Just took the POSS/MASS/BMST, a reflection

[B.PRESGROVE]

Great job!!!  Let us know how the interview went.

[turkdavid]

Good job passing the test. I have been lingering around and getting some tips on where to start for the practice test for a coal plant. I thought that the information here has been most helpful to me up to this point. Futher more, I took the POSS test on Friday and found all of the sections to be fairly easy up to the Math. I was able to finish about 50% of the conversion 25% of the algebra and 20% of the word problems. What stumped me the most was the conversion I spent too much time on them not know them by heart. I am confident that answers that I did answer are right, so I hope that I was able to answer enough. Surprisingly math is my best subject, but I feel that I did the worst there.

Tips I wished I knew before taking the test was to memorize the conversions needed to answer the questions in the practice test. I know the questions were diffrent, but I would not have had to look up at the chart so much if I had memorized it.  I feel there is just not enough time to finish the math section with out knowing these conversions.

[Fermi2]

Dude you might not have answered enough

[HydroDave63]

Tips I wished I knew before taking the test was to memorize the conversions needed to answer the questions in the practice test. I know the questions were diffrent, but I would not have had to look up at the chart so much if I had memorized it.  I feel there is just not enough time to finish the math section with out knowing these conversions.

Being able to do math correcty on the fly is an essential function of the job duties of an operator. That's what helps make the POSS tests a good predictor of potential future success

[clcartwr]

Hey guys,
Just took my POSS test about 2 1/2 weeks ago for a SGPO position at TVA.  Just want to thank everyone for the great information!  The information helped out dearly on the test.  I went into the test expecting the worst but it really was not that bad.  I finished most of the sections and on the ones that I did not finish I only skipped a few questions.  Thought I would share my experiences!   Just for the record I am finishing up a bachelor's degree in Physics from the University of Mississippi.  I was actually contacted by a TVA recruiter to apply for the position (I do have a few connections with them) so that was nice!  Anyways I hope to hear the results from the test soon.  I was told the wait could be up to 10 weeks :S !!

BTW to anyone planning to take the POSS:  Search this forum well.  There is a wealth of information.  Even if you don't pass the test it will be a great challenge and learning experience!

[jc]

I took the POSS for TVA recently as well. It took exactly seven weeks to get the results. I don't know if that's typical, but it might give you some idea of when to expect them.

[turkdavid]

Good job passing the test. I have been lingering around and getting some tips on where to start for the practice test for a coal plant. I thought that the information here has been most helpful to me up to this point. Futher more, I took the POSS test on Friday and found all of the sections to be fairly easy up to the Math. I was able to finish about 50% of the conversion 25% of the algebra and 20% of the word problems. What stumped me the most was the conversion I spent too much time on them not know them by heart. I am confident that answers that I did answer are right, so I hope that I was able to answer enough. Surprisingly math is my best subject, but I feel that I did the worst there.

Tips I wished I knew before taking the test was to memorize the conversions needed to answer the questions in the practice test. I know the questions were diffrent, but I would not have had to look up at the chart so much if I had memorized it.  I feel there is just not enough time to finish the math section with out knowing these conversions.

Dude you might not have answered enough

Just thought I give you guys an update. I just got my letter in the mail today and I pased. I probley barley but I passed. Just thought I give anyone hope that even if you dont answer many of the ?s on the math part you still have a chance to pass.

[BoilerHP]

Hello All,

So for the last 2 months I have been meticulously reviewing all the vast information on this site regarding the POSS, so I wanted to throw in my few cents. I briefly used this website for health physics information a while back, but after I did not pass the POSS in October I was determined to find out more about it and understand why I did not pass... searching google about POSS and low and behold all this information was right under my nose on this website:(

I am scheduled to take it again in January... I believe the reason I did not pass the test was my math section and I was probably close on the graphing section as well. I came down to me taking WAY to much time on this exam. I have a great deal of experience with upper division math and physics, but this exam was humbling in regards to the speed at which I could do basic head math.

I personally believe there are a number of questions that are all most designed to be skipped. They are very solvable, but they require more than 2 or 3 manipulations to get the answer, the time is simply to valuable to waste on these few questions. This is where I went wrong on my first time... I attempted to solve these and I may have gotten them right (I hope) but I could have easily gotten 2-5 easy no brainer problems in the same time frame.

