License

About on par with the NYS bar exam and, IMHO, a lot more stressful (and I took the NYS bar exam:biggrin:). DS is exceedingly happy today.:thumb:
 
2011 2012 2013
DECK
Total test-takers 97 104 95
Fully Successful 69 84 74
Percent 71.1% 80.8% 77.9%
ENGINE
Total test-takers 101 110 98
Fully Successful 83 86 82
Percent 82.2% 78.2% 83.7%
 
Educate this AF guy...because I do also speak with a lot of students interested in KP.

What does "not passing" the license exam mean. I don't mean "duh, it means you didn't pass" but rather, what's the impact upon the KP "firstie" and what are their options?

Said the AF pilot.

Steve
USAFA ALO
USAFA '83
 
Educate this AF guy...because I do also speak with a lot of students interested in KP.

What does "not passing" the license exam mean. I don't mean "duh, it means you didn't pass" but rather, what's the impact upon the KP "firstie" and what are their options?

Said the AF pilot.

Steve
USAFA ALO
USAFA '83

Right now it means that 11 "Deckies" and 16 Engineering Majors are going to be preparing for and taking those sections of the exam they did not yet pass next week, assuming they did not fail more than the maximum number that requires a complete retake of all parts of their exam.

Ultimately every First Class USMMA Midshipman who US citizen elgible to take and recieve a lisence, which these days is basically all of them, must pass their applicable lisence exam to be able to graduate and recieve their diploma, and therefore their commission. There's really no option. That's why its (Lisence Exams) such a stressful time for them. I recall the statement from my otherwise pretty non-chalant son, in total seriousness:

"Hey its just my entire life and why I've gone through the past four years, dad."

when I really did not recall how intense a time it was 30 years prior for myself.
 
Ah...okay, so to "graduate" the KP "firstie" must pass their license exams completely.

Good to know!

I know a young man that's now a "2nd classman" (not sure the proper KP term) and when I knew him he was "...I'll go to KP and commission into the USAF..."

But then he went to sea...

And I received such amazing e-mails from him...totally fell in love with the sea, and the duties of a deck officer...and I envied him his stories...

He's decided...merchant mariner after graduation!

I love it!! :thumb:

Steve
USAFA ALO
USAFA '83
 
what are their options?

If you fail less than three you take only the ones you failed tuesday. If you failed more than three, they crate up your books and stop you during the week whenever you hit three failed and can't continue. You then have to retake all seven next week. If you fail them then, you usually have to wait a month to retake.
 
If you fail less than three you take only the ones you failed tuesday. If you failed more than three, they crate up your books and stop you during the week whenever you hit three failed and can't continue. You then have to retake all seven next week. If you fail them then, you usually have to wait a month to retake.

Back when I sat for 'thirds' in the mid 70's, if you failed even one section you had to wait a month before you were allowed to retake..:eek: You also had to wait 2 weeks to get the results back.. In those days the Coasties didn't grade on site, but sent the scantrons (probably by Pony Express) to their testing center, in of all places, Oklahoma City. Let me tell you, waiting for 2 weeks to find out if you made it or not was tough.
 
Back when I sat for 'thirds' in the mid 70's, if you failed even one section you had to wait a month before you were allowed to retake..:eek: You also had to wait 2 weeks to get the results back.. In those days the Coasties didn't grade on site, but sent the scantrons (probably by Pony Express) to their testing center, in of all places, Oklahoma City. Let me tell you, waiting for 2 weeks to find out if you made it or not was tough.

Yup. And, we also had third quarter finals and one more quarter of classes looking at us. I DO remember how important getting through the exam was (in the early 80s). I also remember how annoyed I was when the examiner felt the need to tell us that the Colombia (first NASA Space Shuttle) had landed sucessfully. I was kind of concentrating at the time. . . . Oh, and having passed license, and a fourth quarter with "only" 13 or so credit hours (and PM free gangway). . . it was almost like a normal college existence. . .

I also guess that the wait for results is what created the spontaniety of the bell ringing. I even hesitate to call it a ceremony, as it was far more personal. But I guess that horse has been beaten to death.
 
Educate this AF guy...because I do also speak with a lot of students interested in KP.

What does "not passing" the license exam mean. I don't mean "duh, it means you didn't pass" but rather, what's the impact upon the KP "firstie" and what are their options?

Said the AF pilot.

Steve
USAFA ALO
USAFA '83
I did have one classmate who was continuing to re-take license even after "graduation". He got an empty tube at commencement, and eventually passed and was commissioned AD Navy. If I remember correctly he was still commissioned at graduation and since he was going to be stashed at KP while waiting for flight school anyway it just meant some post-graduation studying and test taking. I don't think it even delayed his start date of flight school.
 
I did have one classmate who was continuing to re-take license even after "graduation". He got an empty tube at commencement, and eventually passed and was commissioned AD Navy. If I remember correctly he was still commissioned at graduation and since he was going to be stashed at KP while waiting for flight school anyway it just meant some post-graduation studying and test taking. I don't think it even delayed his start date of flight school.

I don't know about your class, but everyone in ours got an empty tube. We had to go down to Wiley Hall after the ceremony to pick up our paperwork.
 
I also guess that the wait for results is what created the spontaneity of the bell ringing. I even hesitate to call it a ceremony, as it was far more personal. But I guess that horse has been beaten to death.

[FONT=&quot]Back at the old School Ship when my class found out we had passed Thirds we all gathered at a nearby watering hole, put a few kegs on the bar and in true sailor fashion got gloriously, rip roaring, "Bob's a dying on deck" drunk.. No bell ringing for us, but I guess you guys were always more refined (but not by much:wink:).. Oh well "different ships, different long splices" as they say.. [/FONT]
 
I did have one classmate who was continuing to re-take license even after "graduation". He got an empty tube at commencement, and eventually passed and was commissioned AD Navy. If I remember correctly he was still commissioned at graduation and since he was going to be stashed at KP while waiting for flight school anyway it just meant some post-graduation studying and test taking. I don't think it even delayed his start date of flight school.

Nowdays, if you dont pass license, you dont graduate or commission, period.
 
I don't know about your class, but everyone in ours got an empty tube. We had to go down to Wiley Hall after the ceremony to pick up our paperwork.
First thing I did before I even cleared the stage was look inside. It was known that everyone was getting their papers at graduation but due to a "conversation" I had with the one-year wonder CO2 I was expecting an empty tube. He didn't appreciate being called irrelevant but I guess after my departure from his office and calming down he saw that I was in fact correct. The look on CC2s face was priceless and watching him try to contain his laughter alone would have been worth the empty tube.
 
Nowdays, if you dont pass license, you dont graduate or commission, period.
By when? You obviously are allowed retakes so at what point do they cut you off entirely and say no diploma ever?
 
First thing I did before I even cleared the stage was look inside. It was known that everyone was getting their papers at graduation but due to a "conversation" I had with the one-year wonder CO2 I was expecting an empty tube. He didn't appreciate being called irrelevant but I guess after my departure from his office and calming down he saw that I was in fact correct. The look on CC2s face was priceless and watching him try to contain his laughter alone would have been worth the empty tube.

Ha! Launchpad.......
 
Ha! Launchpad.......
Oh no ... This one replaced Launchpad and made you wish Launchpad was still around. He went about 5'6" and was an ex-SWO mixed with classic little-man's-disease.
 
Oh no ... This one replaced Launchpad and made you wish Launchpad was still around. He went about 5'6" and was an ex-SWO mixed with classic little-man's-disease.

Hmmm- must have completely blocked that one out of my memory....
 
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