Last week I received an e-mail from Mark Stanifer, Chief, Compliance Branch, Indiana Department of Environmental Management’s (IDEM) Office of Water Quality that included the passing rate for the Wastewater Operator Exams given in 2016. Class I-SP and A-SO are lagoon only facilities. Class I-SP, I, II, III, IV are considered Municipal (non-industrial) and Class A-SO, A, B, C, D are considered Industrial licenses, and in the State of Indiana our highest licenses are the IV and the D. There is also an Apprentice Class – they can sit for the exam (any level) at any time with no experience, however, when they pass the test they hold an Apprentice license not a Certified Operator License. That means they cannot be the Certified Operator in Responsible Charge until they fulfil their hands-on time need for the level they are Apprenticed in and they keep up on their contact hours as needed for the level of Apprenticeship they hold. (There is no breakdown of how many Apprentices took the test or for which level) I wish I could say it was a great year for the Operators who wanted to become certified, but I can’t, as you will see by the numbers below:
368 exams have been taken. 159 passed and 209 failed.
Class I-SP: 14 total, 3 passed, 11 failed
Class I: 112 total, 31 passed, 81 failed
Class II: 68 total, 34 passed, 34 failed
Class III: 43 total, 24 passed, 19 failed
Class IV: 23 total, 11 passed, 12 failed
Class A-SO: 13 total, 10 passed, 3 failed
Class A: 28 total, 17 passed, 11 failed
Class B: 35 total, 13 passed, 22 failed
Class C: 17 total, 7 passed, 10 failed
Class D: 15 total, 9 passed, 6 failed
As you can see there is a breakdown somewhere in what the operator is understanding and what the tests are asking. The Class I, B and C look like there is something out of whack. Having a 50 % pass rate or slightly higher isn’t bad, but these three need work.
IDEM and I are asking you – the operators in Indiana who have taken the exam – what is going on? If you took the test and passed, was there portions or questions on the exam that you feel were off, or not asked well? If you didn’t pass the first time (or even the second time), why not? Were the questions out of left field, ask things you never heard of, not worded well? Did you not study enough, thinking it would be like your work place and it wasn’t? Were you given the wrong information or not enough of the right information for the exam level you were taking? Do you just have test anxiety and you just freeze any time you take a test no matter what? Both IDEM and I are asking for your help.
Message me on FB, fill out a Contact Us form or send an e-mail to wastewater101@comcast.net and let me know what can be done to make the test (not easier – you don’t want to take a test that ANYONE could pass) better for those studying.
5 Comments. Leave new
Barb
Not sure who is asking for input but I can be reached at 317-441-5131
I was glad to be one of the 31 to pass but I think I could offer up another route which would benefit the operator and the integrity of licensed operators
Jim
I have taken the Level I and passed the first time. I also took the level III and it took me three times to pass. The only difference was my preparation and lack of studying. There is no problem with the test or questions. I know by talking to others that some individuals take the test without ever studying with the hopes of guessing enough correct answers to pass. The biggest problem is that they don’t care how many times they take the test because the only reason they are taking it is because their employers require it. They don’t care if they get certified or not because in many cases this does not affect their pay. Most wastewater operator jobs in Indiana do not pay enough to warrant dedicating that much of their own free time studying. After passing it can be a financial burden to many people to then pay for CEU’s and certification renewals. Just to be clear, this is not the situation I am in. I make a good living in my position and I’m lucky to have it. Dumming down the test will only drive the wages lower because anyone will be able to pass and then the test will have no value or meaning. The best thing unfortunately for this industry is to have a temporary shortage of certified operators thus forcing municipalities and private industries to pay more. Once this happens you will get interest from more qualified, responsible, hardworking, dedicated and intelligent applicants. I have also passed the WT3 drinking water and DSL distribution tests the first time, so I know the preparation and time you must dedicate to pass these tests. I hope this helps understand the position of some of the individuals sitting for these exams.
I agree with you – the idea is not to dummy down the tests but to make sure the operators are getting the material they need in order to pass the exam. I have found throughout the years one of the greatest deterrents to an operator passing is their fear of taking a test. When I teach my local courses many times we spend as much time learning to take a test as we do learning the material. Another downfall is when an operator takes the test and answers the questions based on the way “their” facility works or is operated which may work for their facility, but is not the “book” answer needed for the exam. Hence, the complaints that the operators have to learn more than they need for their facilities and that harks back to your statement that operators are trying to get certified only because their facility mandates they be certified. In truth certification means you can be the Operator In Responsible Charge at any facility that is the same grade (or lower) as their Certification, so they need to have a basic understanding of all types of processes and troubleshooting.
I thank you for your input, insight and for taking the time to leave a comment.
Barb Smith
I don’t know about the wastewater side of things but the new drinking water cert tests are brutal. We have three that study the books given for the WT5. They study constantly and cannot pass. They only have two yrs in which to pass to keep their jobs. The questions are either misleading or they come from somewhere other than the reference material given. I took the old testing method like for the istep. It at least was relevant to drinking water. This new method goes way beyond the license they need. Idem says they have no idea where the questions come as it is a third party supplier.
Karl,
Thank you for the comments and it is a shame that the Water side has given all control for it’s testing to an outside source. At this time the Wastewater side of IDEM has stated they are not willing to give their testing over to an outside source, which I find an excellent stance. I know many states have started using the ABC testing venue and I can see where that might lead to overall reciprocity in the future so you can go from one state to another and keep your license at face value. However, I can see where it can cause problems such as you are talking about because of the diversity in levels of knowledge needed per license per state. I wish there was a good answer for you. I believe the Water study guides are made available through Indiana AWWA chapter (not sure of the cost). Maybe someone has more information on this.
I thank you for taking time to leave a comment.
Barb Smith