Marc Posted October 10, 2011 Report Posted October 10, 2011 I think that there are no supplements attached to that exam by the State of Louisiana. It's off-the-shelf. Marc
Scottpat Posted October 10, 2011 Report Posted October 10, 2011 Can someone explain to me how the NHIE works in varying states? My question is, my husbands test in SC is 150 total questions. I understand that each state has different requirements to get the licensing, but it sounds as though the questions for the NHIE may vary by state as well? Is this the case? Thank you! The questions on the NHIE do not change from State to State. A few States have some additional state specific questions(IL, WI, WA). The questions on the exam come from a item bank or pool so each exam will be differant as for the questions on it, but the questions will have the same difficulty and cover the same knowledge base. The NHIE will have 200 questions on it.
davidmcg Posted October 10, 2011 Report Posted October 10, 2011 You have got some great advice here. There is an analogy that I like to use that fits home inspectors just like it does anything else. The example I always use, in the military everybody has to go and get firearms qualified. in the platoon there are always those who are more familiar than others. And almost always, someone with little or no exposure seem to finish marksman or better. Not always but often enough. In most cases it seems those with the experience are over confident and don't pay attendtion to detail. because of their over confidence they fail to see that some of the traits, customs or skills they learned previously, are not compliant with the system and traditions that they are currently attempting to comply with. To put it another way, what your husband learned in the past, probably is not correct or compliant with the NHIE test. So, if that is the case he has to unlearn the processes and methods from the past. Another thing as was mentioned, have him go through the test and answer all the questions first that he is confident with, then go back and answer the questions he is less confident with. Have him be aware of key words - must, should and so on. They trip you up all the time. In every question there will always be one or two answers that are completely wrong and of the other two, one will be very close but not complete. Don't have him over study any particular section. Over studying tends to confuse and cause regression in learning. Tehn again, there is also another aspect of the test that cause problems with many people, mainly with people your husbands age and older. I am in that group. The test, is giving on a computer. Most of us your husbands age and older, we all took our tests on paper from a question booklet. It is much easier for us to review questions in that manner, than clicking a go back button, or the question review button. We just haven't adapted completely, nothing wrong with that, just fact. As for AHIT, well, many states do not recognize AHIT as meeting the basic education certification. Most states that have standards require people to take an actual in classroom 80 or 90 hour class. But AHIT is allowed for continuing education. In my case when I started into this field I signed up for AHIT on line classes. At that time I was not aware that Kansas did not allow AHIT. No one at AHIT informed me. In fact, it took a member of the KSHIRB to get AHIT to stop the practice in Kansas and refund my money. I was 1 chapter short of completing the course. I was doing in excess of 90% of each section/chapter. From there I attended a state recognized traing course in a classroom, Midwest Inspectors Institute. The training and course material was much deeper in detail than what AHIT instructed. If you all can afford it, I would look and see if there is a home inspection school in your area. Also, finding an inspector or two in your area that your husband can ride along with would help.
pageyw Posted October 10, 2011 Author Report Posted October 10, 2011 Scott, that's why I am a little confused, the SC NHIE only has 100 questions, is timed for 2.5hrs, and costs $80.00. That seems strange to me as it's not following what I see on the psi exam information regarding the NHIE. Thanks for your input!
Scottpat Posted October 10, 2011 Report Posted October 10, 2011 Scott, that's why I am a little confused, the SC NHIE only has 100 questions, is timed for 2.5hrs, and costs $80.00. That seems strange to me as it's not following what I see on the psi exam information regarding the NHIE. Thanks for your input! Hi Peggy, the SC exam is widely known to be one of the poorer home inspector exams that is being used, it has an extremely high pass ratio. It has not had a major review or overhaul since the early 2000's. It really can not be compared to the NHIE which has an average first time pass ratio in the mid 60% range. The NHIE is updated every year and undergoes a major overhaul every 4-5 years. The next major change to the NHIE should be in 2012-2013.
pageyw Posted October 12, 2011 Author Report Posted October 12, 2011 Hi everyone! So what I have found is that the SC Home Inspector exam is only 100 questions, $75, but he cannot seem to pass it. He has studied and studied and does well on the practice tests now, but we are both terrified for him to make his final attempt, because if he fails the third time he has to reapply to the state after waiting an entire year before he can make another attempt. I'm wondering if he goes to take the NHIE somewhere does that make a difference? I guess not if the state of SC requires this one! I can't tell you how much I appreciate all of your advice, we are taking every bit of it and applying it, thanks so very much.
allseason Posted October 12, 2011 Report Posted October 12, 2011 I agree with the need to take the ride alongs. This will prepare him for what to expect without the pressure. Observe both the inspector who is teaching and all the others around- clients, owners, realtors. etc. Try and go out with more than just one inspector to get a feel for different styles and personalities. Most importantly it will provide him the real world knowledge that he will never get from a classroom or test prep. I did over 50 ride alongs before I did a solo inspection and it definately helped with seeing real world situations. Within the first week of doing solo inspections I was in a house with an "octopus" hot air heat system and drank in every little bit of it. You won't see that in a classroom.
