Laser Eye Surgery

Once you complete your BPAD it's time to have your eyes tested. The good people at Applicant Testing Services are not optometrists but do try their best to give you the best test they can. If you wear eye glasses or contact lenses chances are you will not meet the standard to pass this portion of your testing and you may be required to get laser eye surgery if you wish to move forward. I needed laser eye surgery and I researched every type of surgery available. First what I would recomd before you even go in for your stage one testing is take a trip to the optometrists and have an eye test. See if you ultimately will need eye surgery and if you can afford. Your uncorrected vision (without glassess or contacts) must be 20/40. I was 20/80! I had my eyes evaluated before I even went in to write my stage one tests.

Choosing an opthamologist/surgeon to do your procedure can be difficult. For me, I chose Lasik Eye Surgery and opted to drive all the way out to Fort Eerie, Ontario. The reason why I drove to Fort Eerie was because of the Lasik Centre surgeon, Dr. Teal. She had an excellent reputation, could see me soon and charged a moderate price. The exact price, for me it was $2,400 for both eyes. For you it could be different because the price is based on the work that needs to be done to your eyes specifically. I know there are places where you can have this procedure done for cheaper but Dr. Teal is one of the best and is well worth the drive.

It was May of 2007 (almost a year ago) when I had my Lasik Eye Surgery. Let me first tell you that the surgery is very simple, there are a few jarring things about it like seeing the flap of you eye ball being peeled back or the scent emitted by the laser as it shapes your eyes. Also, many people don't realize that you absolutely must wear 100% u.v. sunglasses when outdoors during daylight hours for not merely a week after your surgery but for months. Yes, this is true. The u.v. rays will cause your surgery to regress, this is not what you want as those who do not wear sunglasses often find themselves going back for a second procedure. You must even wear sunglasses on dark or overcast days. What I recommend is buying two pairs of sunglasses, a dark tint for bright days and a light tint for overcast days. Also, insure that the lenses cover your entire eye, if u.v. rays are leaking in from the sides you're still doing damage. Also, you really must follow the specific directions of not rubbing your eyes, lubricate every half hour with preservative free eye drops, use your medicated eye drops at the right intervals. It will seem like a bit much at the time because there are so many tiny details however, remember the more attention you pay to these details the faster your eyes will heal and the better your quality of eyesight will be!

Here is the tricky part about the procedure, getting your eyes evaluated and passed for a successful mark on your certificate of results. Applicant Testing Services will provide you with all the paperwork, information and contact numbers you will need to complete this paperwork. Despite all the misinformation out there on policing forums, you do not have to wait a year. I was afraid of this myself when I first had my surgery and thought I would have to wait, this isn't so. Your eyes heal slowly but they heal quick enough. The day after your surgery you have a follow-up with the surgeon to make sure everything is okay and that you're eyes are healing well. Usually one week after your surgery you have another follow-up but this time with your optometrist at this time your optometrist will test your eye sight as long as it is 20/40 or better you're okay. This is the first portion of the paperwork done, then twenty one days later you come back and have your eyes tested again, if you once more meet 20/40 or better you have completed the last part of the 21 day waiting period. Thus far it has been simple the tricky part comes in to play now as you will have to wait to visit a specific opmtometrist to finish your testing. These final tests include air being blown and measured by pressure onto your eyes as you focus on a moving image, then your night vision will be tested. If you pass this final hurdle you receive a clean bill of health. So, to reiterate, it only takes 21 days to get a clean bill of health and have your eyes approved for a pass on your COR.

I used to wear my glasses everyday for weeks after the surgery I used to reach for my face where my glasses were to remove them before bed, it was a funny feeling. I must admit for months after the surgery my eyes were very sensitive to light and felt "grainy" or as if something was in them, I had the desire to itch or rub them often but I didn't and I am very happy with the result of my eye surgery.

