Recert test question

I wouldn't describe it as "clear" but it is, with the pre-amble, certainly answerable. So moving on...

That is certainly a good suggestion. Possible that such suggestions will carry more weight if they come step by step through the organization but then again they might get where they need to go faster if sent directly to the top.

One thing I would consider if I where writing the test is if it really is such a good idea to write the questions in the first-person perspective they currently seems to be. It might just be better to write them in an onlooker/viewer perspective instead.

 

My thoughts exactly.

Law 9: only two times the ball is out of play - exits field or we stop play.

 

The question is answerable without the preamble. You know that one of the answers provided will be the correct answer. You are given a list of restarts to choose from. The only possible restart for a situation that shouldn't need a restart is a drop ball. Therefore, a drop ball is the only possible answer.

It's hard but it is not by any means unanswerable.

 

With the impending changes to instruction program and redefining of grades 9, 8 and 7, does anyone know if the exams will change as well? While it may render some of this discussion moot, there will always be test questions people disagree with.

 

Not really defending them per se, because I agree some could be worded a bit better, I am defending them as "unfair". The number one reason people get these questions wrong, after not understanding the LOTG, is they make it harder than it has to be.

Yes, changing the wording on some/all to "play is stopped" from "you've stopped play" would make it slightly more clear. It changes nothing in the scheme of hte quesiton, they are not trying to trick us, they are asking a question, don't get caught in the minutia. Play is stopped, either you blew the whistle or didn't because it's clear play is stopped (yes I've seen refs who blow the whistle after goals and every time a ball leaves the field).

My main point is that instructors and SDI are not the best source of US Soccer gripes to get it fixed. There's a bit over 50 SDI's for US Soccer, that's 50ish complaints, easy to ignore in the scheme of things. Now if 20% of the refs sent mail to US soccer saying "I think you can word this better, such as....." that may have more effect.

the test has gotten more clear over the last few years.

Another issue with the instructors is we see the test questions so often that not only do they make sense to us (cause we see the answers ), but we also "learn" to interpret them.

So yes, they can be more clear, but also, yes, for most, everything you need is there, treat each question as a single unit and don't read more into it than is there. Simple is good.

 

The plan to redefined grades has been dropped.
However rumor has it they are re-doing the instruction program for the classes. Time will tell what that really means.

 

NH Ref....I didnt get that question wrong, BUT if Law 9 says something, then use Law 9. Don't use a variation of it! How hard is that?

You have stopped play means exactly that. You, the referee, has stopped play. Not the ball. You. Sorry to be so pedantic, but that's the root of the problem. Some of the questions follow the law and some don't. Do I think we should guess at which ones?

Does anyone know who we should contact? If the test company is owned by a National (which by itself is wrong) then maybe we should find out who it is and write to him?

 

The only part I disagree with is "how hard is that?"

It's very hard! manage 3 tests, each of 100 questions (there are some overlap, so it's not 300 questions), plus the national test and beyond (which we don't see). Develop courses and keep them updated for all grades. All done by a small number of people.

so how hard is it to write one question perfectly clear? Easy. To do it several hundred times so that something like 500,000 referees can't possibly miss-interpret something? Damn near impossible. That's my main point. The english language is very imprecise, words and phrases can have multiple meanings. Can it be more clear between "you've stopped" and "play has stopped" ? Yes, do I have any sympathy for someone who lets that bog them down in being confused by the question? Honestly, no. Apply law 18, nothing changes if you blow the whistle after the ball is out of play or not, the restart remains the same.

 

Right, the grade 1-5 redesign has been dropped. But what I am hearing is grades 9 through 7 will still go through some redefinition. The instruction part does need to change and it sounds like a good plan is in place. Not quite sure if defining what games grades 9 through 7 can do ultimately corrects the problem they are trying to solve. Time will tell.

 

The registration fees are in the tens of millions of dollars for those 500,000 referees. I could write those questions in my sleep. How much do you think reflink is making on this venture?

Again, I will state the obvious. If someplace on that test they ask about inadvertent whistles, and you are being told YOU have stopped play (and you ONLY stop play with your whistle, right), and in that instance you are NOT supposed to blow your whistle, and as Metro said 74% got the question wrong. Law 18 and no Law 18, the question stinks.

