What's the Benefit of me Carrying on with the PC Tests?

Eventer96

Eventer96

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Just pondering to be honest. Some of my friends are continuing with their PC tests. I've done my C- hugely challenging a test that was! ;) I simply can't see the benefit of doing anything more. With my exams starting/started (I'm taking things a year early) I didn't really want to take anything extra on if it's not going to help me. :o


So can those that have done the higher tests sell them to me? Or am I right in just not bothering and focusing on my GCSEs?


Can only offer ice packs to those that help as I'm just recovering from my first Chiro appointment. A very strange experience (only because it was my first time experiencing such a thing). I've got several problems relating to the fall I had a before the injury, all hopefully fixable. I'm going back tomorrow for my second appointment this week. :cool:
 
I did my C+ & that was mainly because it was pushed for us to get up to that level.. although I never really could be bothered with them.. stable management was always boring & my horse wasn't good enough to do B test anyway lol. I did mine at camp so wasn't too much hassle & was in the summer after my GCSE's. I would concentrate on passing your exams & speak to your instructor about doing it in the summer possibly?
 
I think your B test is helpful if you want direct entry into BHS stages and if you want to teach but other than that I don't know how much use they are tbh. I have done C+ (it took me 3 attempts :o) and B Horse and Pony Care but I don't know whether I will do anymore either, until you get to B I found the examining very variable (part of the problem with my C+!).

That said I don't think they are a lot of effort to prepare for as the riding is just what you do every day and there is just a bit of theory like footfalls you need to learn and then a lot of the stable management is common sense imo. I think some clubs make a big deal about them when if you are learning to ride properly anyway and look after your own horse that is a good 70 - 80% of it.

ETA: Just looked on the PC website and the coaching certificate you can do after B test looks useful if you want to teach in the future.
 
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it depends

Personally I went as far as doing my A (although didn't pass, close but not close enough and then too old ;) ) just for the personal knowledge I was capable, proving it to myself essentially that I was good enough. I did my B at 16 but didn't attempt my A till 22 or 23 I think it was!

If you intend to have horses as any part of your career then the exams allow you to bypass several BHS stages and are generally invaluable especially if you get your A which is very very highly respected.

There is a notable step in standard requierd from your C+ to your B, and for that reason several never even attempt the B full stop. So although C+ may seem easy you should be very wary of the B exam ;)
 
My daughter had just been through this! She passed her C+ nearly 2 yrs ago & the pc are pushing to get them training for B test. A few of her friends did the B last year & but they all want to be instructors! My daughter doesn't want a job that involves horses so finally decided shes not doing anymore pc tests. She's enjoying pc a lot more now knowing that she hasn't got loads of studying to do & can just go & have fun! She's 15, in yr 10 so has gcse's anyway & would much rather study for those. I think if she wanted to go into a horsey job her decision would have been different though! xx
 
Ive only dont my D+ test :o :o but it think if/when we rejoin the PC, i will try to do all of them as in my mind, its an extra thing to add to your CV which might set you above another job applicant in the future :)
 
bigboyrocky said:
Ive only dont my D+ test :o :o but it think if/when we rejoin the PC, i will try to do all of them as in my mind, its an extra thing to add to your CV which might set you above another job applicant in the future :)
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Ahh. Good one!


Thank you for all the responses. I passed my D+ in 2004, had a break from PC, did my C last year and wasn't sure about doing the C+ as I didn't want a job with horses. Would love to become a barrister so nothing to do with ponies. I've heard about the big step between C+ and B. Something to think about I suppose..

Most annoying thing is the rallies are on a Thursday evening. I don't finish school until 5 so I'd only be able to do the rallies in the school holidays which means it'll take me forever 'to do the prep required'. :cool:
 
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Elder son will sit B test this summer which will, if he passes, when he's 17 right at the end of the year, get him straight into his BHS Stage 3. He's riding beyond the standard so it's just the more theoretical aspects of the stable management he'll have to mug up on. He sees horses playing at least some part in his future and so getting these qualifications while he can is worthwhile.