Behavioural Personnel Assessment Device

When you receive a successful grade on all your stage one testing you will be invited back to complete your stage two testing which includes the Behavioural Personnel Assessment Device for Police (B-PAD). The BPAD is an oral exam, you do it alone in a room, completely by yourself. There are no actors or judicators in the room with you. There is however a video camera which records your responses to the pre-recorded video’s shown on a television monitor. Behavioural Assessment tests like the B-PAD you will experience during your stage two testing are vastly under supplied for preparation material, even the Applicant Testing website has no preparation material for the test so lets first go over the basics. The camera is filmed from a first person perspective so, imagine you are there, the actors on screen look directly into the camera and address you. It is important that you don’t crack up, laugh or choke on this exam, treat it like real life. Although, you will be playing the part of a Police Constable you’re not expected to know laws or Police protocol. You are supposed to react “naturally”. I don’t believe that everyone acts naturally the way judicators are looking for when they look back at your test tapes so I’m going to touch on a program that is often recommended. It is “Crisis Prevention” or “Crisis Prevention Intervention” (CPI). My employment before my interest in joining the Police and even during my testing to become a Police Constable provided “Crisis Prevention Intervention” as a mandatory certification for all employees. I do believe that CPI training is of value as preparation material for the B-PAD however, you can not walk into the B-PAD and expect to pass on your first try without appropriate practice. Here’s why, the situations that you are faced with are many, I believe eight in total and they are very much “in your face” you need to be relaxed, maintain composure and be on your toes with quick answers. I felt anxious going in even after preparing with my mentor, John Belisle. My method was after the situation played out I would take a deep breath that allowed myself a moment to collect my thoughts and then began speaking. I didn’t say anything without thinking about it first, this meant I said some short sentences, took a breath and then followed up. This is fine and allows you to not just think about what you’re saying but also the tone you want to say it in. If someone is in despair you should act appropriately, the look on your face and the tone of your voice should reflect it. Are you being consoling, comforting? Also, if the situation calls for you to be stern, can you hear it in your voice? Do you have a look of confidence and control?

I stand behind the material offered on TestReadyPro.com because it’s what I used to pass the B-PAD, the self-assessment marking sheet is a great tool and I recommend you try it with your friends in stead of practicing alone in the mirror, the more you practice to the video scenarios and mark yourself based on your response, the better you will be at coming up with appropriate answers to the scenarios on your actual B-PAD. Also, I find many people ask me about how long their answers should be. Obviously you should identify yourself and ask some probing questions, with those points down all you need to do is respond to what you’re seeing and any questions you’ve been asked. By now you’ve said all you need to say. On average you should for a minimum of 10 seconds. Remember, the preparation material is there so that you don’t find yourself stuck, with nothing to say, instead you have experience which is practical to your B-PAD and to your future career in policing.

Physical Readiness Evaluation for Police (PREP)

