Additional Areas of Expertise for the Work Product Submission?

This just in...

ASTD CI has enlisted the help of the Workforce Education & Development department of the Pennsylvania State University to conduct interviews with high performing professionals in the areas of managing the learning function or facilitating organizational change.

I'm speculating this means two new AOEs will soon be added to the Work Product submission phase of the CPLP certification program.

How soon is soon? That is currently unknown, but I think it's a good bet that the new AOEs will not be ready in time for folks who are submitting work product in October.

Perhaps they will be ready for candidates submitting work product closer to the end of the year.

What does this mean for CPLP candidates and prospective candidates?

It means don't try fitting a square peg in a round hole -- wait.

If your expertise is more in managing the learning function or facilitating organizational change, and not so much in designing learning, delivering training, or measuring & evaluating (the current areas you can submit for) -- then consider holding off on entering the program until an AOE more relevant to the work you do becomes available (as it seems these will be the next two to go, and sooner rather than later).

Another CPLP Job Posting!

As seen on CareerBuilder.com:

Training & Development Manager
The Shaw Group
Charlotte, NC and Knoxville, TN

Knowledgeable and experienced in succession, HPI, and ADDlE CPLP certification or equivalent.

~ Trish Uhl, PMP, CPLP
Owl's Ledge LLC
www.cplpstudyprep.com

Saturday, July 29th, 2006 10:12am Central

New CPLP Job Posting

Spotted on Monster.com!

7-Eleven is looking to hire a Training Specialist in Dallas, TX --

Must be able to deliver training to a wide variety of individuals within the organization. Excellent computer skills. CPLP certified a plus.

~ Trish Uhl, PMP, CPLP
Owl's Ledge LLC
www.cplpstudyprep.com

Tuesday, July 25th, 2006 6:46am Central

Comments from July 2006 CPLP Candidates

Greetings, all --

Last week was pretty busy with the re-opening of the CPLP exam window. Email and phones have been jumping here at Owl's Ledge with comments from candidates who sat the exam last week at a Drake Kryterion test facility.

Yes - this is a different test vendor than the one used for the pilot. For those of you re-testing, the rules have changed.

Here's the skinny on what I've heard:

• No tutorial. We received bad information, initially. The Drake Kryterion test centers do not offer a tutorial of their systems previous to sitting the exam.
• Re-testers -- you have less time to complete the exam now than you did during the pilot. You have 150 minutes to answer 150 questions.
• It's easy to prematurely hit the Submit button. The Submit button is at the bottom of the screen, along with the navigation buttons. There is no confirmation message if you accidentally hit the Submit button in the middle of your exam -- your exam is immediately submitted for grading. Be careful!
• Check the equipment. The equipment, in some facilities, is older than others. Check out your mouse -- make sure it's in working order -- before the protor leaves the room.
• Monitors can be uncomfortable to sit at for a couple of hours - bring your glasses! Candidates report the display refresh rate and font size on some monitors to cause eye strain. Be prepared. Bring your glasses, if you need them.
• No bathroom breaks. We've heard that -- once in the exam room -- leaving (for any reason -- including a bathroom break) forfeits your exam.
• Be prepared for sound and noise. Some of the Drake Kryterion exam faciliaties are located in retail stores like CompUSA. Some candidates have reported the ability to hear a lot of outside noise coming from the store while sitting in the exam room. Some people are extremely sensitive to their test environments. If ambient noise is something that might rattle you, be prepared.
• You can still mark questions to review later. There's a button that allows you to mark a question for review at the bottom of the screen.
• Questions are 50/50. Candidates report the exam having 50% situational questions and 50% memorization/definition questions. You still don't need to know the names of the thoughtleaders or theorists -- or when they introduced their models or theories -- but you do have to understand the theories themselves. For example, you don't need to know that Kurt Lewin came up with Force Field Analysis, but you do need to know what Force Field Analysis is.

Did you recently sit the exam? If so, what were your experiences? Post them using Comments (below) or send an email to trish@cplpstudyprep.com.

~ Trish Uhl, PMP, CPLP
Owl's Ledge LLC
www.cplpstudyprep.com

Copyright (c) 2006 Trish Uhl, Owl's Ledge LLC

Testing Center Q&A

Many of these questions were submitted by Angela in Houston (thank you, Angela!):

1. I understand there are 150 multiple choice questions and I have 2.5 hours to complete the exam. My question is, will the questions save as they go?

Yes, the questions save as you go, but you can always go back and change them.



2. During the test can I go back to a certain question and change my answer?

Yes, you can go back and change your answers to previous questions.


3. How does the test deploy? One question per page or 10 questions per page?

The test deploys one (1) question per screen ("page").


4. If it displays in a question-by-question format, will I have the option to "flag" the question when I am not sure and then later jump back to that question?

Yes, you will be able to flag questions that you are unsure of so that you can easily return to them.


5. What do I need to bring to the testing center?


When you arrive at the DATC for your test session, you will need to present your proctor with the authorization code you received in your registration confirmation email.


6. What type of identification must I bring to the test center?


In order to be admitted for testing, you must have two forms of identification; one must be a photo ID.


7. What are acceptable forms of identification?
   
   Acceptable forms of photo ID include: driver's license, passport, military identification, an employee identification card or a student picture ID from an accredited college or university. The following forms of non-photo ID are acceptable: credit card, check cashing card or a bank debit card. A social security card is not an acceptable form of identification.



8. Can I keep my belongings with me during the test session?
   
   Bring as little as possible with you into the test center. Better yet, leave your belongings in your car. Your personal items may not be accessed during the test session. This includes: bags, wallets, purses, briefcases, watches, books, beepers, cell phones, palm pilots and calculators. You should keep your identification with you at all times.



