Well, of course, give him time to 'grieve' (or wallow in his disappointment), but then do encourage him to give it another try.

Usually those tests are designed to keep too many people from entering the field at once. The whole point is to control the number of qualified people. As long as he sticks with it, and knows his stuff, he's going to pass. My dd is an optician. It took her 4 (or was it 5?) tries to pass her state boards. They let only a very, very few through each year--until a large optican chain was finally allowed back into the state (they'd previously been banned for 'forever'), and needed lots of qualified opticians. At that point, almost everyone passed and was certified.

But your son needs to understand that often a failure on those certification tests is more a sign that the field is getting overcrowded than a true evaluation of the applicants skill and knowledge.

Tami, I must have missed what he was testing for. I do hope he tries again. Never give up.
Leslie

Awww Tami, I feel so bad for your DS. Theres so many peeps that know it all, but can't pass the written test. You remember my sis, Annie?? Yrs ago she had to take CPR for her job, I was a CPR teacher & really helped her. Well, verbally & hands on she was fantastic, but froze at the written part! Don't remember how many times she took the test, but she finally passed! I hope your DS will keep taking the test til he passes!

I'll be rooting for him!

Donna (^_^)

I agree, never give up!
Especially if he KNOWS it and just has trouble with the written part.

Darn! I thought for sure he would pass. Is there any way he can see what he missed and use the test as a learning tool for the next time?

Oh the girlfriend issue! I know how painful that one is.

He absolutely should not give up. He has so much knowledge now that it would be a terrible waste of time and effort not to give it at least one more try. Hundreds, thousands of people take and retake tests (like the Bar exam for example) and finally pass. He isn't the first one to go through this.

I've heard it said that mothers are only as happy as their least happy child, so I know you are feeling bad too.

I feel for him and for you too. It's so hard to see our kids hurting. I hope he feels better soon and tackles it again.

Socks, that's a very apt saying. I'd never heard it before, but boy, is it true!

So sorry to hear this, but do hope he tries again, and again, if need be.

Yes, Socks,I think I'll have that engraved on my tombstone!!

Is there any way he could take the test orally? It might be worth looking into. I'm so sorry he didn't pass yet, but please encourage him to try again. Can you help him study and maybe suggest mnemonic clues?

Given time, hope he rethinks and tries again!

A couple questions. Has he been working/volunteering in any EMT role? Or how/where did he learn the skills that he has? Sounds like he just needs a refresher course. If he can find out which areas he was low in, he could zero in on that.

Please encourage him in any way you can, (without bugging him) to continue on until he ACES it!

Girlfriends come and go . . . his career will last a long time!

Sue

I've been there with my son. My son didn't pass the boards
to get into medical school the first time. He didn't take
them again until at a year later but passed the second time. It was definately a blow to his confidence. He will
come around just give him time and be there to cheer him on. Good Luck!!

I'm so sorry. I think he WILL try again. Just needs a little time maybe. Maybe you can help him study. He knows how the tests are written, so that may help him to study..

Well, he got the written results today with how he did on each section. He is going to take it again. I know that it was frustation talking when he said he wouldn't take it again. It's $70 every time he takes it. Paycheck is every two weeks, with other bills to pay, also. Tonight, he did say next time.

Sue, no he hasn't been working as a volenteer. He took the course at the local community college. He is signed up for the medical terminoligy class to go towards the paramedic course.

I don't think they will let him take the test orally, but he will keep trying.

Thanks everyone

Tami

That's good, Tami. He's definitely doing the right thing. Are there test prep books he could get to review?

Also, if he knows anyone else taking the test, study groups are helpful.

Hi Tami, sorry to hear he didnt pass but he must try again. Would a tutor help? Maybe you could find one, I used to tutor once in a while when people had trouble testing out. It isnt that they didnt know the info, just that they had test anxiety. Maybe a tutor would help with that.

Hello again. He has the books to study for the test. They are specifically for studying for the test. We got two of them. He can't take it orally, I asked him. Renie, he has a couple of friends from class that he has studied with. He'll take it till he passes. He really wants to do this.
Thanks again.

Tami

I feel so bad for your DS Tami. My DD has always been a great student,did well in college and is an excellent writer. Today she is an accountant and an excellent one.

However she always did poorly on written tests. She could do a great report or essay but froze on written tests. Only her high grades in the classroom got her into the University. Her SATs were mediocre even though she knew the material.

She also froze on her CPA test. A few years back she had to take tax certification tests so she could add certified tax preparer to her business card. She was so proud that she passed them. Gave her a bit more confidence and now she says when life is less busy she may go back and try to test for her CPA again.

DS on the other hand was a "horrible" student,rarely studied or did homework, hates to write but could ace just about any test you throw in front of him. Doesn't matter if it's an academic test or one dealing with life skills. Go figure.

I wish schools and businesses would get a clue that people have different learning styles and put more stress on how one applies their knowledge and skills rather than how well they can fill in bubbles on a piece of paper.

I've forgotten what the test was for?

Emergency Medical Technitian.

Thanks Tami

Is this for the National Registry or the one for the state he lives in? I ask because my DH had problems years ago with what was then the EMT basic and later when he took the EMT-IV. Which stage is he in? He flunked his basic twice and passed it the third try. The third try was the charm for him. His EMT-IV he passed first try. I guess he had settled down by then. Anyway, tell him not to give up. DH knows another guy that flunked his 3 times and was required to take a refresher and still flunked one more time before getting his license. He said they guy is a great EMT now and you wouldn't know that this guy flunked so many times.

As far as the cost of taking the test, DH's was paid for by the hospital that sponsored him. Maybe that's something your son should look into? He could get great experience and help in passing the test.

Scissors, It's for the National Registry, I think. I haven't heard of the EMT-IV. He doesn't have a hospital that is sponsoring him. He took his course at the Community College. Thanks for the ideas and encouragement.

Tami