CPLP Knowledge Exam - How to Deal with Confusing Questions which Don't Count Toward Your Score

Many CPLP candidates miss the fact that there are a number of items (questions) presented on the CPLP Knowledge Exam which do not contribute to their exam scores.

In this blog post, I cover what these unscored items are, where they are, why they are, and how to deal with them.

Unscored items…

• 25-30 questions on your exam will NOT count toward your score.
• These items are included in the exam to test the items, not the candidate.
• Standard exam practice. ATD CI uses the live exam as a means of validating new items for possible inclusion in future versions of the official CPLP Knowledge Exam.
• You won’t know which items are scored and which are not scored.

This means…

• You’ll encounter poorly written questions on the exam. They will be vague (like Q3) and could be unsettling.
• Expect them and prepare yourself for them.

Here's a good example of a vague question, sent to us by a CPLP candidate in China: 

Enter your response in the Comments below! What do you think is the correct answer?

  
How to deal with them?

• Come up with a plan for how you will emotionally and mentally deal with them when you see them.
• You don’t want to let them inhibit your exam performance by a) prompting an emotional reaction that gets you upset, and/or b) spending too much time on them.
• Prep your strategy ahead of time.
• For example, think the following through BEFORE your exam: When I encounter a vague question, I will… [take a deep breath, spend no more than 60 seconds on it, answer it and Mark for Review, etc].
• Think triage. I often coach candidates to emotionally dismiss confusing questions by smiling or laughing at them – and hurrying past them.

Bottom Line: Treat all confusing questions as if they are certainly unscored and move on. This will protect you emotionally and mentally and prevent you from diminishing your performance on the rest of the exam.

From my family to yours during this festive season - THANK YOU for reading!

Happy Thanksgiving!

To your success!

~ trish

~ Trish Uhl, PMP, CPLP
2005 CPLP Pilot Pioneer
CEO and Founder Owl's Ledge
Creator, CPLP Mastery Series and CPLPCOACH.com

P.S. You've put in the study time, now put in the PRACTICE that builds your CPLP Knowledge Exam COMPETENCE and COMPETENCE!

Take an absolutely free practice exam right now:

http://www.cplpcoach.com/public/146.cfm

How to Fail #CPLP Work Product - Another Reason Why a Submission Cannot be Scored

I am often contacted by individual and groups of candidates within the weeks following the ATD Certification Institute's release of CPLP Work Product results notification.

Most of these folks are strangers, people whom I have not met before, who send me some sampling of their Work Product submission with a request to help them figure out what went wrong.

It is in these weeks immediately following the ATD CI notifications that I get to see A LOT of Work Product submissions.

A lot.

It is because I have visibility into these submissions and - by extension - am able to speak with the candidates to find out what their line of thinking and logic was - that I am able to understand what went wrong - and why.

Reviewing a sampling of CPLP Work Product submissions and in speaking with a variety of candidates from all over the world, I can see patterns and trends emerge.

This is how I came to discover another reason why a CPLP Work Product submission is returned as "cannot be scored."

In my last post, I created an Action Plan for those who received a "cannot be scored" result from the ATD Certification Institute and outlined a 5-step checklist for determining what went wrong, based on the messaging in the ATD "cannot be scored" communication.

As it turns out, there is another as-yet-not-mentioned scenario where a submission "cannot be scored," that is --

When a candidate submits under one Area of Expertise (AOE) but then provides work samples and essay responses to support another - a different - AOE.

Here's a specific example:

Let's start with the original ATD CI essay question...

Original ATD CI CPLP Work Product Essay Question

 Now take a look at a real Candidate's response...

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

My role in this project was to take the needs analysis conducted by the business analyst and create a course that would help staff develop and practice communication skills while at work. I took the needs analysis and created a two-part course entitled "Confident Communications Parts 1 & 2. I researched the topic, retrieved archived files from a previous session on communication skills (pp. 88-97) and condensed the material down to a two part course. I created the post-course assessment (p. 100), designed and developed the course. Finally, I implemented the course.

Since our clients were internal, the course was created for all staff. The course targeted anyone who needed to brush up on their communication skills. Clients included staff from all locations.

The sponsor was our Senior Vice President. His role was to manage the efficiency and effectiveness of different business functions here, and lead the learning and development function, and technical support for our division. I report directly to the SVP and manage the learning and development department. The SVP sponsors any training initiative or project. He requested I create learning solutions that would meet the needs identified in the needs analysis conducted earlier in the year. His role was also to promote the courses to upper management and the leadership team of which he is a member.

The primary stakeholders were the CFO, the Assistant Vice President of Training & Technology and staff who would take the course. The CFO's role was to provide funding. The other stakeholders provided support and communicated the project to upper management.

The project team members included the L&D trainer, project support specialist and the marketing specialist. The L&D trainer provided me with feedback during the design and development of the course. She participated in a pilot session of the course, after which she provided feedback. The project support specialist helped me with operational details such as the logistics of implementing the course. She calendared the courses, created fliers and some job aids for the course pp. 27-41). The marketing specialist created marketing pieces for the courses, which were emailed or past out prior to the course launch p. 28).  

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++


Given the Candidate's narrative response, which Area of Expertise...

• Instructional Design
• Managing Learning Programs
• Training Delivery
• Performance Improvement 

...would you assume this submission was submitted under?

::scroll down for the answer::











This essay response was used in a Training Delivery submission.





Do you see the disconnect? Can you tell what went wrong?

Write your thoughts in the Comments below!

Put your "Rater cap" on --

How would you advise this candidate?

What can the candidate do to improve a new submission in the next cohort?

I look forward to reading YOUR comments and insights below!

~ trish 

p.s. If you're looking for help with your CPLP Work Product submission, consider joining my online program.

The program follows my 4-step framework for CPLP Work Product:

1.       Strategically Plan Your Work Samples & Submission

2.       Completing Your Project Work

3.       Assembling Work Samples & Writing Narrative Responses

4.       Packaging & Shipping

   
Enrolled participants receive Orientation materials (including a checklist and step-by-step, AOE specific recorded session) to help them get started with their submissions right away - within 24 hours of enrolling.

CLICK HERE for || PROGRAM DETAILS