2015-10-18 - 7:59 p.m.

I know this is not very exciting
I at least found an article that concisely captured changes. Now all I have to do is MEMORIZE the changes...

http://www.centrelawgroup.com/keeping-it-simple-sometimes-acquisition-thresholds-are-changing-or-not/

What is so annoying is I just did very well on someone's practice CFCM exam posted HERE :

http://www.proprofs.com/quiz-school/story.php?title=mini-exam-procurment

Very well as in got a couple (and only a couple) of questions wrong on my first attempt at this little quiz, that is until the site froze on me. I then went back (and honestly since JUST took over half of it and KNEW the three or four questions I had wrong before) , then got 100% .

That is just annoying frankly. Because this used many of the same, repeated questions actually in the NCMA practice tests. It seems like the NCMA KNOW people buy their material and STUDY it, so then they are SURE to have NEW questions on the actual exam.

So the actual exam then is not a test of ability to STUDY and MEMORIZE a test! They then ask more specific questions, so it becomes a test of not merely FAMILIARITY with the FAR (which it purports to be) but a test of ability to actually MEMORIZE ACTUL PROVISIONS and know which # in particular corresponds with a particular regulation.

That is just the kind of memorization I STINK AT. Its not enough to understand the law and how to apply it, one has to be able to cite it, or when given a provision then be able to identify its actual provision number.

Sheesh...

I am disappointed as I REALLY, REALLY , REALLY WANTED TO SHIFT FOCUS BACK TO BAR EXAM STUDY ABOUT SIX WEEKS AGO!!!

I felt like doing so would give me ample time to learn federal civil procedure and learn the gaps I have in other areas to have a shot at passing that test in FEB.

I KNOW MYSELF enough that it BEST to knock off this professional exam BEFORE shifting gears BACK to the BAR study;

Which means I can't delve into that just now. I will forget all these granular details... like who the hell has the responsibility of ensuring cost accounting standards are met. Is is the CO or CAO??

The thing that is REALLY STUPID is that this is a threshold test to be able to be hired in ANY One of those many procurement roles. Exactly as the BAR is a THRESHOLD Requirement to be able to then be a laywer in ANY ONE OF THE MANY SPECIALIZED AREAS OF LAW. When one actually works in the REAL world they then LEARN THEIR PARTICULAR JOB. Yet one can't even work in the PARTICULAR more focued area until they pass a what is thought to be a GENERAL TEST which just so happens to include very specific, particular, granular knowledge in MANY AREAS.
I just don't get it.
BOTH Exams are tests of MEMORY and skill at spitting back info.

YES the BAR EXAM does test reasoning and writing and skill at crafting arguments. But the trouble there is that if one crafts an argument that is NOT on the template of what the exam graders EXPECT, it is hit or miss as to whether the grader will give credit for it. I have had to work VERY HARD at stating what I always thought was the obvious as it never occurred to me that stating the obvious was where half the points were in each
BAR EXAM Essay (until I took one of those prep courses that TEACHES THE TEST METHODOLOGY).

So at least I have those resources and can learn how to prepare for the test.

Yet with this CFCM exam I find it frustrating that when one pays for the NCMA materials and DOES study and then DOES go through the hoops of memorization of all they recommend that then the test is HARDER. They tested on different items. YES I KNOW that its not realistic to expect one to , for example, ONLY READ CLIFF NOTES and memorize them and then be able to be considered an expert if they never read the damn book. So I GET IT that they WANT to be sure one REALLY KNOWS the material before they pass you in the professional exam. I GET IT that they intentionally won't let you re-take the test for 30 days if you fail, likely as they want to craft a new exam and BE SURE It is Not VERBATUM and Exactly the same because somehow that would be deemed not a fair assessment of actual knowledge. So I get that, but it seems that the recent test I took and failed with a 68% was HARDER than the first one . After my first 64% I studied and learned so much more. I had a 98%, and just got I am guessing at least 85% on a practice quiz (100% second round of that), which lead me to believe all the practice materials out there are not nearly as challenging as the real exam.

That's what is frustrating. I mean I shouldn't go into an exam having mastered all the practice materials and after having studied so hard on what the organization SAID would be tested and then get DIFFERENT material such that I only get a 68%.

Frustrating... But
I will keep studying with whatever I can find, but I feel like trying to memorize the whole darn FAR might be the only REAL way to actually be fully prepared!

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