Preparing for the Water Treatment Exam

When I hear that someone is going to take a certification exam, I’m torn between offering sympathy or advice. Having taken many, many tests (the most recent being a professional engineering exam) and having done regulatory and math training for operators studying to take certification exams, I believe I am qualified to extend condolences as well as offer suggestions. First, be prepared. Learn the subject matter thoroughly and organize what materials you will need for the test. Some specific techniques are: • Use a checklist, summary sheet, or flash cards to review the material; • Take practice tests; • Avoid cramming prior to the exam; • Get a good night's sleep the night before; • Strive for a relaxed state of concentration; and • Remember to breathe. To be better prepared, operators need to know which learning style or combination of styles (reading, listening, writing, observation or doing) works best for them. The more learning styles you can combine, the better. For instance, an operator taking an exam for Backflow Assembly Tester should have a higher success rate of passing exams by reading the material, listening to an instructor or someone else knowledgeable on the subject, taking notes, observing the procedure, and performing the procedure. For math problems, the best way to figure out which equation to use and how to solve the problem is to determine what unit of measure you are solving for and list the data you have to work with in units of measure. Double check your answers. [ad#Post Body] When all else fails and you face multiple-choice answers, eliminate the obviously wrong answer(s) and reverse calculate if you can. Comprehensive operator study materials are available from California State University Sacramento Office of Water Programs (www.owp.csus.edu) and the American Water Works Association (www.awwa.org). For additional training, visit the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Drinking Water Academy (www.epa.gov/safewater/dwa.html). The Association of Boards of Certification has a Web-based, very small, water system operator certification practice exam, however they charge $20 (www.abccert.org). Practice operator exams are available from the Evergreen Rural Water of Washington (www.erwow.org/practicetest.htm). Finally, remember that the person who seeks out answers to questions they do not know and knows where to go for the answers will be diligent and successful.