Going to take the AQB USPAP Course

[hal380]

Good Morning all;

I have been notified that my application to take the AQB Certified USPSP Instructor's course and exam has been approved. I will go to Dallas late Sept to take the course. I would really appreciate any advise from the group who are AQB certified USPAP instructors, on how best to prepare for the class.

Also if anyone else on this forum is going it will be great to hook up maybe we could study together.

Regards

Hal

 

[Kali the Boston Terrier]

I'll be there too.

 

[hal380]

Great, Let's meet

Any tips I get on prep, I'll pass along to you.

Hal

 

[liberated]

Good luck to all of you!

 

[DWiley]

The biggest mistake people make is not preparing well (or enough). The material should be studied - not just read. Before you get to the course you should have read all of the material and worked all the exercises. I suggest doing that, then doing it again.

The other big mistake is fighting the material. This was especially true when most of the students were practicing USPAP instructors with deeply entrenched views.

Lastly, don't build it up to be more difficult than it is. The course is certainly a challenge for most students. But remember that over 500 instructors have passed it, so it is not an impossible task.

 

[Michigander]

I'll be there too. Understand the test is extremely difficult and that many people do not pass.

Decided a good place to start was to read USPAP cover to cover including AOs and FAQs. Since there a lot of people on this forum who have taken the class and passed the test, hopefully they will chime in with tips.

 

[Michigander]

Thanks Danny, you and I posted at the same time. Understand we get the materials only a month in advance I heard from someone who is an instructor that he set aside a couple hours a night to study for about 3 months in advance.

 

[Don Clark]

My suggestion would be that you read, study, and do the exercises using the course material ONLY. Reading USPAP, FAQ's, and AO's over and over is like reading the dictionary. It may seem like you are learning but you will retain very little unlessn you put it to use. the best way to do that is to do what Danny has suggested. It also helps to relax. I will tell you this, and I am not ashamed to admit it. it took me 4 tries before I passed the exam. I took the course over before one of those exams. When I finally passed the exam it was in Atlanta. the night before I was hit with a bug of some kind. I had intended to do a lot of studying the night before. I took some medication that calmed my system and also calmed me as well. The next morning I was relaxed from a good nights sleep, still relaxed from the medication, and went into the exam more relaxed than i had been on previous exams.

Wallah I passed the exam.

I think the key is, study hard, apply what you know(as Danny said, over and over), then relax and take the exam.

BTW, I had been teaching USPAP since it first became available in the 1990's and thought I knew it hands down. Go into the course withan open mind, not preconceived ideas. listen to what the instructors tell you, and do the exercises over and over.

 

[Mike Garrett RAA]

Since you don't have the course materials now, start with the USPAP document. Break it down into section following the general outline. As an example start with Rules. Read them and then read them again. When there are footnotes let them take you to the referenced statements or advisory opinions.

Keep an open mind...in fact, develop an empty mind ready to absorb what you are reading and what you will be told in the class. Pre-conceived notions will get you into trouble. Forget all the BS you have heard here on the forum. Remember USPAP is what it is not what you think it should be or what others have said it should be.

Now, to the actual class and subsequent test. Be mentally prepared. Listen to the instructors carefully. Don't be distracted. Concentrate on the matters at hand. Use highlighters and underline anytime someone says..."that just might be on the test".

Leave your business at home. If you can, leave your cell phone too. At the very least, leave it in the motel room. Don't plan social events, parties, heavy drinking, or chasing the opposite sex. Get plenty of sleep the night before the test. Review your outline for things you have highlighted and underlined.

When it comes to the test use good test taking techniques. Be sure to read the question and then read it again. Ask yourself what are they asking. Do I understand the question? Since it is multiple choice you can usually eliminate a couple of the answers fairly easily thus making your choice between two rather than four. Do the ones you feel comfortable with first then go back and do the questions you are not sure of. Lastly, if there are questions you are sure you don't know the answer to...guess. If you have eliminated two responses you have a 50/50 chance of getting it right. Quite often your first thought is the correct response. Don't second guess yourself.

If it wasn't for Danny Wiley I am sure I would not be a USPAP instructor. I took the course in Denver and didn't pass the test the first time. Was ready to hang it up when he sent me an email of encouragement and told me he would be facilitating an instructor course in Denver. Both instructors were excellent! I made it the second time. Thank you, Danny!

Things I did wrong the first time...

1. Didn't prepare enough, thought I knew enough.

2. Played too hard rather then studying during the course. Went to Black Hawk one night, had the wife come up and we went out to the Fort in Morrison for dinner, drinks, and ahhh, well you know...the night before the test.

3. Panic set in during the test, second guessed myself too much.

So, there you have it...confessions of a USPAP instructor who had to do it twice. Just in case you don't pass the first time, don't wait too long to re-test. I would also recommend you take the course over, not just the test.

 

[Terrel L. Shields]

develop an empty mind

that would be no problem for me...