A training service provider shares some tips for those who need to write and pass before the end of September.
As candidates are scrambling to the deadline of 30 September, it appears that their discretion with material and training service providers leaves much to be desired.
There are several sets of training material out there, some way below standard. There are regrettably many facilitators who are simply not worth the spend! In one case, one of my trainees purchased a set of exam-type questions from a developer for close to R500. He claimed that his questions were basically identical to that of the official question bank. When I went through these questions, I was absolutely disgusted! Not only were they way off the mark, but his interpretation when challenged, was completely skewed.
Please caution “repeaters” to exercise the utmost discretion with:
- Training material – there is a reason why the FAIS Registrar refuses to endorse the material of any one Service Provider. When he says “use the legislation”, he means it! Legislation is extremely sensitive, and some developers have taken the liberty of rewording the law, or simply offering their own unqualified interpretations. Do not be fooled … use the legislation!
- Facilitators – there are several unqualified facilitators jumping onto the ban(k)d-wagon. Check the credentials of the facilitator you entrust your career with. Did your facilitator pass the RE themselves?? Do they have any contactable references?
- Mock questions – be wary of mock papers that do not reflect the same level of complexity as those in the RE. Unless the question developer has some inside information (which is highly unlikely due to the robust security systems in place), they are simply just guessing! There are far too many candidates who come to my sessions having memorised mock questions and often incorrect answers … at their own expense. Remember that any mock question you attempt has been drawn up by a human being, and has not gone through the rigorous quality assurance processes as the official questions.
Wise words, and good advice from someone who put her money where her mouth is, and passed both RE 1 and RE 5.
