i did the challenge & would say to try it, if $$ is an issue its definately the way to go, u can get manuals off the web for free, im in ontario, it was $80 to do the test for both pal & rpal opposed to $300 for the course, at that rate u could afford to fail a coue times before spending more than u would takin the course
Worth it to challenge exams?
- Thread starter Battlerifleelitist
- Start date
& yes i passed both with flyin colours lol
It is not easy to fail the test. If a person is that misinformed about firearms that they actually fail the written test, they should probably be taught everything from the ground floor up. If you fail the practical, you've done so badly (e.g. pointing, etc.) that you really need to reconsider whether firearms ownership is for you.
Granted, some of the questions on the written test are stupid, but not 20% of the questions...
P
Granted, some of the questions on the written test are stupid, but not 20% of the questions...
P
IMO, if you have any experience with hunting and/or firearms, the CFSC is a flippin' joke and complete waste of your time.
I was in the Army Reserve and had hunted for years before C-68 came in. I challenged both PAL and RPAL exams and passed with 100% marks on both the written and practical portions.
That course is designed for the lowest common denominator, by which I mean people whose only exposure to firearms was on TV.
I was in the Army Reserve and had hunted for years before C-68 came in. I challenged both PAL and RPAL exams and passed with 100% marks on both the written and practical portions.
That course is designed for the lowest common denominator, by which I mean people whose only exposure to firearms was on TV.
Challenge for sure, read through the manuals, memorize the acronyms but critically, go find guns to practice with (most ranges will rent them for you and if you don't have a buddy with a PAL to supervise, they'll send someone with you). I had enough experience with a freind's guns before challenging my tests that the restricted part was trivial (I lost 1 mark for not mentioning that I'd get an ATT for transporting the gun to the range [even though I earlier asked the instructor about getting one in casual conversation] and another for not putting my free hand in my pocket for the one handed stance).
I did well in the non-restricted practical too (averaged 97% on all 4) but I have to admit that what helped was watching other people while I wrote my tests... I guess you could call it cheating but it made me feel more at ease, knowing where the break lever was on the double barrel, safety on the pump etc. In the end I only lost a mark for not putting the gun down during a ceasefire. I would have but there was no where to put it but floor and out of respect for their property I didn't want to do that...
One bit of advice I can give is to verbalize. They don't actually care that you push the safety button or not. But if you say ok I'm not sure where the safety is on this but I would ensure that the safety is on etc. Verbalize the acts/prove steps (chamber empty, feed path clear, barrel clear etc). I technically should have lost a mark on the 22 revolver because I didn't say to drag the barrel with a brush but I said check the barrel for obstruction.
Another thing I can say to ease the mind of anyone considering a challenge is that the guys administering the test are not gov't bureaucrats. They're gun nuts. They want you in their hobby. They want you in their club. They're not going to nitpick everything, asking you to identify a cartridge that only 10 people in Eastern Europe in the 50s have ever seen, they won't quietly fail you because it makes them feel superior. If you're clearly a good, safe candidate and you generally know everything you should, they will "help" you through it (if you made a small screwup like picking up a 2.75" shell instead of a 3, or not finishing the name on a 357 (MAG) cartridge, you may hear something like "are you sure it's that one?" or "357 Magnum right? right...").
I did well in the non-restricted practical too (averaged 97% on all 4) but I have to admit that what helped was watching other people while I wrote my tests... I guess you could call it cheating but it made me feel more at ease, knowing where the break lever was on the double barrel, safety on the pump etc. In the end I only lost a mark for not putting the gun down during a ceasefire. I would have but there was no where to put it but floor and out of respect for their property I didn't want to do that...
One bit of advice I can give is to verbalize. They don't actually care that you push the safety button or not. But if you say ok I'm not sure where the safety is on this but I would ensure that the safety is on etc. Verbalize the acts/prove steps (chamber empty, feed path clear, barrel clear etc). I technically should have lost a mark on the 22 revolver because I didn't say to drag the barrel with a brush but I said check the barrel for obstruction.