Younger son has his E test (!) and was ecstatic when at a rally recently the chief instructor said he was up to D test standard! :)
 
I stopped taking the tests once I'd done my B, which i took at 16. Although I never intend to have a career of any sort with horses, it was a real achievement to pass and I felt was worthwhile doing. We had practially no pony club training for it at all (useless!) but there is an absolutely fantastic completely comprehensive "B Test" file on the market which I had as my bible and learnt everything from :)
 
Slowly being persuaded... I could probably make the rallies on a Thursday but it would be a bit tight. Food for thought. Thank you. :)
 
you don't have to do C+, you can straight to B, I believe the + stages are useful but optional.

B test is quite detailed, B did hers when she was just 16 (by about 10 days), there is often a high failure rate, but you can sit the stable management and riding bits seperately if you need to. B has now done her lunge test and would like to do AH but knows she is never likely to be able to fit A test alongside a carrer as a junior doctor.

I think the tests are well worth doing as it gives a good grounding in all aspects of riding and care.

The books you want are by Tish Adams http://www.equineworkingnotebooks.com/about_us.html
 
I've just seen on the PC website that if you want to take your B you do have to do your C+ I didn't realise this was the case. Must be a new rule! :(
 
Thistle said:
That's annoying. I wouldn't think you would need any training for the C+ though, just do the B training and take the C+ before the B.
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Good plan! Thank you. :) Because you lot have persuaded me I'm taking it in the summer. DC has faith that, even though I've missed rallies etc., I'm perfectly ok to take it with everybody else. Phew. :p
 
I did my AH and it is very widely recognised making it a great thing to have on your CV if you want to work with horses (even if it's a temporary/gap year type thing).....Most groom/yard jobs will ask for minimum Stage II or equivalent (B test) and PC tests are free so if you have the opportunity to do them then I would suggest to go ahead :)
 
The thing about pony club tests, is that you have to want to do them :)

The B test enables you to teach at pony club level (nice money!!) and the A test is world recognized as a very high standard of horsemanship.

I am taking my A test soon :eek: But because I want to, as I think the "status" of having the test is worth the work :)
 
I want to do things- if they are challenging. It's just the C test prep was a complete waste of my time. The rallies were boring and the riding was simple. Which is why I wanted to investigate the benefits before taking on the C+ test. Once I start something I always see it through to the end and put 100% in. I was just a little clueless about the purpose. But I'm taking it in the summer, after speaking to my DC. :)

Good luck with your A test. :D

*goes back to revising. :(*
 
Eventer96 said:
Most annoying thing is the rallies are on a Thursday evening. I don't finish school until 5 so I'd only be able to do the rallies in the school holidays which means it'll take me forever 'to do the prep required'. :cool:
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I think you should be fine missing rallies my club only have rallies once a month or so and I don't go to all of them, if you mention that you are working towards your C+ to your normal trainer then they can add the relevant parts into your normal lessons :). A lot of the stable management you probably know for C+ too. The C+ before B is a very recent rule iirc 2 years ago it came in, but you can now do your C+ in two parts which makes it easier if you fail one section you don't have to do the part you passed again and again like I did.
 
jumptoit said:
I think you should be fine missing rallies my club only have rallies once a month or so and I don't go to all of them, if you mention that you are working towards your C+ to your normal trainer then they can add the relevant parts into your normal lessons :). A lot of the stable management you probably know for C+ too. The C+ before B is a very recent rule iirc 2 years ago it came in, but you can now do your C+ in two parts which makes it easier if you fail one section you don't have to do the part you passed again and again like I did.
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Ah ok, interesting. Thank you! I just push the panic about the stable management side- I didn't drop a single mark in the C though so it may just be a mental block about explaining things to people. I doubt my judgement quite a bit..

Thanks for all the advice. :)
 
They look good on your CV as it shows that even though riding may be a hobby that you strive to improve and push yourself out of your comfort zone.

I did my C certificate - I still have both D & C certificates in my photo album. I then went on to do the BHS Stage Exams later in life. I actually thoroughly enjoyed learning more about how to ride my horse well and also how to be a better owner.
 
I did mine when dinosaurs roamed the earth so not really pertinent, but another one who did B at 15 (I got a bye, back when I was smart) because it was offered through school, then left PC when I went to university so never did my A, although I did end up working with horses. ;)

I think it's good structure and probably the most useful thing for me was being able to teach, as I made quite good money doing that in the summers while I was at university. And, as mentioned, these days I think it's worth doing what you can to pad out your CV - at the very least is shows potential assessors/employers you're keen on getting qualifications and capable of taking even your hobby seriously.

