OH MY GOSH!!! I passed my CPAT!!! THANK GOODNESS!!
I failed the practice test yesterday. That did NOT make me feel good. I was SOOOO nervous
Just an FYI if you're interested...
There are 8 stations. You have to finish all 8 in less than 10:20.
Station 1 - Stairs for 3 minutes. With 75 lbs strapped on your body.
- I was able to keep my legs going, and my heart rate don. I had to focus on breathing the entire time. Whew. Jello legs
stations 2 through 8 involve continuing to wear a 50 lb vest for the full rest of the test.
Station 2 is a hose drag - drag a hose for 75 feet, then turn and pull 50 feet of hose towards you while staying in a box painted on the floor.
- Was able to run this time - focused on pulling as hard as possible
Station 3 is an equipment carry. Pull two saws off of a cabinet and carry one in each hand for a total of 100ft (i think). Return to the cabinet (about 5 feet off of floor)
- I tried to hustle as fast as possible without running. (You're not allowed to) I was still breathing hard from the stairs
Section 4 involves putting up and raising a ladder. Put up a ladder rung by rung, hand over hand, then raise the second half of the ladder using the rope provided. It's all about grip strength, and not letting the rope slip through your hands.
- Pretty easy. Except pulling the rope was a little hard with sore forearms from yesterday.
Section 5 is a forced entry simulation. You have to use a 10 lb sledge to hit a target until a buzzer sounds.
- THIS SUCKS. That is all. It took me freaking 20 hits to get the darn buzzer to go off. This is where I started feeling the fatigue.
Section 6 simulates crawling through smoke. It's a tunnel with obstacles in it.
- This would have been a whole lot more fun if I had been 6, not out of breath, and could throw snowballs out the entrance. As it is, I got though it and only hit my head 9 times, instead of the 10 I did yesterday. Progress is progress, right?
Section 7 is a dummy drag. 165 lbs. 70 ft. Around an obstacle.
- I thought it was funny when the proctor said I would want to shoot the dummy in the head after the test. NOw I know he is right. I kicked the dummy. HARD. I also named him Wormtail. Traitor. You have to drag him by the handles over his shoulders, which means you actually have to drag most of the body and most of the weight. It would have been easier if I could have held him up, but I got through it.
Section 8 is a push/pull mechanism. You have to do 4 sets of 3 pushes (60 lbs) and 5 pulls (80 lbs).
- This is where I was DONE. Heavy breathing, couldn't catch my breath, ready to hurt the proctor, DONE. This is also where I timed out yesterday after only 2 sets. This time, I got through set 3, and realized the timer hadn't gone off yet. So I BUSTED BUTT and knocked out the last set faster than any of the previous ones.
AND I WAS DONE!!!! HOLY CRAP, I PASSED!!!! WITH 50 lbs of extra weight on me the whole entire time.
The proctors all were awesome. Two in particular seemed to take a liking to me yesterday, and made a point to make me feel at ease, joke with me, and check on me after the test even though I wan't their candidate. I really feel like I belong in this world. And now I am one step closer to joining it. :):):):)
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SuperChanger
9.20 lbs.
from her last entry 5 months ago.
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Yup, eeks. I guess my love of ice crea has come back to bite me. Oh well, that much more that I get to loose and feel good about again, right? :)
No big deal! You're back on track and it will be gone in no time!Comment Like Motivate redie1
Life happens! But you know what to do! :D
Congratulations for completing your first task on iChange. As an official iChanger, you've shown a commitment to make major, long-lasting change to your life. Remember, we're here to help!
3
from her last entry 3 months ago.
Mood at 7 out of 10. That's
Yippee!! Nice to see you. I hope you are enjoying all your various adventures. Have a great time.
Yay yay! Your new pic is cute! :)Comment Like Motivate redie1
Good to see you back! Hope your summer is going well for you!
So very, very proud of you. And so excited! I just want to squeeze you! What's the next step?
Super happy for you! Of course you did it! All of us knew you had it in you!Comment Like Motivate redie1
Awesome! You go!