The final test on your stage one test day is the PREP. I talked a lot last week about preparing for the PREP and getting yourself into an exercise routine that will prepare you for the PREP but also your future at the Ontario Police College. Running is a big part. The best preparation you can have for the PREP is running it before you actually go, if you haven't gone yet or are not currently signed up, sign up for TestReadyPro's TrainingDay. I did it a year ago and it really helped me. Not only will you review the entire PREP and work on exercise routines but you will spend at least an hour with John Belisle, he makes a presentation on the interview process, competencies and will answer your questions. Although I feel the training day is the best preparation you can get for the PREP and interviewing lets talk about exactly what you will do in the last hour of your stage one test day. The first portion of the PREP is the pursuit/restraint circuit. The total distance is 100 metres and although running is involved you can jog it, I would recommend jogging as to save yourself for the shuttle run which follows the pursuit/restraint circuit. During the pursuit/restraint circuit you must wear a 9 pound belt that simulates equipment a Police Constable would wear in the field. The first part of the circuit is pursuit where you will run/job 25 metres, go up a set four stairs, touch the top stair and go down a set of four stairs. You must touch the top step, when going up the stairs I recommend you only touch two stairs on the way up, coming down do the same but turn your body and feet slightly to take advantage of the length of your foot across the width of the step, these stairs are narrow and easy to trip on, especially when you're rushing! You will do this pursuit four times but on the second and fourth time you will jump over a four foot wall. When jumping the wall you must make sufficent contact to make jumping it safe. There are a variety of ways to make contact with the wall and it will be demonstrated for you on the test day before you run the circuit. You now move into the body control simulator where you will push. Here you're allowed two different techniques with your feet, I recommend turning your hips and crossing over as it allows for you to complete this portion the fastest. Once you complete six arcs you move left to the arm restraint simulator. Grab the grips low and squeeze. Again, grabbing them low is easier. You move back to the previous machine you were on, the body control simulator where you will now pull, in this portion you are only allowed to use the shuffle technique, going foot to foot. This is fine but try and sit back, really whip yourself around and take advantage of the full width you can get your legs spread, if so, you will complete this portion faster. You now go back to the arm restraint simulator executing the same technique of grabbing the grip low. You're almost finished, the home run stretch is lifting a 150 pound dummy "rescue randy" and dragging him 15 metres. Grab him by his wrists, lift his arms so that his upper body is not making contact with the floor and drag!! I can't tell you out of all the times how many people I've seen have the friction of his back dragging along the ground, lift him up so that only his butt and legs are dragging, it will make it easier on your quads and you will be faster.

Thats it, you finished the pursuit/restraint circuit and hopefully within two minutes and forty two seconds. Now, you get a minimum of ten minutes to cool down and relax (if you can) before you run the 20 metre shuttle run beep test. If you're not a strong runner please read over last weeks post then email me if you need additional instruction, running is something I've spent a considerable amount of time and money getting better at and I don't mind sharing my knowledge on the subject and recommending resources where you can find the information and help you need to get yourself ready.

Between the circuit and shuttle run, you should not consume a lot of water, it could cause you to cramp while running.The shuttle run is exactly six and a half minutes of running. It starts at stage 0 and goes up to stage six and one half. Each stage is not one minute long, in fact the time between stage six and six and one half is only two laps!! I've said this before on the forum but I really want to reiterate this, if you can't go on, stop thinking about running, keep a fast paced song in your head, remember a motivational running quote, think of something else but keep your mind off the track. This is only six and a half minutes of your life... you can do this! Don't let the sound of the beeps speeding up and getting higher in frequency psych you out.

