Type of questions on the PAL/RPAL tests?

[RGC]

80% both

[BuSaPuNk]

It's the usual multiple choice test. Some tricky questions really have to watch how they word them. I feel for a few on both tests. But really I had no experence with guns and ammo besides just going to the range to shoot. I learned alot. If you want to challange the biggest part of the test is the practical and as long as you don't point the barrel at yourself or the instructor you'll be fine.

[Yansee]

Both are very easy. I think one of the questions was about bullet diameter or shell gauge... "Which of these two is larger?" Another one I remember was "if you have a gun in a locked display cabinet, can you display ammunition with the firearm?" Just know your rules and you'll be ok.

The hands on portion is dead simple. I got 100% on the hand gun and 96% on the long-gun portion (I lost 1 mark for forgetting to check the head stamp on the 12 gauge shot shell before loading it / I lost the other mark for not putting my cheek on the stock of the gun when demonstrating the standing fire position).

[dHb]

... On mine they asked me to PROVE two different actions and then asked me to identify what ammo fits a different action. Of course one of them will be restricted and one of them will be non-restricted. Then I was asked a couple verbal questions. If you know the material, you should have no problem...

Looks like there's another examiner asking to be decertified! If what you describe is accurate, your examiner was cheating on your behalf. For each of the practical tests you have to handle three different firearms, NOT one. After the ammo questions, you don't have to say a word. If the examiner is asking you how you would do something, he's skipping the exam parts where you're supposed to actually demonstrate something with the firearms. It's hard to make mistakes handling a gun that you only talk about using!

You need to take peoples' comments on CGN about how simple the practical exam is with a grain of salt because some of them didn't do a full and honest exam process. If you know your stuff it is easy, but if you don't it's easy to fail a correctly administered exam.

[TPK]

You will not lose points if you ask questions due to your not being familiar with a particular firearm. For instance when asked to pick up the semi-auto handgun and you begin your ACTS and PROVE, if you say "I'm not familiar with this firearm and I would like to engage the safety". You won't be deducted marks as you know what you're supposed to do, you're just not familiar with how to do it on the firearm.

I would also suggest you talk, say what you are doing. If you prove a firearm safe and the safety was on when you picked it up, the examiner won't know if you knew the saftey was on or if you forgot to engage the safety and got lucky as it was already on. If you said, I would normally engage the safety at this time, but is already on, then there is no doubt in the examiners mind.

[Yansee]

For each of the practical tests you have to handle three different firearms, NOT one.

+1
I handled 3 different long-guns (a semi-auto rifle, a bolt action rifle and a pump-action shot gun). The instructor layed a bunch of playing cards on the table and I was asked to filp three over... these were the three long-guns I was tested on.

I also handled three different hand guns (a single action revolver, a dual action revolver and a semi-auto).

[mralberta]

+1
I handled 3 different long-guns (a semi-auto rifle, a bolt action rifle and a pump-action shot gun). The instructor layed a bunch of playing cards on the table and I was asked to filp three over... these were the three long-guns I was tested on.

I also handled three different hand guns (a single action revolver, a dual action revolver and a semi-auto).

Yup, me to, on the restricted end.

[Silveragent]

On my practical, we had to identify various cartridges (based on bullet or headstamp), PROVE all weapons we picked up, load/unload weapons, show a kneeling firing stance, and also show what you had to do crossing an obsticle (prove/unload, lay gun in safe direction, cross, then prove again).

I don't remember the showing how to cross an obstacle but I did all the rest of what you said in my test.

[Silveragent]

Looks like there's another examiner asking to be decertified! If what you describe is accurate, your examiner was cheating on your behalf. For each of the practical tests you have to handle three different firearms, NOT one. After the ammo questions, you don't have to say a word. If the examiner is asking you how you would do something, he's skipping the exam parts where you're supposed to actually demonstrate something with the firearms.

My memory probably isn't as clear as it should be but I certainly proved more than one firearm in each class.

And the examiner did ask me to demonstrate a carrying position so I was demonstrating it physically with the weapon. As for the verbal question, I don't know what that was about.

I'm not going to give up my examiner to the exam police but it didn't seem as shady as you allege and so far I've had no problem proving any gun in front of me.

If you are making a point that the practical test is actually more difficult than what my memory says. Okay, then. To the OP, get as much experience as you can. You could be asked to PROVE all of the actions multiple times. I had no idea how many times I would be asked to prove any weapon in the test ahead of time.

[dHb]

My memory probably isn't as clear as it should be but I certainly proved more than one firearm in each class... it didn't seem as shady as you allege...

I'm not alleging. I put in the provision that my comments were based upon your reporting being accurate. You said you handled one gun in each test. If you actually handled three guns per test, then they could have been proper tests.