Another thing I can say to ease the mind of anyone considering a challenge is that the guys administering the test are not gov't bureaucrats. They're gun nuts. They want you in their hobby. They want you in their club. They're not going to nitpick everything, asking you to identify a cartridge that only 10 people in Eastern Europe in the 50s have ever seen, they won't quietly fail you because it makes them feel superior. If you're clearly a good, safe candidate and you generally know everything you should, they will "help" you through it (if you made a small screwup like picking up a 2.75" shell instead of a 3, or not finishing the name on a 357 (MAG) cartridge, you may hear something like "are you sure it's that one?" or "357 Magnum right? right...").
I wasn't aware you could challenge the PAL portion of the test. I thought you had to put in the classtime in Ontario... if you can, do it.
PAL course cost me $100+tax, challenged RPAL cost another $40. $80 off to the gov't for the licence application. I guess it's pretty costly when you think about it. Add in a gun club membership, guns & ammo and you have a costly sport.
PAL course cost me $100+tax, challenged RPAL cost another $40. $80 off to the gov't for the licence application. I guess it's pretty costly when you think about it. Add in a gun club membership, guns & ammo and you have a costly sport.
After finishing the RPAL on the weekend, i can say if i didn't take the 6 hour "quick course" I would've failed. The wriiten is easy, but not having any access to handguns to practice on, the in class time to handle the Firearms made all the difference.
I've had my CORE since I was 13, and 32 years later I took the CFSC course. I highly recommend taking the course.
In my experience with the course, the guys/gals who had no experience, or only brief experience with firearms, tended to do way better on the tests. The guys who've been around guns more often tended to have some bad habits that hurt them on the practical testing, and they didn't seem to be as 'clued in' to the importance of the material in course either, and thus struggled to pass the written exam.
There's probably some knowledge & understanding detail that gets missed if you challenge the exams, and you never know when having missed something important might bite you on the backside.
In my experience with the course, the guys/gals who had no experience, or only brief experience with firearms, tended to do way better on the tests. The guys who've been around guns more often tended to have some bad habits that hurt them on the practical testing, and they didn't seem to be as 'clued in' to the importance of the material in course either, and thus struggled to pass the written exam.
There's probably some knowledge & understanding detail that gets missed if you challenge the exams, and you never know when having missed something important might bite you on the backside.
As an experienced shooter, can you explain what you would have learned in the course that you didn't learn by reading the manual? I'm not looking for an argument, merely to understand what extra knowledge you gained from the course which is important but not covered in the books?
If you follow the Big Four, nobody ever gets hurt and that would end 99% of the issues/ hair-raising events at most clubs/ranges.
P
If you follow the Big Four, nobody ever gets hurt and that would end 99% of the issues/ hair-raising events at most clubs/ranges.
P
Part of it depends on how a person learns I think. Some people read books and learn nothing. We had a lot of great info presented in the course that wasn't found directly in the texts, some from videos, articles outside the course material and even some recounted experiences and stories of local shooters. Other material that was covered in the course text was covered more throughly in course dicussion. For instance, storage and transportation of firearms was covered thoroughly. My buddy who grew up with guns and challenged the tests (passed) had a few holes in his knowledge related to transportation and storage of firearms. Great guy, I think the world of him. But no question he would have benefited from the course.
The tests are dead easy, and IMO, don't provide enough challenge to really determine what a person knows & understands or doesn't. According to my instructor, I had the most challenging written exam available, it took about 15 minutes to complete, going over the questions & answer several times to double check. Passed with 100% and it was so easy I was shocked. I still remember thinking "Maybe this is just the warm up for the real test?" My written driving exam was way more difficult. Pop-quizes in grade school were more difficult.
Most of all, for people who haven't handled every sort of firearm action, the course was is great opportunity to get familiar with firearms they have no experience with. We also covered firing range best practices, which was fantastic. I learned a few things there, even though I had been shooting at the range previously.
When you're handling guns, there's a long list of mistakes that you might not recover from easily. A few will even ruin someone's life, and maybe your own. It's worth taking every chance to pick up some new info or develop a greater appreciation for the risks and responsibilites, IMO. I think the guys who really need the course the most, are the same ones who will do what they can to avoid it.
, it can indeed be easier to challenge the PAL than the RPAL 
- unless you have access to handguns so that you can "get the feel" for 'em prior to the exam.....
D3TH_OVRH3D
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- SE Ontario
I bought the books for both NR and RPAL and got 100% on both written and both practical exams.. Just challenge it and use your common sense.
