ACS exams

[JuliusG]

Hi again,
I'm back to moan about acs exams. I think I'm right in saying there is a closed book test in ccn1. That is the one that is worrying me at the moment. I'm fairly familiar with bs books and IGE books so the open book tests aren't worrying me so much. I don't have the faintest clue what type of questions are in the closed book test, safety questions I guess. Any clues would be greatly welcomed. Also are you allowed your own notes for the open book tests or can you only use books provided by the test centre.


Thanks again in advance

 

[Killy Bing]

If you're competent then you will find 90% of it easy.
worrying is the worst thing

Personally i hardly even refrenced apart from the odd things

i have no idea which part was closed book......

You should be providing your own books i think, (i did) so i had a few notes in them and nothing was said.

Good luck

 

[firemant]

I did my reassessment a coupe of months ago, and there were no closed book exams. IIRC.

 

[chris watkins]

Hi again,
I'm back to moan about acs exams. I think I'm right in saying there is a closed book test in ccn1. That is the one that is worrying me at the moment. I'm fairly familiar with bs books and IGE books so the open book tests aren't worrying me so much. I don't have the faintest clue what type of questions are in the closed book test, safety questions I guess. Any clues would be greatly welcomed. Also are you allowed your own notes for the open book tests or can you only use books provided by the test centre.


Thanks again in advance

There are NO close book questions in any of the ACS assessment (both the theory & the practical) you can use the training manuals, BS, corgi book, even notes made inside the centre during training.
This is because a working gas engineer can not remember everything in the regulation nowadays so we are expected to be able to find the info out, so these exams actually set out to test that ability by asking some obscure questions.
Not so sure you can use notes brought in from outside for obvious reasons. My advise is make sure you can use a books index it cuts down the research time & practice skim reading.

 

[jase158]

if your college is bpec certified then learn the flues and vents, learn the differences between the clay, masonry, twin walled etc, this is the biggest and hardest paper.

 

[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.