Question Number: 24382

Other 11/25/2010

RE: Other

Carl Larsen of Vancouver, Canada asks...

This question is a follow up to question 24358

Thank you all for your response!
Is it a common practise in the USA to do referee certification online?
Would that not make the exam more of an open book practise situation?

Soccer questions in general are not usually fraught with trickery unless the asking body has managed to corrupt the thinking processes. If indeed those taking such tests (Frankly such tests unless monitored and timed are meerly fact collecting expiditions more than a true test of practical knowledge!

One should expect 100% or near that for such type of exams since the answers are posted all over the internet in some form or another! Mind you sorting fact from fiction is no less of a headache given some of the tainted products available online!

Perhaps if as you think it is a copyrighted question from the questioner lifted from a state or goverment approved program you could explicitly ask if this is so if you choose to respond? Suggesting that since this individual is looking/asking for confirmation you would like to see their thoughts on the matter first?

In retrospect perhaps the exchange is more of in the way of a discussion board as opposed to student/teacher. Thanks for taking the time to respond and using your collective wisdom to make the game as beautiful to those still not sold on the idea as it is to those of us already converted! :o)

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Carl
All questions that are asked through certification are answered through reference to the Laws of the Game. The rationale behind any examination is to encourage the studying of the chosen material and demonstraing an understanding of the knowledge. If the site were to give candidates the answer to certification questions it would not 'benefit' them other than getting a 100% score which defeats the purpose of the certification process.
The site and others are to assist referees in their interpretation of the Laws in certain situations

Answer provided by Referee Gary Voshol

I have seen or heard reports that online testing is done in Connecticut, Colorado, Missouri and Minnesota. There's probably others.

Minnesota also does part of their referee certification course online; students must interact with the presentation to assure that they have been paying attention, not just advancing pages.

Answer provided by Referee Dennis Wickham

Online testing and webinars are not common. But with thousands of referees to recertify each year, they are convenient.

Creating good test questions is a difficult skill. Reading skills may not match the skills in observing on the field and getting the correct decision. Questions may test knowledge of the exception, rather than the general rule. The answer today may be different from the answer three years ago.

Getting a 100 percent score is quite special. I've never done it.