Preparing for the PREP

Let me start by saying this was the most challenging portion of the entire process for me. In May of 2007 I was out of shape and approximately forty to fifty pounds overweight. I rarely did aerobic exercise as I simply didn’t have time. The first time I took the PREP, I failed. I was able to pass the circuit but dropped out of the shuttle run at only four and a half. I had two months to prepare for the PREP and let myself down, I felt horrible however, I did pass both my PATI and WCT that day so I had some feeling of accomplishment. You can retest on the PREP immediately but I waited two months, spent the entire summer preparing and when I went back in, I aced the PREP, in fact, I kept running after 6.5 because I want to be sure I had passed! Let me firstly tell you that the way I prepared for the PREP originally was not right, I began by running outdoors, trying to run 1.4 miles in under eleven minutes. This was all wrong because I was running on the sidewalk and really didn’t understand how to better my body and heart through running or other aerobic exercise. After three or four of my runs I downloaded the beep test and tried running it on my own in a parking lot, effectively giving myself shin splints. It was horrible and I could barely walk that day or for the rest of the next day. I spent that next day with my feet up researching and reading about running, what I found is that running wasn’t right for me now, I would do more damage than good pounding my legs against a hard surface so I instead began using a stationary bicycle while my legs healed and then moved to power walking, I power walked with a heart rate monitor, every time and kept a close eye on my heart rate never letting it drop below 140 beat per minute. This was of course after my five minute stretch and warm-up then about five minutes worth of slower walking just to get my heart rate going. I would then walk for just short of two hours, six days a week. I also found that being an effective runner has a lot to do with shoe selection and I highly recommend visiting a place that specializes in helping you purchase shoes like the Running Room. Also, a heart rate monitor is a necessity, you need to train above a specific threshold, there are standardized formulas for these training zones how I suggest you simply aim for 80% of your maximum heart rate. Here is the most important part though, once you’ve achieved 65% of your maximum heart rate, the clock begins you should now stay at this level for twenty minutes, more if you can. By maintaining a heart rate of 65% and above for twenty minutes consistently you better your heart and your lung capacity. TestReadyPro offers a very unique service which everyone should take advantage of, the TRP Training Day. At this training day event you will go through the circuit, learn how the machinery works and get comfortable with techniques to best perform the circuit and then run the shuttle run and talk about how you did. I once attended this training day and learnt a great interval training exercise that I still use when I’m feeling. Alternatively, if maintaining a consistent heart rate is too difficult you should also try this method of interval training. Run as fast and hard as you can for fifteen seconds, now walk, do not stop for forty five seconds, run again as hard and fast as you can for fifteen seconds, now walk for another forty five seconds. Repeat this whole process 10 times, meaning you will run 20 times and walk to recover 20 times. This is a twenty minute exercise and will help you to get your heart and lungs in shape for the shuttle run. The unfortunate thing about the shuttle run is it expires every six months so, every six months you must go back in and retest the entire PREP. It is key to stay in shape as your PREP will most likely expire once before you get hired. Also, keep in mind your PREP must remain active through the entire hiring process, this is right up until you go to Aylmer (Ontario Police College).

This winter has been long and I have really missed being able to hit the trails outside and enjoy an hour or two run a day. If you insist on doing aerobic exercise indoors whether it be running, power walking, or bicycling then, when you use the treadmill put it on an incline, this gives you a resistance, when you run the shuttle run the floor doesn’t move for you and you will find running off of a treadmill is much harder than running on one. Also, if you’re overweight like I was when I started running or are worried about your shin splints, knees etc. start by bicycling or using an elliptical, elliptical’s are a fantastic device and great for targeting quads, burning fat and really getting your lungs and heart in shape. The best part about the elliptical is it targets all the areas you need to work on to better yourself as a runner but is not detrimental to your body.

My final thoughts on preparing for the PREP and exercise in general. If you find it hard to motivate yourself, get a gym membership and work with a personal trainer who will set goals and push you to do your best. Also, you can make time to exercise, get up earlier, record your favourite TV show and watch it on your day off of work, whatever it takes, make the time to exercise as you need to keep yourself in top physical shape. I found that once I made exercising part of my daily routine, it's something when I miss it, my body tells me, I feel antsy like I need to have my run or get at least a half hour on the elliptical. Also, keep in mind that the exercise is something good that your doing for your body and ultimately yourself.

Attention to detail and filing for appeal when you disagree with ATS.

