We like the pass/fail...

I've been meaning to blog, but the last couple of days was spent studying feverishly for my real estate continuing education exams. I have to take 12 credits of continuing ed every 2 years to keep my salesperson license up to date. This year is the first year that I took the full 12 credits due to some licensing rule (I thank whoever that was for the break 2 years ago). The Licensing Act of 2000 mandates that each salesperson/broker has to take these credits and pass the exams for each course with 70%. You don't have to go to class, you can do it via self-study.

The problem is, the people who write the material can be vague with concepts, be misinformed, or even flat out wrong on some of the things in the books. Unfortunately, this knowledge does not help me pass the exams, which were written to only test you on the really crappy parts of the study guides.

In all cases, I read and re-read every study book and took simplified notes that made the jumble of stuff that was written make more sense. The only course I knew was going to be a problem was the course on my profession--commercial real estate leases. You'd think being a commercial real estate salesperson was going to come in handy. However, as i took the test, i could already tell which ones I was going to get wrong. It was a feeling, something like when the hair on your arms kind of stands up a bit sort of thing.

I took the test, didn't look back, and gave it to the person at the desk to score. The very next thing I hear is, "Christy, you can send your renewal paperwork in." I went to the counter to get the credit sheets for my files, and started to ask about the ones i got wrong. The guy was very matter of fact, "you got 5 wrong -- you passed." I don't think he was going to show me my scores, cause in his mind, what is the point? If you pass, you pass. Who cares which ones you got wrong? So i thought better of it, took my papers, and got out of there but quick!

Thank god for the pass/fail, cause my license renewal is due in 5 days!