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<p>Got to the test center, had my strategy all planned out. Took one minute of the 15 minute tutorial to figure out how to navigate the screen, then spent about 10 minutes doing a brain dump onto paper. All the equations I could remember, some mnemonics, some graphical representations, some tricky distinctions. </p>
<p><br>
At the top of the page I wrote in beeeg letters "RTFQ" (Read the fu...ll question). The sheet came in handy.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Spent 3 minutes just quieting my breathing and getting comfy. Then I was away. Finished my first pass through the 200 questions in an hour and a half or so. Then went back and finished the questions I'd skipped and reviewed the ones I'd marked. At about the 3 hour mark I started through the whole stack again just to be sure. I had a couple of "AHA!" moments but didn't change too many answers.</p>
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<p>At the 3:55 mark I sighed and submitted the test. It was both harder and easier than I expected. Harder in that there were a few questions that took some reverse engineering - like when they give you two numbers and you have to work backwards to the source information and then forwards to obtain another. Easier in that there were a few "Who's buried in Grant's tomb" kind of questions.</p>
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<p>What's supposed to happen next is a blank screen for a minute or so as it is marked and then (by all accounts) you get your results. I got a survey on how I liked the facility. My heart sank. I submitted my answers to that and then I got a blank screen for another minute and my results. I'm in.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>So I get to put three letters behind my name. (No, not Ass.... that's already there). Apparently within the next 6 weeks I get my certificate, my pin, and the decoder ring that will make me a double-nought spy. I'm holding out for the propeller beanie.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Now for some beer. This was supposed to be an afternoon off but I've gotten countless calls. The beer will help.</p>
<p><br>
At the top of the page I wrote in beeeg letters "RTFQ" (Read the fu...ll question). The sheet came in handy.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Spent 3 minutes just quieting my breathing and getting comfy. Then I was away. Finished my first pass through the 200 questions in an hour and a half or so. Then went back and finished the questions I'd skipped and reviewed the ones I'd marked. At about the 3 hour mark I started through the whole stack again just to be sure. I had a couple of "AHA!" moments but didn't change too many answers.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>At the 3:55 mark I sighed and submitted the test. It was both harder and easier than I expected. Harder in that there were a few questions that took some reverse engineering - like when they give you two numbers and you have to work backwards to the source information and then forwards to obtain another. Easier in that there were a few "Who's buried in Grant's tomb" kind of questions.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>What's supposed to happen next is a blank screen for a minute or so as it is marked and then (by all accounts) you get your results. I got a survey on how I liked the facility. My heart sank. I submitted my answers to that and then I got a blank screen for another minute and my results. I'm in.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>So I get to put three letters behind my name. (No, not Ass.... that's already there). Apparently within the next 6 weeks I get my certificate, my pin, and the decoder ring that will make me a double-nought spy. I'm holding out for the propeller beanie.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Now for some beer. This was supposed to be an afternoon off but I've gotten countless calls. The beer will help.</p>