Somebody is making money on this deal. I don't care if it is a small group or a large group or one guy, if 74% of the people can't fathom what you are asking, then the problem lies with the question not the people taking the test.

Yes there are some buffoons who masquerade as referees, and yes, they don't know the laws inside and out, but I'm not one of them. And if the future of these things is on line, with no instructor in the room, then someone who is taking our money needs to be accountable.

Or I could write to my SDI. But, we don't exactly have one at the moment in NJ.

 

I suspect you have never tried to write a test before.

 

Not sure where reflink comes into this at all. US Soccer writes the exams and distributes them to SDIs across the organization as word documents. To the states that are going to the online test, that is outside of what US Soccer is giving out (at least as I understand things). If questions are unclear, then yes, start with your SDI, if you don't have one, go one up to the SRA. It also never hurts to send the info to US Soccer, the contact for the referee program can be found on the US Soccer site.

 

Well framed. And, seriously, not withstanding any argument about a question here or there -- given the pass requirement does anyone think that qualified people are really failing because of those couple of questions? So a good ref got a 91 instead of a 93 be/c of a bad question -- if I'm administering the system, I really couldn't care less as the knolwegeable ref still passed. And given what is required to pass the test, I really doubt that refs who actually understand the LOTG are failing. Is there room for improvement on some, of course, but it also seems there also seem a lot of more important issues to worry about in the grand scheme of things.

 

I did this last year on a few questions on the state test. The test writer responded with why the question was right and why I was wrong. No problem, very glad they took the time to do so but much like some answers here, there is for some reason a propensity to defend the questions rather than look at it and see another point of view.

I was asked not to discuss the question(s) and the answers and justifications given so sadly I can't, really wish I could to get more opinions here but I guess that's the way it is.

 

My problem with this is I want to know what is right, if I answered one way and was wrong in my thinking then I would be wrong in a game. If I was right in my thinking as to how it was presented then I would be right in a game and that would be fine with me as well (still missing the test question as it was worded funny or I misread it).

 

Oh, stop with how hard it is to write a test. Logic goes a long way, and actually accepting criticism of your work goes into it.

And SoCal, yes, I agree, I'm not failing because I missed a question or two (or 7 this year), but is there a reason 74% of the test takers got a question wrong? It takes about 5 minutes to fix. Yet, the builders will defend their construction until the house falls down.

 

Yup, and my point is that this defensive, arrogant attitude is a bigger threat to the community than the poorly-worded questions. At this time, the questions have been out there and used. They should be revisited for next year anyway. When someone takes the time to suggest improvements in the wording, a knee-jerk dismissive response is inappropriate.

- QC

 

But then you're not choosing the correct answer, just the best wrong answer.

 

But that's Multiple-Choice Test Taking 101, isn't it?

 

So when you're out on the field and an irate coach asks you what that penalty kick was for, you should just think back to your training and say “I don't know, give me a list of choices.”

 

Oh no ... now you're arguing for short answer and essay questions on the recert exams!

 

It sounds like they were modifying the old soccer aphorism first brought to my attention by Jim Allen: “The Laws of the Game questions on the test were not written to compensate for the mistakes of players referees.”

It is a skill to design non-trivial questions that can only be interpreted one way, thereby generating only one correct answer. Even if the test writer was convinced that his answers were correct, I hope he considered modifying the questions for clarity.

 

I'd like to ask a different question, because, well maybe I"m jaded because I've watched hundreds of referees answer this question and listen to the discussions on it:

The question is:

You've stopped play for the reason below, select the proper restart:

A Red defender heads the ball to her goalkeeper who takes possession of the ball with her hands while
in her goal area to prevent opponents from challenging for the ball.

1. 1. Dropped Ball
   2. Direct Free Kick
   3. Penalty Kick
   4. Kick-Off
   5. Indirect Free Kick

That's it, so, what is not clear in that question?
I've literally watched groups of referees argue over this, I've also seen other groups take 4 answer attempts to get it right (scary). I've also seen many laugh and answer dropped ball.

If you feel the question isn't clear, why? What could be done to clarify it?

 

The question does not describe how the ball got to the Red defender's head.