I'm writing this post in order to hopefully help people who are preparing to take the POSS test. Before I begin, let me disclaimer this by saying this writing is based on my observations of the POSS test I took for an AO position at Arkansas Nuclear One, which I just finished about an hour ago. I assume the POSS test given by each facility is the same anywhere you take it, but just in case it isn't, there may be some deviation due to those differences or due to my memory.
Overview: I can honestly say the practice tests provided by the EEI that we all know so well were both a great help and a slight hindrance. It was good to get an idea of the format of the test so as to keep from going in and taking it cold. The practice tests, however, were far easier than the real thing. As a former teacher, it is my opinion that practice exams should be more difficult than the real thing. In that case, if you’re proficient at taking the practice exams, the real exam will not be much of a problem. With this way of doing it, expectations going into the exam might put the examinee at a bit of a disadvantage when confronted with the real thing. This is just my opinion as a former educator.
Assembly: This test was pretty straightforward and very similar to the practice test. There were 20 problems that ranged from very easy to very complicated. It didn’t go in order either – some of the ones at the end were easy. I believe we were given 10 minutes to complete this section. I didn’t finish it – I believe I had 3 more to go when time was called.
(At this point the order of the test diverged from the practice tests, with Tables and Graphs coming next before Mechanical Concepts. The order of everything else was the same as the practice test.)
Tables and Graphs: This is one of the sections I feel was woefully misrepresented on the practice test. Well, the Table section was about the same, just far more to do – I think 40 – and 7 or 8 minutes in which to complete them. Be prepared to deal with decimals out to the thousandth place. I didn’t need a straight edge to assist me, and in fact when I began and started using a straight edge, I found it got in the way. To each his/her own – if it helps you, great. Be prepared to chunk it (not literally) if it gets in the way. The Graph part though was the kicker. We were given 4 minutes for about 15 problems. Both the x and y-axes had a far larger magnitude of scale – out to 10k or so on the x-axis – than the practice test. Not only that, but the things being plotted on the graph weren’t differentiated from each other in their respective lines. That, combined with the very small grid of the graph made reading the points quickly and accurately a very difficult affair. My recommendation here would be to try to find random line graphs online and make up your own practice test. Or better yet, have a friend make it, then administer it to you under a controlled time. Don’t just rely on the EEI-provided practice test for this section.
Mechanical Concepts: Same as the test, just more problems. There were 40 problems and 20 minutes in which to do them. Nothing really to say here. Most of these were, for lack of a better description, ‘intuitive’ in nature. In other words, many, if not most, required no fundamental knowledge of physics. This was, in my opinion, the easiest part of the entire POSS test.
Reading Comprehension: Same as the POSS and any other reading comp test you’ve ever taken. As people have said before, many of the questions can be answered with prior knowledge. Be careful of that though – just in case whoever wrote the article was slightly off or you are, always double-check any answer you give off the top of your head with the article if you have time. There were 44 questions and we were given 30 minutes. I finished with about 5 minutes to spare and had plenty of time to go back and check the fuzzy ones.
Mathematical Usage: Ah, so here’s the killer. This is the part of the test I was dreading most, and rightly so! I personally think this part should be given first, as by this time, your brain is already becoming somewhat fatigued. There were about 20 conversions, 20 algebra, and 20 word problems, and we were given 17 minutes in which to do them. I didn’t even get to the word problems, and didn’t completely finish the algebra. The conversions bank given on the practice test is not the same as on the POSS test, nor does it even include the same things. Most of the ones there are the same, but there are others like cup to tablespoon to gallon, etc. With that said, be flexible when you get to the exam. The algebra section began innocently enough, but quickly got to problems like 0.3x + 12 = 4/3x, etc. Be prepared to deal with lots of decimals.
**This is by far the portion I consider to be the hardest part of the entire POSS test. Most of everything else involves either enough time or is straightforward enough. This part gave very little time and demanded lots and lots of mental calculations. It was exhausting.
So that’s my assessment of the POSS test. Hopefully I passed – I’ll know in a week (wish they could grade it on site!). Hopefully if you’re getting ready to take it, it’ll make the test a little less ambiguous. I know I would’ve really liked to have something like this available before I took it.