pageyw Posted January 2, 2012 Author Report Posted January 2, 2012 Hi everyone, thanks again for all of the wonderful suggestions. We are getting a copy of the book recommended for study for the SC exam and he will review that a little prior to giving his 3rd and final attempt. We also contacted AHIT and informed them of the difference with SC's exam, not being the NHIE as we were originally led to believe. They are going to help make sure instructors are aware of this moving forward. NC state may also have AHIT as an approved school of entry into the field soon, and if he can attempt the exam in NC it follows the NHIE and we live just across the line. Your tips have been very valuable and have helped him to gain even more knowledge since I was last on here. He will take the SC exam on 1/17/2012 and I will let you know how it turns out! Please keep us in your thoughts, we are determined to be successful with this and will not give up! Thanks again, and Happy New Year to all!!!
pageyw Posted June 27, 2012 Author Report Posted June 27, 2012 So time for an update! My husband failed the SC exam for the 3rd time December 2011. He now has to wait an entire year from the end date on his application, which was valid thru April 2012. So in Aprl 2013 he can re-apply to SC to take the exam again. In the meantime, NC state finally added AHIT to their approved school list, and he is going to attend a 10 day field training in NC on 7/6/2012. They will do 9 home inspections over the 10 day period. NC state offers the National exam and you can take it as many times as you need to until you pass it, if necessary. I hope this additional field training will really pay off, and sometime in 2013 he will be licensed in both states! I have to say I am so glad he is not giving up.
pageyw Posted March 22, 2013 Author Report Posted March 22, 2013 Hi everyone, is there anyone out there that has taken the exams in SC or NC? These are not the National exam, but are individual exams given by the state. My husband is still at it and is still trying to pass the exams in both states, with the "wait time" between exams, and additional trainings he has participated in, he is still striving to pass. We have found that the questions are basically written in very confusing terms, almost on purpose, to confuse and make this so difficult! I would love to chat with someone with experience with the NC and SC exams. Thank you!
Marc Posted March 22, 2013 Report Posted March 22, 2013 The test was likely designed without the services of a psychrometrician. Psychrometrics is the science of measuring knowledge. A test is about measuring knowledge so wherever a quality exam is desired, psychrometricians are employed to design them. I've taken many in various fields and there never was much I could do about it except complain. You're talking about a state exam. The state should have enough dough to afford such a professional. Marc
pageyw Posted March 22, 2013 Author Report Posted March 22, 2013 Thanks for your input Marc, that makes a lot of sense. He WILL get this eventually, you don't work so hard toward something and not finally get it!! Thanks again
Les Posted March 22, 2013 Report Posted March 22, 2013 Hey Page, There are several participants on this site that are involved with testing and examination of home inspectors. I am quite interested in the reason(s) you folks are thinking the questions are "tricky" or confusing. Give us a couple of examples and maybe we can get some discussion going regarding the question and content. Marc is correct and I doubt the state gives the exam without one of those people (psychrometrician)!
pageyw Posted March 22, 2013 Author Report Posted March 22, 2013 Thanks Les, I wish I could give you a couple of examples but he cannot remember them to provide the details. Unfortunately he does not get any sort of recap or study guides as a result of his performance on the tests. The SC exam has not been updated in years, from what I have been told, and several classmates joined him in the NC exam and they were all in agreement on the strange wording of the questions. When he takes the school exams, the National practice exams, and even the state practice exams he scores over 80 every time. I am confident he will get this eventually, just looking for some folks experienced with NC and SC specifically. Thanks for your input!
Scottpat Posted March 23, 2013 Report Posted March 23, 2013 Thanks Les, I wish I could give you a couple of examples but he cannot remember them to provide the details. Unfortunately he does not get any sort of recap or study guides as a result of his performance on the tests. The SC exam has not been updated in years, from what I have been told, and several classmates joined him in the NC exam and they were all in agreement on the strange wording of the questions. When he takes the school exams, the National practice exams, and even the state practice exams he scores over 80 every time. I am confident he will get this eventually, just looking for some folks experienced with NC and SC specifically. Thanks for your input! If I recall correctly the SC exam is one of the easier exams and is not given or owned by the state but by the testing provider for the state, I think it is PSI, AMP or maybe Pearson Vue. Anyway it is a psychometric designed exam. Some folks are just not cutout to be an inspector. If you have poor recall knowledge, poor communication/comprehension skills or poor mechanical aptitude this profession might not be for you.