Tip #1: If you look at the problem and quickly recognize it will take more than a 20-30 seconds to solve... make an educated guess or skip and try and come back to it (differing opinions on this) but the key is to not spend to much time on a single problem.

Tip #2: On the math problems a good chunk of the time you don't need to fully solve each problem, just the first couple numbers... it is multiple choice.

Tip #3: Go with your gut, especially on the mechanical aptitude and graphing (in graphing there are lots of lines and tables so you gotta be confident that you are right)

Tip #4: Reading section is the easiest, I would suggest reading the question and then scanning to find the answer. Some of the topics if you are familiar with you don't even need to read. They do not put false information in the passages.

Tip #5: Studying; make sure to memorize some of those random conversions from the practice test. There are two versions of the Math section, from what I gather the longer one will have identical or very similar conversions... the second shorter one is based on algebraic manipulations. I also recommend to practice doing fraction and decimal math very quickly in your head. (I am having my girlfriend spit out a problem and I would try and answer it as quickly as possible).

Tip #6: Once you do the practice test, be sure to attempt to do each section in the time limit suggested. As I mentioned earlier it was not my knowledge of material but the speed that I answered was my fatal flaw. Be sure you learn from me!

Tip #7: Read ALL MATERIAL from EEI; the information in the testing brochure and heading of the practice test is simple... but it will help ease the nerves and may actually answer a question or two you may have regarding the exam.

Hope all this helps and feel free to add to anything I may have missed. If you have taken the test recently please add your experiences here as well! Again this is all just my personal opinion.

Cheers!

[Fermi2]

Don't ever skip ANYTHING on the POSS. GUESS if you have to. You have to get a certain amount complete just to get it graded.

Get an ASVAB Study Guide.
Take the first exam. Time yourself.
Shave 3 to 5 minutes off the time.
Take test 2. Time yourself
Shave more time.
Take test 3 and so on.

IT WORKS!

[HydroDave63]

I've gotta concur with BZ here..... the POSS is not only meant to see how well you take a test, but as an overall predictor of the test taker's success as a trainee in classroom training, and also as an independent plant or process operator on shift. In neither of those cases will you be successful if the only strategy is to skip the hard ones and move on.

Your Tip #4 may also be wrong, in that a good exam write will use distractors that sound close enough to be believable. The reason that there are POSS questions involving reading a short paragraph and then answering questions with in a short timeframe is to gauge your ability to read NEW material and correctly comprehend the information given in that material. Or, someone can prove me wrong, game the POSS test, hire on, and fail out of AO training or GFE training.....life is full of choices!

[BoilerHP]

Broadzilla: I guess I should have written that slightly different, when I meant skip.. to me is an "educated guess". I have done what was recommended and used the ASVAB book from a local library.

Hydro: My dad is a teacher and I have been a teaching assistant for numerous college courses so I can say you are a 100% right about a good test write. I know from the POSS I took as well as the practice exam and from what others have said a long with me, the reading section is very simple. I did not say "don't read at all" I said: "Reading section is the easiest, I would suggest reading the question and then scanning to find the answer." As for the second part of my answer, the information is often not super detailed in the POSS passage. For example there may be a passage about the *basic* set up of a nuclear plant or fossil plant. If you are confident enough to answer these based on your knowledge, by all means go ahead. But this goes back to the first part of my Tip #4... was to confirm your answer by finding it in the passage.

[Fermi2]

I never read the paragraphs in the reading section well at least after the first one. I realized the questions were mostly straight forward and in many cases just definitions. They also came straight in order from the paragraphs. So  3 Paragraphs  would have  6 questions, two from each paragraph in the order the subject appeared in a paragraph. I had time to spare in the reading part.

Mike

[BoilerHP]

Exactly, that was the method I used and seems many people used from reading other posts. I think this section can be completed very well with that method and it gives you some time to recollect yourself for the math section (by far the hardest)... which I can't recall may be the following section.