9. May I bring food or drinks into the testing room?
   
   Tobacco products, food, drink, and chewing gum are not allowed in the testing area.



10. Does the testing center provide accommodations for candidates with special needs?
    
    All of the Drake Kryterion DATCs are required to abide by country and local laws that require reasonable accommodation for an individual with a disability in job related test situations (i.e. The American Disabilities Act). If you have a special need, please call the Certification Operations Center office to register your exam. You may be required to submit a form that identifies your limitations and the supportive resource you are requesting. If the accommodation is approved, the Certification Operations Center will contact a DATC to set up the appropriate accommodations.



11. When will I receive my score reports?
    
    Feedback and results are often available immediately upon the submission of an exam, depending on the type of certification you are registered for. It is my understanding that you will receive your results immediately upon submitting your answers for the exam.

**** Do you have something to add? What are your questions and experiences? Post your Comments below!

~ Trish Uhl, PMP, CPLP
Owl's Ledge LLC
www.cplpstudyprep.com

Copyright (c) 2006 Trish Uhl, Owl's Ledge LLC

CPLP Job Postings from Around the Web

Employers from around the Web are starting to ask for the Certified Professional in Learning & Performance (CPLP) credential in their job postings.

Here's what we found on the Web as of 7/17/2006:

• Dollar Tree International - under Education, Experience, and Skills "Certification from ASTD as a Certified Professional in Learning and Performance (CPLP) is a plus" - listed on Monster.com; also posted on Careerbuilder.com

Spot the CPLP^TM job posting!

Have one to share? Use the Comments feature (below) to add your findings!

~ Trish Uhl, PMP, CPLP
Owl's Ledge LLC
www.cplpstudyprep.com

Copyright (c) 2006 Trish Uhl, Owl's Ledge LLC

Tips for Sitting Multiple Choice Exams

The Certified Professional in Learning & Performance^TM (CPLP^TM) knowledge-based exam consists of 150 multiple choice questions -- all delivered one question at a time on a computer screen.

The exam covers subject matter from across the nine (9) areas of expertise outlined in the 2004 ASTD Competency Model and presents questions that range from understanding definitions to applying knowledge.

Candidates are given three (3) hours to complete the exam.

It's all meant to test comprehension of material from across the workplace learning & performance industry.

Clearly, studying for an exam so broad in subject matter can be a daunting task (understatement!). Preparation is key!

On top of studying a lot of stuff, sitting a multiple choice exam presents its own unique set of pros and cons.

On the pro side, with the nature of a multiple choice question, you know that the correct answer is there somewhere (and doesn't have to be rattled off the top of your head).

On the con side, that means that multiple choice questions often demand a greater familiarity with details such as specific facts.

Have hope! There are universal multiple choice test taking techniques you can use to increase your success rate, especially on questions that throw you for a loop.

Here are some some things to keep in mind:

• Watch for questions where responses use absolute words, such as "always" or "never." These are less likely to be correct responses than ones that use conditional words like "usually" or "probably."


• Humourous responses are usually just that -- humourous -- and no more.


• "All of the above" is often a correct response. If you can verify that more than one of the other responses is probably correct, then choose "all of the above."


• "None of the above" is usually an incorrect response, but this is less reliable than the "all of the above" rule.


• Although these types of questions are not usually found on the CPLP^TM exam -- you never know what might wind up in the question bank -- so be very careful not to get trapped by questions with double negatives.


• Look for grammatical clues. If the stem ends with the indefinite article "an," for example, then the correct response probably begins with a vowel.


• The longest response is often the correct one, because the author tends to load it with qualifying adjectives or phrases. Why? The author knows more about the correct answer than any of the distractors they've created.


• Look for verbal associations. A response that repeats key words that are in the stem is likely to be correct.

And -- ::drumroll please:: -- keep in mind that these types of exams are often looking for the BEST answer and not just a correct one.

That means read & consider all possible responses first.

Here's a hint -- read the responses from the bottom up. That forces you to slow down and take your time in considering your selection. :)

Finally -- Practice Practice Practice.

Figure out how you perform best on these types of exams and head to the testing center with your own personal strategy.

From all of us here at the 'Ledge, good luck!

~ Trish Uhl, PMP, CPLP
Owl's Ledge LLC
www.cplpstudyprep.com

Copyright (c) 2006 Trish Uhl, Owl's Ledge LLC

CPLP Pilot Participant Resources

Ever wonder if the CPLP pilot participants ever got together to discuss the materials and help each other study?

• They did. They came from all over North America to help each other prep for the exam and assemble their work product submissions.

Ever wonder if any of that information -- all the study materials they collected and collaborated on -- is still available?

• It is.

In your wildest dreams, did you ever hope that it might be online?

• You'd be right. Many pilot members used discussion boards like Yahoo! Groups to meet each other regularly.

Register for the free Letters from the Ledge the CPLP Newsletter to learn the details about this and other CPLP resources created by the original CPLP pilot group and used by pilot participants all over North America.

You'll be glad you did!

~ Trish Uhl, PMP, CPLP
Owl's Ledge LLC
trish@cplpstudyprep.com
www.cplpstudyprep.com

October CPLP Exam Window Now Available!

Due to popular demand, the ASTD Certification Institute has opened a third testing window in the 2006 CPLP line-up.

Candidates can now register for the program and sit the exam during the weeks of October 16th through October 31st, 2006.

The October registration deadline is September 11th.

There are also a limited number of seats available for the November test window -- open from November 11th through December 8th.

The November registration deadline is September 25th.

Seats for the July 2006 exam window are sold out!

See the ASTD CI Web site for more details and program registration:

http://www.cplp.astd.org

~ Trish Uhl, PMP, CPLP
Owl's Ledge LLC
trish@cplpstudyprep.com
www.cplpstudyprep.com