Also, do that stuff while you're young and at home. When you get out in the world it gets a lot harder to free up the time and the money so better to have it and never need it than be sorry later.
 
Just to give you current info, C+ is now quite a bit harder than it was with the new syllabus. It is
compulsory and now has to be examined with a B Test examiner. As someone said the Tish Adams books are great, you can also get the new syllabus off of the website. You should be fine
if your DC says so.

As for tests they are a great thing to have for lots of reasons. Shows you are disciplined and don't mind making a bit of effort to ahiebe what you want, as has been said they shorten the BHS route. My daughter has done, just passed lunge test and will aim
for AH next year.

Does not want to work with horses, hopes to earn plenty and keep them as a hobby but she does enjoy working with children and may like to teach at a later date. Most importantly she wants to travel in her gap year and teaching abroad is not such a bad way to pay for your trip. PC tests will stand you in good stead, a friends child went out to the states and ended up rodeo riding ;)

Good luck :)
 
Its interesting that not many people want to do the tests nowadays unless they "need" them to work with horses. I always wanted to push myself and prove my progress when I was younger. (Not a criticism of anyone by the way). In my days the tests didn't allow you to skip BHS exams, so they were only done for personal satisfaction anyway.
 
nickirhia99 said:
Just to give you current info, C+ is now quite a bit harder than it was with the new syllabus. It is
compulsory and now has to be examined with a B Test examiner. As someone said the Tish Adams books are great, you can also get the new syllabus off of the website. You should be fine
if your DC says so.

As for tests they are a great thing to have for lots of reasons. Shows you are disciplined and don't mind making a bit of effort to ahiebe what you want, as has been said they shorten the BHS route. My daughter has done, just passed lunge test and will aim
for AH next year.

Does not want to work with horses, hopes to earn plenty and keep them as a hobby but she does enjoy working with children and may like to teach at a later date. Most importantly she wants to travel in her gap year and teaching abroad is not such a bad way to pay for your trip. PC tests will stand you in good stead, a friends child went out to the states and ended up rodeo riding ;)

Good luck :)
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I would agree with Nickirhia99's comments about the C+ test - when elder son sat his last year he and one other candidate were grilled for 3 hours solid on stable management by an examiner, having ridden earlier for 3 hours. The intensity was at Stage III level I felt, if not the level of knowledge required. And one examiner at the de-brief offered him a job when he left school so he must know more than I expected! :D

I agree with the others - stick with it when you have the chance as you never know when you will be glad you did.
 
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yes the tish adams folders are amazing!

I had to 'cram' for my AH as it was a week after my uni finals and uni exams came first! I obviously had a good level of knowledge anyway but needed to brush up on the pony club versions of some things and the folder was invaluable in helping me to pass. You can't rely on them though as examiners are wise to them and will make you work outside the box so to speak but they are handy to ensure you know the basics for each area.
 
I wish I had gone further than my B (which I did when I was 15 and under much protestation as my mother made me do it!) and at least gone and done my stages because I now find myself as an adult having to either go through BRC exams or cough up for all the stages as you can only have byes for the stages if you are still a member of PC.

I do not want a horsey job but I find myself with the odd bit of time to tinker with horses so its useful to earn some extra money. I also see it as another string to your bow if you can be qualified to teach and doing it through PC is £££ cheaper than BHS.

I am currently doing UKCC2 at the moment in order to gain some qualifications.
 
I actually went & looked at the testing system now after reading this thread. I am quite surprised to see that you now don't do the BHS riding & road safety until after the C+! We had to do it to pass C when I was tested!

I checked out the B test though (1 I would technically be working toward next) but I wouldn't pass the riding.. I have never managed to get my horse into gallop, it doesn't really get the whole pirouette thing & I can just about get a lengthened trot on a good day haha :p oh well it would be fun watching other people ride her
 
jenki13 said:
I actually went & looked at the testing system now after reading this thread. I am quite surprised to see that you now don't do the BHS riding & road safety until after the C+! We had to do it to pass C when I was tested!

I checked out the B test though (1 I would technically be working toward next) but I wouldn't pass the riding.. I have never managed to get my horse into gallop, it doesn't really get the whole pirouette thing & I can just about get a lengthened trot on a good day haha :p oh well it would be fun watching other people ride her
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But PC do have a new RRS system which is far more complex than the old one, stupidly though due to H&S you don't actually ride on a road in the exam just a simulated one!
 
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