Validation Tests

gdesena

gdesena

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I asked this question buried in another thread, but I figured it was worthy of its own. This is for current/former midn:

Are the validation tests during Plebe summer like a semester final? or do they take into account the fact that a Plebe may not have studied a given course for over 7 months (if it was a semester class taken fall 08)? There are a few classes I would really like to validate, but if it's going to be like a semester final, I really don't know how to study for it (unless I went and purchased the book I need for about $130).

Any insight or advice would be great.

Thanks,
Geoff
 
Validation tests are designed to see whether you have mastered the material sufficiently not to have to take the course. Yes, they realize that you may have taken Chemistry as a h.s. junior but it really doesn't make a difference in the makeup of the test. Remember, you don't get a grade, you either validate or you don't.

Not validating only means that you take the course. You haven't "failed" anything.

Personally, I think "studying" for validation tests is a waste of time because, unlike your semester final, you don't know what specific topics the validation tests will cover. As noted, there is no shame in not validating subjects and many students don't validate anything.
 
Glad this came up because we (parents of plebe to be) were talking about this yesterday and agreed that we know nothing about the process.

Is it correct that the tests they take during the summer are used for both "validating" them out of a course (don't have to take it and therefore jump ahead to the next level or course) and for placing them in a certain level of that course? For instance, (and I know my terminology will be wrong) the plebe could score well enough that they "validate" out of Chemistry I and move right into Chemistry II from the beginning. But are there also differing levels or classes within Chemistry I such that plebes in class X of Chemistry I are working at a more or less advanced level than plebes in class Y of Chemistry I and, if so, are the summer tests used to place the plebes in the appropriate classes? Just using chemistry as an example.

Also, not concerning academics, we have heard about "validating" out of swimming as a plebe. Does that mean that there is swimming (like swimming PT) for the plebe if they are not able to swim a certain distance in a certain time (how far, how fast?) during the summer?
 
^^^

I'll have to defer to someone else re whether there are levels within a course. There were not in my day.

There was the ability to validate swimming. However, at the time, it was extremely difficult for someone who was not a competitive swimmer to do so. The times for validating were difficult for "recreational" swimmers to attain. Not saying it couldn't happen but I didn't know anyone who validated swimming other than those who had swum competitively in h.s.
 
IIRC you validate Plebe Swimming with a "B" if you swim 200m in 3:30. Unlike other classes you may validate, swimming is part of your PE grade, hence it gets graded.
 
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