Hi, I am wondering if there is an official minimum time between classifications. i.e. I sat all my senior exams in September this year and I am now Prepared to sit my master exams but I am unsure if I have to wait a set amount of time before progressing to Master.
Thanks
The general idea is to progress one classification per year.
You should be taught each lesson on parade nights at your unit - this should take between 5 and six nights per subject. To do more than three subjects per year at the squadron would result in your training programme being very academic-heavy.
In my opinion it goes against the purpose of the organisation to self-study, to get a badge for the sake of it
You have the sixteen to achieve the master cadet classification, as far as I am aware there are no other limitations.
We have never ‘taught’ MAC as by the age the cadets are doing it 16-17 they should be in or moving to FE where you have to take more responsibility for your learning. Three of self studied for Staff P1 back in the day, on the same premise.
As for one per year, this is rubbish now with the online open book exam system. We do it but it seems a completely pointless exercise.
Even at college, you are not expected to read a book/poorly put together PowerPoint (I believe the MAS PowerPoint has been recently updated, but I haven’t seen it myself), then take an exam on the subject. So why would we expect cadets?
I think that cadets join the organisation to receive proper training from someone who is familiar with the subject, not be told to read a book just so the can get the syllabus quicker, or because nobody wants to teach the subject.
I don’t see how ultilearn has changed this - the fact that exams can be taken at any time just makes it more flexible for the students.
It’s not ultillearn as such it’s the open book exam style and just needing i from 2 correct to “pass” a section that has removed rigour from the system. The old system required more than 50% to pass a subject.
I’ve “sat” modern cadet exams in subjects I have no experience of and passed, not 100% but I’ve passed. With the “book” in front of me for reference I imagine I’ll have aced it.
Given the exams do not require in depth understanding ie no ‘essay’ type answers, unlike even GCSEs, cadets could periodically sit in a room with some material and pass the exam
Outside perhaps AT related subjects, the huge majority of us will only ever have a scant knowledge/familiarity with the subjects, unlike a school/college where teachers with a qualification in the subject area are employed, to instil in depth understanding. Cadets don’t need knowledge to that degree as such our “exams” can only ever be multi-choice unless the cadets did a heck of a lot of self study.
Yet First Class is really really complicated. Cadets have to be there for each and every lesson, write answers in a book, pass lots of understanding checks, have every section signed off by the tutor…yet at leading they can sit at a computer for 20 minutes and google the answers. There is a defnite imbalance here.
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100%
I think that the level at which first class subjects are taught should be pared right back, with leading taking up the slack.
For example, 1st class map reading/nav should be 6 fig grids, basic compass setting, a few symbols, introducing contour lines and a bit of care/folding, etc. Leading would then be practical nav (aiming off, attack points, etc), 8 fig references, contour features (concave, convex, re-entrants, valleys, spurs, et al), back bearings and so on.
I challenge anyone to train cadets to first class standard in 6 months (or at least, I’ll challenge any of their cadets to demonstrate a learning objective from it to me). And yet a year for leading is way more than enough.
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