ACS exams

[JuliusG]

Hi Again,
That's me started my ACS, day 1 complete and they haven't booted me out yet. I have sat 5 multi choice papers on the computer, 1 closed book. All the exams were manageable. I just wish I could have sat them over a number of days rather than squeezing them all together. I went to a couple of third attempts through carelessness, it was more at the end of the day, I was seriously flagging. The last thing I did was a short controls paper, and identifying the controls. I got two wrong, one I wrote as 8 it was 18 and the label was obscured by the control item and I was too dim to look behind it. The other I mixed up a electromechanical thermostat. As soon as I looked at it a second time I realist I was being stupid. Thank god for second attempts. It's not over by a long shot but I can see a light at the end of the tunnel. Thank you all for your advice.

Does anyone know why some people get a closed book paper and others don't? Does it vary from test centre to test centre?

 

[chris watkins]

Hi Again,
That's me started my ACS, day 1 complete and they haven't booted me out yet. I have sat 5 multi choice papers on the computer, 1 closed book. All the exams were manageable. I just wish I could have sat them over a number of days rather than squeezing them all together. I went to a couple of third attempts through carelessness, it was more at the end of the day, I was seriously flagging. The last thing I did was a short controls paper, and identifying the controls. I got two wrong, one I wrote as 8 it was 18 and the label was obscured by the control item and I was too dim to look behind it. The other I mixed up a electromechanical thermostat. As soon as I looked at it a second time I realist I was being stupid. Thank god for second attempts. It's not over by a long shot but I can see a light at the end of the tunnel. Thank you all for your advice.

Does anyone know why some people get a closed book paper and others don't? Does it vary from test centre to test centre?

First off JuliusG, well done so far keep it going, as others have said at the end of the day if you know your stuff you will pass.
Secondly I have to say sorry cos I said there was no close books in the ACS, when I should have said in the BPEC - ACS.
Do you know who your examining board is ?

 

[JuliusG]

Hi Chris,
To be honest I have no idea who the examining body is. I will try to find out tomorrow and let you know. Just to give you an ideal of why I was freaking out so much, I've travelled about 300 miles to sit my ACS, Oftec and my unvented hot water back to back. If I fail anything it would make for an expensive mistake, and I don't think my bosses would see the funny side :90:

 

[firemant]

have sat 5 multi choice papers on the computer, 1 closed book. Computer? Closed Book? Wow non of that malarkey in MET UK, Corby.!:smilewinkgrin:

 

[Keefy]

Secondly I have to say sorry cos I said there was no close books in the ACS, when I should have said in the BPEC - ACS.

I did mine with BPEC and I had a closed book lot of questions, about 30 if I remember correctly.

 

[downthesouth]

Hi Chris,
To be honest I have no idea who the examining body is. I will try to find out tomorrow and let you know. Just to give you an ideal of why I was freaking out so much, I've travelled about 300 miles to sit my ACS, Oftec and my unvented hot water back to back. If I fail anything it would make for an expensive mistake, and I don't think my bosses would see the funny side :90:

Fail to prepare? Prepare to fail!! (I hate sayings!!). Im sure you will do fine, Mine was 1 closed book the other open. City and Guilds I think ran the scheme. Revise flues is a good idea. Dont worry too much, relax take all the time you need. Also make sure you really look at not only the question but the answer sheet, its stupidly easy to miss a line and knacker the whole paper up. Can I ask what revision books have been provided?

 

[JuliusG]

Hi again,
I think the awarding body may be Logic? That's what was plastered all over the computer exams. I got through anyway. The examiners were fairly chilled out. I think it would be near impossible to fail the computer papers as you get three tries and there are only four answers. So if you keep tally on what you put each time you would need to be fully guessing to fail. The practical was also not too bad. We all were nervous as hell when we went in on the first day. The first thing I did was knock my manometer over and had to refill.

Once we all got settled it it was just another day at the office. In fact far easier than the work we had been doing at college. It was an unreal tough week as I did, my acs with appliances, unvented hot water and oftec all back to back across a week and a bit. I was ruined by the end just from sitting exam paper after exam paper. In fact I would say the oftec was worse to do than the acs, purely for the fact that some of the questions were random as anything and the oftec manuals are hard to navigate through. There was one closed book test as part of the acs core. It was very easy questions so no sweat. All round a mentally challenging and tough time but the examiners were pros at put us all at ease. I can't wait for 5 years to come round and do it all again :sweatdrop:.......

Thanks again for all the reassurance


Julius

 

[Rickster123]

Well done julius! Next time will be a stroll in the park mate! Just keep yourself aware of any current updates and don't fall into to many bad habits over the next 5 years. Beer time!

 

[kirkgas]

I did mine with BPEC and I had a closed book lot of questions, about 30 if I remember correctly.

There are NO closed book questions in the current format of the Bpec ACS, there are 12 closed book in the Bpec Foundation Gas Course, if you took that route,

 

[kirkgas]

Hi again,
I think the awarding body may be Logic? That's what was plastered all over the computer exams. I got through anyway. The examiners were fairly chilled out. I think it would be near impossible to fail the computer papers as you get three tries and there are only four answers. So if you keep tally on what you put each time you would need to be fully guessing to fail. The practical was also not too bad. We all were nervous as hell when we went in on the first day. The first thing I did was knock my manometer over and had to refill.

Once we all got settled it it was just another day at the office. In fact far easier than the work we had been doing at college. It was an unreal tough week as I did, my acs with appliances, unvented hot water and oftec all back to back across a week and a bit. I was ruined by the end just from sitting exam paper after exam paper. In fact I would say the oftec was worse to do than the acs, purely for the fact that some of the questions were random as anything and the oftec manuals are hard to navigate through. There was one closed book test as part of the acs core. It was very easy questions so no sweat. All round a mentally challenging and tough time but the examiners were pros at put us all at ease. I can't wait for 5 years to come round and do it all again :sweatdrop:.......

Thanks again for all the reassurance


Julius

You are NOT meant to make a note of your previous attempts when doing Bpec ACS, That's classed as a fail

 

[Rickster123]

You are NOT meant to make a note of your previous attempts when doing Bpec ACS, That's classed as a fail

I think we all make a mental note but under pressure that's normally quickly forgotten!

 

[JuliusG]

Hi APplumber,
I found it quite easy to remember what I had put down in the shorter papers. Not so easy in the 25+ question papers. Often if you read a question logically you can cut it down to one of two answers easily even if you're not sure of the correct answer. Also I made an effort to remember what I'd put down for ones I wasn't so sure about. That's what I meant by tally. You wouldn't get away with writing answers down on paper anyway as we were provided with blank paper for calcs, at the end of the exam the examiner takes your notes and looks through them. If you wrote all your answers down I guess you'd get thrown out.

 

[Ramjadav]

Hi can someone give me a detailed answer in why we do standing,working and burner pressure tests? Thanks