From the trenches

So far boot camp has met my expectations; it’s grueling, informative and fast-paced. Not to bore anyone further with tech talk, but the course includes two new buzzwords: simlets and testlets. Never heard of them? Me either.

Simlets are interactive applications inside an electronic exam that model a piece of equipment. Through a command line interface, the simlet responds to typed instructions like the actual gear does. Only by issuing the correct instruction set can the tester diagnose and resolve the problem. Holy hands on, baby.

Testlets on the other hand, are several related questions based on a single problem description. In a testlet, questions 28 and 29 can depend the question — and perhaps part of the answer — to number 27. Flub one, blow three. Ouch.

For an added twist, simlets and testlets can be combined, and might even appear in the test as early as question 1. Answering a hybrid simlet/testlet might take twenty minutes out of an available ninety.

At present twenty-percent of exam candidates pass on the first try. I love odds like that.

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