CPDT questions..

Hello!

So, I had a few questions about the CPDT. I have been a dog trainer for almost a year now and I was looking into becoming a CPDT. Has anyone here taken the exam? What kind of questions does it have on the exam? Is there any practice test I can take or book I can study to prepare for the exam?

Can you tell me your opinions on the CPDT? Is it worth taking, especially where it is kind of expensive to take and renew ect?

Thanks for any advice or thoughts you have on this!

I took the CPDT almost three years ago (time to renew!). I believe it's 250 multiple-choice questions. That doesn't sound too bad, especially to me because I'm good at multiple-choice tests, BUT it is VERY LONG. That was the hardest thing for me, being able to concentrate at the end of the test.

On their website there are practice questions, as well as topics that will be covered on the test (#% of questions about ethology, #% of questions about equipment, etc.). I would suggest becoming VERY familiar with the principles of operant and classical conditioning (know the difference between conditioned reinforcer, unconditioned reinforcer, conditioned stimulus; the four quadrants of operant conditioning, with examples; etc.), there are a lot of tricky questions on that stuff, especially since the terminology is so similar that you have to read closely, and by the end of the 250 questions it is VERY hard to read closely! If you're not familiar with learning theory, you can read Karen Pryor's "Don't Shoot the Dog." If I had to take the test again, I'd also read Terry Ryan's "Coaching People to Train Dogs," a large percentage of the test comes from that book I think.

I think it was worthwhile to take the test. For me, I was working in a dead-end training job with an organization that didn't have the best reputation. I knew that I wanted to move up in the training world, training assistance dogs, and that my experience with that organization might be discounted just based on the reputation. So getting my CPDT really proved that I had the basic knowledge that would be marketable with other organizations. It also helped me get some new clients, especially since only I was one of only 7 trainers in Alabama that had CPDTs. (In Texas, there are about 35 CPDTs in a 30 mile radius of where I live. ) I am planning on renewing this fall just for the heck of it.

Good luck!