This weeks blog is one that I haven’t planned ahead for, maybe this is even a lesson to myself. A good friend of mine has been anxiously awaiting his Stage 1 (PATI, WCT, PREP) results in the mail and was shocked to find he passed the PATI and dismayed to find he did not pass the WCT. He went in ready for the test day but dreading the PATI, not knowing if he would pass and he did it!! Unfortunately, he was not successful with the WCT. During our debriefing he articulated to me what happened during the WCT and that he didn’t understand how he couldn’t have passed. The test results profile that was attached outlined exactly which area he had difficulty with, the conclusion but it was so vague and non-specific in regards to what he specifically wrote or the scenario that was presented on the test. I conferred with him that he indeed came to the right conclusion of who was at fault and we both then assumed the failing grade must be a mistake on ATS‘ part. Now it was a matter of approaching ATS and appealing the mark. Your reason for appeal could be because you feel that your test is not as cut and dry like PATI, where the WCT is more open to interpretation so having someone else review, they might rule in your favour, that you passed. After all if you fail the PATI or WCT you have to wait three months to test again which would put a serious snag in his timeline. Upon calling ATS I discovered something interesting, when you receive a failing mark your test is automatically marked by a second person to confirm that the mark is a fail, with tests like the WCT a third person is brought in to confirm the mark if the data is objectionable. So, before you even begin the appeal process three separate people have possibly had their eyes and thoughts on your test! What is the outcome of the appeal? We’re not sure yet but from speaking with someone at ATS we found that the form letters sent out with failing marks, profiling what happened are indeed that, forms. The ministry guiding the testing process is very specific about not releasing too much feedback on test results to applicants as to prevent them from getting an advantage over the other applicants. I think this philosophy is false as, you’ve already been to the test day and written the test, you know what you’re up against. So, calling and simply having a friendly tone of voice will help you and here’s what we discovered. Most people that fail the conclusion get it wrong because they simply don’t have it right, however, if you're using TestReadyPro your conclusion isn't the problem so looks look at the rest of the people that fail including my friend. Other seem to fail because they accidentally mixed up a fact. Thats right, human error. This really proves the importance of proof-reading your WCT when you finish writing it and truly paying attention to these tiny details. Without this final process of double-checking you could find yourself looking at a “Does no meet standard.” grade. Keep in mind, this is your attention to detail, don't mix up colours, makes, license plates of cars, names of people etc. Take the time to analyze everything you wrote, double check your facts, just as you've been taught here and you will not fail.

Do I have any other thoughts on the WCT? Well, I’ll tell you that the person I spoke with at ATS also felt that some people who fail just don’t simply restate the facts at the end of the scenario in their conclusion to prove who is wrong. If you’ve put all the facts together on your fact sheet, itemized neatly then described them in the body of your report but fail to restate them at the end of your scenario with your conclusion, you will definitely be looking at a grade that does not pass. Again, the best way to prevent yourself from being caught in this scenario is to follow TestReadyPro's formula and practice with material here on the website. Put it into your muscular memory that whenever you finish a paragraph you're not going to let your ideas get carried away, you're going to proof-read. Your own margin of human error can be reduced but only by taking the tools offered and applying them and practicing.

For those of you interested in starting the appeal process, it will cost you $25 per test you appeal in addition to a seven to ten business day waiting period. You can find the ATS appeal process here http://www.applicanttesting.com/appeal.htm

Written Communication Test

You finish your PATI, get up for a stretch break, maybe have a little bite to eat or something to drink and get ready for the Written Communication Test (WCT). The WCT is a traffic collision/accident scenario where you must write a detailed report and it is no coincidence that it’s the test I get the most questions about and see from forums, it’s the area most people are having trouble with. The test is described by ATS as evaluating your ability to organize information in a clear, coherent and comprehensive manner, and to make conclusions from the given facts. So, you get a barrage of information, some of it is factual and useful, some of it has nothing to do with the scenario and must be discarded and therefore not included in your report. What you need to do is separate all the information and list it clearly. Then, you need to analyze the situation and come to a conclusion. This is the tricky part. Without good common sense and some knowledge of case law it can be difficult to come to the appropriate conclusion. For example, car "a" stops and is hit from behind when it hard stops at a traffic light that has just turned red. Car "b" which struck car "a" did brake but could not stop in time to avid hitting car "a". Who is at fault? There is only one correct answer. Car "b" is at fault. Car "b" was following too closely to stop in time. If you came to any other conclusion, you need to do some studying. Also, don't forget it's critical to indicate why car "b" is at fault. Is there any evidence that supports your conclusion? If so, list it in addition to any damage done to both vehicles.

