wrote:
[...]
I think the main criticism is not of the VEC system itself, but
rather the fact that prospective licensees can see the exact
questions and answers that will be on the test.
[...]


If the size of the pool were increased, would that satisfy your
objection? Given a finite body of information, there are only so many
questions that can be formulated from it to test an applicant's
knowledge. I have a number of the old Ameco Q&A books from the days
before question pools (for the commercial tests). If you compare the
Ameco questions, that is, the questions that the author MADE UP, with
the later FCC questions, you don't find a great deal of difference.
I have always found that a decently written test preparation guide,
in Q&A format, for a test like a New York State Regents exam, an SAT, a
GRE or a GMAT is just about as good as a published test pool, especially
if the pool is large. That is particularly true when the questions tend
to be similar from one year to the next (For example, one year, they ask
you to solve for x when 3x=6. The next year, the question is changed to
4x=8. The test prep guide has a sample question of 5x=10.)

--
Klystron

On Sat, 3 Nov 2007 14:20:30 EDT, Klystron wrote:

If the size of the pool were increased, would that satisfy your
objection? Given a finite body of information, there are only so many
questions that can be formulated from it to test an applicant's
knowledge.

The national Multistate Bar Exam, one element of each state's bar
exam, is composed of 200 multiple choice questions. Half of those
come from the published "Green Book", a compilation of 500 Q&As, the
equivalent of the Question Pool Study Guide. The other half are
composed on the fly by a "faceless committee" for each semi-annual
exam (all given on the same day nationwide). Thus, 20% of the Q&As on
each test is from a published pool, while the remaining 80% of the
Q&As require absolute knowledge of the published areas being tested.

The answer choices of each question usually consist of two that are
obviously incorrect and two more that appear to be very close, and
the process is really to identify the better of the two. A score of
130 = 65% or better is the minimum required in most states. In
California, acknowledged to have the toughest test, a score of 152 =
76% is an absolute pass where performance on the other elements of the
exam are not even taken into account.

Granted that the level of knowledge required for passing the Bar exam
is greater than the level of knowledge required for passing an amateur
exam, the key factor in both is not the size of the published pool,
but should be the knowledge of the examinee.

As we were told in Bar Exam review courses, the correct answer is
right there in front of you, and all you really have to know is "a",
"b", "c" , or "d".
--

73 de K2ASP - Phil Kane

From a Clearing in the Silicon Forest
Beaverton (Washington County) Oregon

e-mail: k2asp [at] arrl [dot] net

On Sat, 3 Nov 2007 16:00:50 EDT, Phil Kane
wrote:

Thus, 20% of the Q&As on
each test is from a published pool, while the remaining 80% of the
Q&As require absolute knowledge of the published areas being tested.

Correction - the exam questions from the published pool are 20% of
those published. The ratio of published to non-published questions is,
of course, 50%/50%.
--

73 de K2ASP - Phil Kane

From a Clearing in the Silicon Forest
Beaverton (Washington County) Oregon

e-mail: k2asp [at] arrl [dot] net

Phil Kane wrote:
[...]
Correction - the exam questions from the published pool are 20% of
those published.
[...]


Objection, your honor. Counsel's answer is non-responsive.

I asked if a larger question pool would be as good as non-published
questions. You responded with a tale about a test that includes 100
questions that are drawn from a pool of 500 questions (5 to 1 ratio). We
have already established that the amateur pool to question ratio is over
10 to 1. Would you consider an increase to, let's say, 20 to 1 to be an
acceptable solution?

--
Klystron

"Klystron" wrote

Objection, your honor. Counsel's answer is non-responsive.

I asked if a larger question pool would be as good as non-published
questions. You responded with a tale about a test that includes 100
questions that are drawn from a pool of 500 questions (5 to 1 ratio). We
have already established that the amateur pool to question ratio is over
10 to 1. Would you consider an increase to, let's say, 20 to 1 to be an
acceptable solution?

Objection overruled. Now sit down at your rig and "work" someone in the cw
portion of the band... at 25 wpm. You already have your license; enjoy it.

;-)