Exams test commitment to career Published Jan. 11, 2010 By Senior Airman Danielle Wolf 442nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, Mo. -- Air Force tests can become challenging when studying for them competes with college coursework, a civilian job and a family. Nevertheless, failing a career development course or professional military education exam can be detrimental to an Air Force career - and in some cases, even end one. Promotions, which often require passing a PME, usually require an Airman to have reached a particular skill level. Master Sgt. Christina Suratos, assistant chief of 442nd Fighter Wing education and training, said there are many reasons why people fail these tests, but with some preventative measures and a hefty amount of studying, Airmen may have a much higher success rate. From airman basic to senior master sergeant to officers, military exams are a way of life in the Air Force. They measure a person's knowledge of a subject, and also, according to Sergeant Suratos, someone's ability to retain information. She said people often come to her after failing tests and say that much of the material in their CDCs is unrelated - that it deals with different equipment or aircraft components or even a different type of aircraft than they work on. Often, she said, the tests are set in place to evaluate someone's ability to retain information. With ever-changing regulations, Air Force Instructions and technical orders, an Airman's ability to retain information could be vital to their safety, the security of equipment and their careers. However, if the CDCs talk about underwater basket weaving, she said, and that has nothing to do with a particular career field, there are measures available to ensure that CDC is reviewed and changed if necessary. The most important thing Sergeant Suratos said Citizen Airmen can do to ensure they are successful at testing, is study. While this concept may seem simple, many people struggle with it, she said. "Everybody has different study habits," she said. While college students may be among the most experienced at studying and excel at their regular coursework, Sergeant Suratos said they also tend to be the biggest group of people to struggle with their CDCs. "College students should treat CDCs like another course they are taking in college," she said. Often, Airmen who are students come in to the wing training office and tell her they were overloaded with college courses and had to put other matters on hold until the semester let up. The problem with this, she said, is that not everyone can be guaranteed a test extension. "(Also,) when you fail a second time, it is putting your Air Force career in jeopardy," she said. Master Sgt. Kenneth Koyles, Maintenance Operations Flight first sergeant, said he was glad he didn't wait until the last minute to study for his senior non-commissioned officer PME. Sergeant Koyles said there was some confusion regarding the number of volumes he was to study and the number of tests he had to take. While there were five volumes he had to study, it was unlike regular CDCs with only one comprehensive exam at the end - instead, he found out he would be taking a test after each volume. "If I had waited until a month before my deadline, I would have been out of luck," he said. Many Citizen Airmen are also under the impression, Sergeant Suratos said, that the CDCs are easy and don't require much studying. "There's a big rumor that you can just study the review and the multiple choice questions at the end of the chapters and be ready for the test," she said. While that may have been enough preparation in the past, the tests have changed and now the review questions only make up about 20 percent of the exam questions. Sergeant Koyles said people have asked him the same thing - if studying the questions at the end of each volume of content would be sufficient - and he always tells them, "No." "You can't just study the practice tests, because there are different questions they ask on the tests," he said. Instead, he studied the chapters in each volume and used the multiple-choice questions at the end as a practice test to see how prepared he was. He now advises Airmen to read carefully, take notes and highlight anything they deem important. Sergeant Suratos also said people shouldn't solely rely on CDC study materials purchased through various venders. "They may not be the current edition," she said. "It might be helpful, but there is no guarantee you will be studying the right information." The best way to succeed, she said, is to develop good study habits now, which could aid in all types of testing, military or otherwise. While the training office provides mandatory timelines for coursework completion, setting personal goals of when to complete each volume of CDCs may be helpful. "Generally, we suggest spending about two months per volume," she said. "(Afterwards, if) you and your supervisor do the comprehensive review and you're ready to go, take the test as soon as possible." As for CDCs, Airmen only get two chances to pass before alternative action is taken, which could mean an Air Force discharge or cross training. "If you are in a career field you really like, you should study hard, because if you cross train, it might be into a field you don't like as much - and you still have to pass the CDCs with that new (Air Force specialty code)," Sergeant Suratos said. "You have to keep in mind that these tests are part of your career; your career is in your hands." For Airmen who know they are bad test takers, she suggests asking for help from their supervisors - who may have experience with previous Airmen's struggles and can help. Even as the assistant chief of education and training Sergeant Suratos said she knows she isn't a great test taker. She learned in high school that she has test anxiety - and she said she sees it often with Airmen when proctoring exams. "When I looked at the tests I had to remind myself, 'This is in English,'" she said. Some people may have test anxiety and just don't know it, she said, but it also doesn't just come from a lack of preparedness.