In regards to preparation, I do not recommend the usual advice of reading detective novels or short mysteries. The preparation materials here, at TestReadyPro offer the BEST scenarios available to practice for the WCT and offer an incredible amount of insight into the marking of your test and the analytical thinking that must occur when reading the scenario. It is this formula of thinking that I used on my test day and passed the WCT on the first try. Which, brings us to those who didn’t pass on the first try, that’s okay. Do yourself a favour and call ATS (or OPP in some cases) and ask them for the details of why you didn’t pass. They always make this information available for those who did not pass, all you need to do is ask. Now, the WCT is a complicated test where many specific details must be in order for you to receive a passing grade. These details include the following; You must first demonstrate/insure your grammar, sentence structure and command of the English language are at their best. Poor grammar and punctuation will result in a fail. If English is a second language for yourself, I highly recommend a night school class at your community college that could be free or is offered for a minimal fee. These classes could include communications, English, or even ask your local service as the Hamilton Police Service offers a college course at the Fennell campus of Mohawk College where students learn police communications. Alternatively, if you want to seek out self-study or self-learner try any books or recommended alternative books of names listed here. Finally, you must evaluate your ability to write legibly, everyone can do it if they slow down, and print, do not write.

Police Analytical Thinking Inventory

For some this is too easy, for others they dread it and some that dread it, fail it. That kind of sounded like a syllogism! The Police Analytical Thinking Inventory (PATI) is the first test you’ll take for the first stage of the Constable Selection System. The PATI is an English language only test that is 90 minutes long consisting of 90 multiple choice questions and is the most skill varied of all the tests as the PATI is made up of three very different logical reasoning components. I find the first most appropriate, deductive reasoning, the ability to draw appropriate conclusions from information provided, this will be instrumental in you passing the second test, the written communication test (WCT). The second logical reasoning component is inductive reasoning, the ability to identify trends or common characteristics in a series of objects or information. Last, there is quantitative reasoning, the ability to apply basic arithmetic and formulas like addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and fractions to solve problems. You will need to remember BEDMAS from your high school or high school equivalent math days. The specific areas that the PATI tests you on are mathematics, problem solving (questions involving mathematics to come to a conclusion), matching, series (identifying which item comes next in a pattern), syllogisms (word problems), mapping. You get 90 minutes to complete the PATI, if you study and run the practice tests, 90 minutes will be enough time as most problems will take less than one minute to complete.

Getting ready for the PATI is not just writing practice exams but actually understanding the material. Test Ready Pro offers a substantial amount of preparation material and I highly recommend that you read through at least the math section, syllogisms, spatial orientation & pattern material before even writing a practice PATI. I know that seems like a lot of preliminary reading however, it's not an effective use of time to just log-on, write PATI's and not fully understand how to answer some of the questions. If you spend fifteen minutes per study material section I had previously mentioned you will be much better prepared to write the practice PATI's. Common problems? I think the most common problem is syllogisms, when I wrote the PATI I did not have a formula, just my comprehension skills to decipher the proper conclusion. In my experience from talking to people who have a hard time with syllogisms I find they either try to be politically correct or simply try and make common sense out of the syllogism. Whatever the syllogism is saying, it doesn’t matter, use the premise that is given as true and nothing else. For instance If all suspects are arrested and all people arrested are guilty then.. all suspects are guilty. This conclusion goes against our betterm judgement and we know legally that all suspects are not arrested without sufficient evidence and they especially aren't guilty until proven so in a court of law.

How about me? I remember writing the PATI just less than a year ago, I studied a lot. At least an hour every day the month before my exam, I remembered being very excited for it and the WCT but dreading the PREP. Although I didn't battle with learning syllogisms, I remember constantly hitting brick walls with the math questions. With a calculator, I was fine but to do the questions short-hand seemed impossible to someone who is already mathematically at a disposition.

Reading the preparation material before you write the practice PATI’s and referring back to the preparation material when you get stuck with a problem is the resource you need to effectively build your skills, Test Ready Pro is dedicated to giving you the tools to succeed, dedicate yourself to using those resources, to studying and you will succeed!