Eric B Posted March 23, 2013 Report Posted March 23, 2013 When licensing came to my state I had been in the business for about 8 years. I wasn't concerned with what I knew, what bothered me was taking the test. I went to a class to prep us for the exam and what I learned was that applying your field experience could work against you when answering exam questions. My tendency is to read too much into the questions (too much "what if" thinking) - in the field I look at things with the blinders off. For the exam I had to concentrate on exactly what was being asked with no over-analyzing which is my normal approach. In essence we were told to get into an exam mindset, take the exam, then get back into the reality of inspecting. My other advice - get your husband on this forum and have him go to some local home inspector meetings.
resqman Posted March 24, 2013 Report Posted March 24, 2013 The NC exam only has a bank of 200 questions. Some of the questions are completely insane and have no correct answer. Which location is it ok to have an open wiring connection? A) Attic B) Crawlspace C)Garage Dick Pontello of NECHS runs a prep class for the NC exam. Tells you the answer the state wants for the question. Not the correct answer, the one the state wants. http://www.homeinspectionedu.com/ Worth the money if you want to pass the NC exam. 2 day class he offers multiple times a year around the state. Dick is a licensed home inspector in NC and has been teaching/inspecting since before licensing was adopted in NC. Dick gives you a list of ALL the questions and the answers for the NC exam. If you husband cant pass the exam aftering taking Dicks class, your husband needs to find a new career. Seriously.
pageyw Posted April 11, 2013 Author Report Posted April 11, 2013 Thank you all for the input, my husband is definitely cut out to be a home inspector, of that I am confident and I will not even plant the seed in his mind that this profession is not for him. He is not a great test taker, that is correct, but he knows this stuff inside and out now after attending trainings for NC and SC over the past 2 years and working in various constructions fields for over 20 years. Recently he has worked side by side with plumbers and hvac personnel to gain more knowledge in those areas, which I hope will help. I will defininitely share the other input, but not the negativity, that is not good for keeping him going! I appreciate the positive input that comes from your experience. And I do appreciate the input from the experience in NC, that is very valuable. His instructor did is taking the NC exam soon to offer input back to AHIT. Thanks again for all of the positive support!
pageyw Posted April 11, 2013 Author Report Posted April 11, 2013 Bruce, thank you very much, my husband can take the NC exam again after August, so we will definitely look into this additional training. This is wonderful, appreciate it!!
Tom Raymond Posted April 11, 2013 Report Posted April 11, 2013 Is he dyslexic? If so he might be eligible for some assistance for the exam. You should talk to his doctor. Dyslexia won't have any impact on his ability to perform as a home inspector, but it will make completing, let alone passing, a poorly constructed test damned near impossible.
pageyw Posted April 13, 2013 Author Report Posted April 13, 2013 Is he dyslexic? If so he might be eligible for some assistance for the exam. You should talk to his doctor. Dyslexia won't have any impact on his ability to perform as a home inspector, but it will make completing, let alone passing, a poorly constructed test damned near impossible. Ha, well I don't know? He's never been tested for that! We are early 40's so he hasn't been in school in a long, long time, so who knows! Another possible thought! We did receive a letter back from the NC Home Inspector Licensure Board revising his score by 2 points, advising that many questions have 2 correct answers and the trick is to select the best one. That was a little more encouraging, just at least indicating that he has not lost his mind. I think the "most likely" statements definitely throw a wrench in his though processes. And the biggest problem is if you fail these tests, not getting to know where you went wrong makes you second guess yourself the next time around on questions you may have gotten right. In our experience anyway. Thanks for your feedback!
pageyw Posted April 13, 2013 Author Report Posted April 13, 2013 The NC exam only has a bank of 200 questions. Some of the questions are completely insane and have no correct answer. Which location is it ok to have an open wiring connection? A) Attic B) Crawlspace C)Garage Dick Pontello of NECHS runs a prep class for the NC exam. Tells you the answer the state wants for the question. Not the correct answer, the one the state wants. http://www.homeinspectionedu.com/ Worth the money if you want to pass the NC exam. 2 day class he offers multiple times a year around the state. Dick is a licensed home inspector in NC and has been teaching/inspecting since before licensing was adopted in NC. Dick gives you a list of ALL the questions and the answers for the NC exam. If you husband cant pass the exam aftering taking Dicks class, your husband needs to find a new career. Seriously. My husband is going to invest the money for Dick's class, we thank you for this information. We reviewed his website and being totally geared to NC this is perfect. We will continue his pursuit of the SC license in the meantime, he can take NC again in August. Thanks for your information
Marc Posted April 13, 2013 Report Posted April 13, 2013 Come to think of it...a lousy exam that frustrates HI hopefuls might work in favor of the existing practitioners by dropping the pass rate and reducing the incoming competition that they have to reckon with. I wonder if some of that figures into what's happening in NC. Marc
Tom Raymond Posted April 13, 2013 Report Posted April 13, 2013 I doubt it. It's just another poorly constructed test assembled by people who don't know the answers to the questions they are writing.
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