguous or i just didnt know the answer, that would put me on about 90% so I'd be very dissappointed if I failed.
The Failure Procedure.
If candidates fail by a margin of 10%, they can return and retake the test (for a resit fee). Candidates only have to answer the questions that they got wrong which intially sounds great, but sounds like a bit of a double edged sword to me.
Whilst they only have to answer the questions they got wrong, I'm not sure if they are notified which questions they were. So whilst candidates can't get a result worse that the original test, they'd still have to revise the whole subject as they wouldnt know which Q's they'd failed, unless they mentally noted the questions they werent sure about.
The questions werent too difficult and some of them, whilst they didnt help you answer other questions, were repetitve in their construction. For example.
Q. The following fire extinguishers are coloured RED, BLACK, CREAM and BLUE. Indicate the correct sequence of fire extinguishers.
a) Water, Powder, Foam, CO2
b) Powder, Foam, Water CO2
c) Water, CO2, Foam, Powder
d) Powder, Foam, Co2, Water
With a subsequent question of
Q. A fire extinguisher with a blue label contains which substance?
a)Powder
b)Foam
c) Co2
d) Water
So you do have to know the content, but the exam isnt designed to fail students, I think its really used to reinforce what youve already learnt.
I'll let you know how i got on in my next episode so stay tuned.
Friday, 19 January 2007
Wednesday, 10 January 2007
BTCS Induction
I arrived at the Barwell unit at 2 yesterday to attend the induction for the new intake of students. There were 12 of us, so i assume i might be seeing alot of these people in my not too distant future.
The induction gave a quick overview of how the course works, how to "book" your module, your examinations and proceeding with the next module.
Essentially there are about 7 or 8 sets of 12 cubicles (somewhere around 80 i expect) which are used for the 12 students to undertake a module. The class sizes are 12 as a max. Im also assuming that since the desired modules are booked via a team of administrators, then once the class size has reached 12, then the course is confirmed and the module will take place in a particular week.
The contract which students have to sign when they pay the £4850 suggests that you should be able to undetake any module within a 4 week period and the modules are run AT LEAST EVERY 4 WEEKS.
Before any student can book a module they must study for and pass a rudimentary Health and Safety exam. Im sure that this is to make students aware of the dangers of burnin "stuff" they shouldnt in the workshops, what fire extinguishers to use on different types of fire and the vagaries of to carry a ladder!
I'll be using the following texts to aid me in this task.
Plumbing: Heating and Gas Installations
By: Roy Treloar (Author)
Plumbing: Mechanical Services: Bk. 1
By: G.J. Blower (Author)
Safe Start: Safety Handbook: GE 707
By: Denis Hands (Author),
CITB-ConstructionSkills (Author)
Point to note.
BTSC can supply these books and id advise you getting them from them as the likes of Amazon dont carry all the books. I forgot to buy them fromthe BTSC yesterday and had to trapse around Charring Cross road trying to fimd them. Blackwells had the Plumbing: Heating and Gas Installations book so ill have to make do with that for now.
Once your have regailed yourself with this first milestone your plumbing career can commence. ONWARDS AND UPWARDS!
Financing the module.
Once you have completed the module you will then have to book your exams. The City and Guilds exam is free for first time takers (£22 per retake), but the BTSC also run a more comprehensive exam which they are trying to get accepted as a higher standard within the industry and charge students £20 per exam.
STUDENTS MUST PASS BOTH EXAMS TO PROCEED ONTO THE NEXT MODULE
The induction gave a quick overview of how the course works, how to "book" your module, your examinations and proceeding with the next module.
Essentially there are about 7 or 8 sets of 12 cubicles (somewhere around 80 i expect) which are used for the 12 students to undertake a module. The class sizes are 12 as a max. Im also assuming that since the desired modules are booked via a team of administrators, then once the class size has reached 12, then the course is confirmed and the module will take place in a particular week.
The contract which students have to sign when they pay the £4850 suggests that you should be able to undetake any module within a 4 week period and the modules are run AT LEAST EVERY 4 WEEKS.
Before any student can book a module they must study for and pass a rudimentary Health and Safety exam. Im sure that this is to make students aware of the dangers of burnin "stuff" they shouldnt in the workshops, what fire extinguishers to use on different types of fire and the vagaries of to carry a ladder!
I'll be using the following texts to aid me in this task.
Plumbing: Heating and Gas Installations
By: Roy Treloar (Author)
Plumbing: Mechanical Services: Bk. 1
By: G.J. Blower (Author)
Safe Start: Safety Handbook: GE 707
By: Denis Hands (Author),
CITB-ConstructionSkills (Author)
Point to note.
BTSC can supply these books and id advise you getting them from them as the likes of Amazon dont carry all the books. I forgot to buy them fromthe BTSC yesterday and had to trapse around Charring Cross road trying to fimd them. Blackwells had the Plumbing: Heating and Gas Installations book so ill have to make do with that for now.
Once your have regailed yourself with this first milestone your plumbing career can commence. ONWARDS AND UPWARDS!
Financing the module.
Once you have completed the module you will then have to book your exams. The City and Guilds exam is free for first time takers (£22 per retake), but the BTSC also run a more comprehensive exam which they are trying to get accepted as a higher standard within the industry and charge students £20 per exam.
STUDENTS MUST PASS BOTH EXAMS TO PROCEED ONTO THE NEXT MODULE
Those days are almost gone
Its not long now (January the 26th) until im released from purgatory , well my current job at least.
Its been 6 and a half years of highs and lows, with the last 2 spent in a Sisyphean challenge in the implementation of a new system which thankfully ate my job.
"As a punishment from the gods for his trickery, Sisyphus was compelled to roll a huge rock up a steep hill, but before he reached the top of the hill, the rock always escaped him and he had to begin again" (Odyssey, xi. 593).
My friends from there I shall keep for life, although im happy to cast off that heavy burdon of boredom and neglect.
So, time for a new start, it's been a long time comming, but i reckon I deserve it. My old role as web developer has become a chrysalis from which i shall hopefully emerge a Plumber.
My training will commence shortly at the BTSC (Builder Trade Skills Centre) where i shall be undertaking the first stage of the City and Guilds Technical Certificate to gain the skills required to become a Bathroom Fitter and then hopefully continue to eventual Corgi Registration.
This is where the story starts ...
Its been 6 and a half years of highs and lows, with the last 2 spent in a Sisyphean challenge in the implementation of a new system which thankfully ate my job.
"As a punishment from the gods for his trickery, Sisyphus was compelled to roll a huge rock up a steep hill, but before he reached the top of the hill, the rock always escaped him and he had to begin again" (Odyssey, xi. 593).
My friends from there I shall keep for life, although im happy to cast off that heavy burdon of boredom and neglect.
So, time for a new start, it's been a long time comming, but i reckon I deserve it. My old role as web developer has become a chrysalis from which i shall hopefully emerge a Plumber.
My training will commence shortly at the BTSC (Builder Trade Skills Centre) where i shall be undertaking the first stage of the City and Guilds Technical Certificate to gain the skills required to become a Bathroom Fitter and then hopefully continue to eventual Corgi Registration.
This is where the story starts ...
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