FEW SUCCESSES IN RECENT ELECTRICAL EXAMINATIONS

Greymouth Evening Star, 5 February 1948, Page 4

FEW SUCCESSES IN RECENT ELECTRICAL EXAMINATIONS

Only three of the six Greymouth candidates who sat for the written section of the Electrical Wiremen’s examinations, which were held in September, were successful, and the four candidates in the practical section failed. In the examinations for electrical servicemen, which were held at the same time, three Greymouth candidates sat for the written section, but none were successful. In the practical part two of the five candidates gained passes. The results are as follows: —

Electrical Wireman (written): —W. B. Lane, A. S. Parfitt, J. W. Waterson.

Electrical Servicemen (practical):— F. Lowe, R. G. Morgan. The examiners report that of the 437 candidates who sat for the examinations, only 161 passed in all three parts. It was considered that the examination was a fair average test, and one in which any candidate, having three years’ proper training, should readily be able to obtain 50 per cent, passing marks. On practical work the examiners reported that, as in previous examinations, candidates lacking experience came forward without any justification whatsoever. The only reason 'assigned for this was a desire to gain acquaintance with the examinationroom atmosphere. In an examination where marks were so liberally allotted if a candidate had any conception of wiring work he should have no difficulty in receiving at least 50 per cent. Carelessness in work as usual lost candidates marks. An outstanding example of this was the fact that out of the 300 boards marked, a full score of holders were cross-bayonetted. Marks were needlessly thrown away in other cases because accessories in some cases actually fell off flexible cords, solder was applied to dirty joints, the examination paper had not been read thoroughly, wires were excessively stripped and rubber was not cut back from the joint. | Similar disappointment with the work on the electrical servicemen’s I examinations was also expressed. The gold medals, presented by the Cable Makers Association, to the candidates gaining the highest marks in the written and practical parts of the wiremen’s examinations were won by K. T. McCallum, of Auckland, and J. Pedersen, of Lower Hutt. McCallum scored 92 marks out of a possible 100, while Pedersen secured 89 marks.