FED Baseball Part II Exam

[VolUmp]

I realize many on this forum are frustrated, as am I, with the FED exam's poorly worded questions. 

The question I have is simple:

 

Has anyone actually picked up the phone and called FED and found out what the appeals process is?

 

 

I have scored 98 four times including this week, 96 four times, and 94 twice over the past ten years.

No one in Indianapolis wants to hear me "appeal" that several exam questions are flat-out poorly worded (and have no good answer) unless it makes a difference to whether I'll pass or not.

I have seven questions I'd like to appeal this year alone between my exam and others' exams with whom I've spoken.

 

I'm sure there are officials on this forum who care about the precision of the exam itself more than just the final scores.

Although I think the FED rulebook is written far more clearly than OBR ... which will remain full of warts for another hundred years, there is no excuse for the problems that still exist.

 

I'd appreciate any feedback before I call tomorrow and start the complaint/appeals process.

[UmpJM]

My advice is to let it go.

 

Life is too short.

 

JM

[Lala]

Pick your battles. The people that are writing the test are not education majors and have probably zero experience when it comes to writing a quality test that really gets at an umpire's true understanding of the rules.

[maven]

They don't care. The purpose of the more "challenging" questions is to get you into the book. They're not interested in helping you get 100%.

[umpstu]

You'll never be able to get that time back. Let it ride, brother.

[VolUmp]

They don't care. The purpose of the more "challenging" questions is to get you into the book. They're not interested in helping you get 100%.

 

Maven, please ... I was making the point that I don't care about getting 100%.

The fact that I get 94-98 is laughable ... since the poorly worded questions that have no good answers are lucky guesses on my part.

I'd rather score 88% and learn in earnest the answers to the six questions I missed.

It's not a question of good-better-best ... it's bad, bad, bad, bad ... take your pick.

The top guys in the association agree ... they're not "more challenging," they're just bad.

We get enough of that crap from coaches who argue rules that they don't understand or don't exist.

 

Still, your feedback is appreciated.

[VolUmp]

Pick your battles. The people that are writing the test are not education majors and have probably zero experience when it comes to writing a quality test that really gets at an umpire's true understanding of the rules.

 

Agreed ... and that's a real problem ... especially when it's the National Headquarters for High School Athletics putting out bad exams.

[bam]

So do you look up the rule references for the questions graded incorrect. Or no?

If you're not, that's a bigger problem.

[VolUmp]

So do you look up the rule references for the questions graded incorrect. Or no?

If you're not, that's a bigger problem.

 

Asinine question.

Sophomoric.

[FlaUmp22]

Why are we even discussing this? Just sounds like someone complaining he got a question wrong?

[JaxRolo]

I think most of here score over 90. Anything over that does not matter.

[bam]

So do you look up the rule references for the questions graded incorrect. Or no?

If you're not, that's a bigger problem.

 

Asinine question.

Sophomoric.

Dude, you're whining that you didn't get 100 and I'M asinine?

I think we all know the kid in school who threw hissy fits about his/her test scores.

You're THAT guy (or girl, which may make this all make sense now)

[UmpJM]

WildFlyer,

 

My earlier response to you was based on personal experience.

 

I took the Part II test a few years ago (I believe it was a state-specific test rather than the NFHS one) when I had applied for promotion.

 

I scored somewhere in the 90s, which was more than sufficient for the promotion.

 

But there were a handful of questions that "bothered" me - not because they were obscure or challenging, or because the wording wasn't as clear as it might have been - they were simply WRONG.

 

On one of the questions, NONE of the supplied answers was correct - though I was able to guess which of the incorrect answers provided they "wanted", so they scored that one "correct". Go figure.

 

A couple of others, the answer key had a demonstrably wrong answer specified as "correct" on the answer key.

 

I was not the least bit concerned about having my score "adjusted", but I thought that powers that be might be interested to know, if for no other reason than that it reflected poorly on the organization producing the test to have such obvious errors. 

 

Turned out I was wrong.

 

As I said before, let it go. Life is too short.

 

JM

[VolUmp]

Well, JM ... at least I have one person who can read and "get" what I'm trying to convey.

 

NO ... I don't want my score adjusted.  I'm not wanting 100 ... I'm wanting the test makers to do better ... to be smarter than the test takers.  I'm convinced they are not, and they don't care.

So is there anyone over their heads who actually does care?  Because if not, it's mockery of the process.

FED credits each individual who handles a section of the rulebook.  I would be nice to list the very people who create each exam question so I could confront each one (gingerly) with their bogus question, and help them see how working with the question just a little, they could wind up with a very astute question.  Are you really saying FED has no more scruples or ego than to be just "OK" when they have all the tools at their disposal to be "Excellent?"

I'm going to call Indianapolis and find out the names of the people who tell me to go away.

[catsbackr]

My feeling is that you will have very little luck with trying to get the NFHS to change or amend any questions on their test.  But, good luck to you anyway.   I for one would love to see you succeed.  The Fed test is now much more in line with the way the NCAA test has been for years.

 

The larger problem, in my opinion, is the umpires that do make 98 or 100 and can't take their rules KNOWLEDGE to the field with them!  That is a problem.

[Dash Riprock]

I'm going to call Indianapolis and find out the names of the people who tell me to go away.

If you get someone, ask him why the BR can't overrun 1st base on a walk.  It's the worst rule in the book.

[UmpJM]

Well, JM ... at least I have one person who can read and "get" what I'm trying to convey.

 

NO ... I don't want my score adjusted.  I'm not wanting 100 ... I'm wanting the test makers to do better ... to be smarter than the test takers.  I'm convinced they are not, and they don't care.

So is there anyone over their heads who actually does care?  Because if not, it's mockery of the process.

FED credits each individual who handles a section of the rulebook.  I would be nice to list the very people who create each exam question so I could confront each one (gingerly) with their bogus question, and help them see how working with the question just a little, they could wind up with a very astute question.  Are you really saying FED has no more scruples or ego than to be just "OK" when they have all the tools at their disposal to be "Excellent?"

I'm going to call Indianapolis and find out the names of the people who tell me to go away.

 

WildFlyer,

 

Never mind.

 

JM

[VolUmp]

And it's official ... Lori Brown at NFHS confirmed that no one at FED wants to listen to an individual official who would like to discuss poorly worded test questions with some questions having no correct answer.

Lori is the most honest woman in the organization.

[Thunderheads]

And it's official ... Lori Brown at NFHS confirmed that no one at FED wants to listen to an individual official who would like to discuss poorly worded test questions with some questions having no correct answer.

Lori is the most honest woman in the organization.

while your effort was futile in the end ........ thanks for inquiring!