[lionhart]

I recently passed the POSS and completed all of the questions except for the math.  I answered all of the easy quick questions on the math section first.  I did all the one step quick conversions, then I answered all the one step quick Algebra, then the quick word problems.  Then I went back and started on the tougher conversions....... Answered a few more then moved on to the Algebra.  I did this until time ran out.  I by no means finished the math section, but I only answered the questions I knew and I did not guess on any.  I left more than a few blank.  The way I understood the test was that you have to answer so many questions for the test to even be graded, but (like the SAT) it hurts you more to guess wrong than it does to just skip the question.

[BoilerHP]

That is my exact attack plan for when I am taking it in about a week. Another tool I have been using that I did not mention before is actually a GRE/GMAT math study book. I noticed that the book covers all of the math material on the POSS and then some. I would highly recommend this to other people worried about this section, but you MUST practice speed when studying. I also have a few GRE books but I find the math study guide is a to much on the complex word problem side opposed to the arithmetic and basic algebra. Hope this helps you all!

[underpar3535]

I just received my letter to take the POSS Test for the Pre Employment Process. I have a friend who is an AUO at a Fossil Plant but he said when he took his test Nuclear was the only section he didn't qualify for. How much higher is the criteria to qualify for the Nuke side versus the Fossil side. RvExotics I also was wondering how u would study Math Concepts if u had to do it over again. I am really stressing out about this test I have been studying but still very stressful. If anyone has any tips or pointers to help they would be greatly appreciated. I have read it seems like every thread on these forums and it seems as if some of the information you receive is conflicting. I am sure that probably has to do with each person's individual experience and how they perceived the process.

[jc]

If anyone has any tips or pointers to help they would be greatly appreciated.

I tried not to spend too much time on any one problem. On each section, I went through and knocked out all the easy problems. Then I made another pass and got some of the more difficult ones, and then again until I ran out of time for that section. I worked on the assumption that a time-consuming problem isn't worth any more points than an easy one. I don't know if that's really the case, but I passed so I guess it worked for me. This was for TVA, if that matters.

I see you're in TN; are you testing for Brown's Ferry NSGPO?

[BoilerHP]

I would recommend reading the post about "short math section" and "Another view and take on the POSS" I posted both of these and have all my advice on them. I am taking the POSS on the 16th and I am going to be using JC's method for the math section. I give some advice on studying material in the other posts (ASVAB and GRE/GMAT math workbook) Best of luck and keep us posted!

[BoilerHP]

Took the POSS about an hour ago, my biggest recommendation to anyone is to study the ASVAB Math, Assembly, Reading, and Mechanical sections. Then time yourself doing the POSS practice exam. I did this and got a feel of my natural speed and the speed I need to be at. The conversions were not the same as the practice exam, but there are a lot of the same units. I memorized them anyways, this I felt allowed me to do some problems faster. The word problems varied but where very similar to:

How many miles will a car travel that is going 50mph in 3hr and 45min?

What is the diameter of a basketball with a circumference of 34.76 inches?

Algebra:
.4/X=20
.7-4X=1.3

I finished all sections but Tables and Graphs and I was able to do 36/46 in Math (I skipped through and did the ones I felt I could definitely answer.) Hope this helps someone and feel free to PM for further questions. Should know by Friday if I passed.

[Fermi2]

Didn't I say before to use the ASVAB?

Mike

[BoilerHP]

Yes Mike, you said it a few times actually (to be conservative), so have I (at least 3 times)... but people keep asking for recommendations especially since I took it so recently; so I gave it to them. A few people were wondering what specific sections of the ASVAB they should study, why I brought that up.

I am sure in the relatively near future the internet will use mind reading technology to search topics so things won't be as repetitive... as in people will start to use the search function (as you so diligently point out for people to use).

[BoilerHP]

Just got the call... I passed! Thanks to everyone who has contributed to the forum as it was a great help.

[UncaBuffalo]

Just got the call... I passed! Thanks to everyone who has contributed to the forum as it was a great help.

SCORE!  Congrats! 

[BoilerHP]

Thanks!
Hopefully I will know officially which site tomorrow.

[Fermi2]

Congrats, with your ability to learn from your past and accept the learnings of others I'm pretty certain you'll be a definite asset to some lucky utility.

Mike