On passing the first-ever Psychometrician Board Exams

ON GEORGE KELLY AND FAITH

Regin Raymund Dais, RPM

Pamantasan ng Lungsod Ng Maynila 

I was graduated way back in the 1990s, with a wife and three kids, working at two jobs, and in night school studying law. Except for a year as an HR Assistant and my personal circumstances and advocacy, I have never actually practised psychology. So my decision to go for the first-ever Board Examinations for Psychologists and Psychometricians or the BLEPP last October was a leap of faith.

More than being a part of history, I was banking on the chance that the exams might be easy as the Board of Psychology would go soft on the maiden batch. As it was, almost 61% failed. It has been almost two weeks since the 2014 BLEPP and distance in time makes contemplation saner and more sober. With greatest joy, I celebrate with those who passed. With deepest sadness, I commiserate with those who did not.

When I finally got through my application at PRC, I sat down to craft my review schedule. I knew I had only one full month to review. I divided the days among the four subject areas starting with what I thought was the easiest -- Theories of Personality -- then IO Psychology and Abnormal Psychology and finally, Psychological Assessment, which was the heaviest as per the Table of Specifications (40%).

Problem was October was also the end of the semester which meant final exams in law school would be simultaneous with BLEPP. On the first day of BLEPP, I had a final exam in a major subject. I asked my professor if I can take the exams in her Thursday class; fortunately she agreed. On the second day of BLEPP, our office had an event to which I was assigned. I focused on finishing the Abnormal Psych part as fast as I could and having did was surprised at my watch reading just a few minutes after 9, I ran late to the office. Fortunately again, the event finished just before 1 and I was just in the nick of time when the Psych. Assessment part was about to start.

In all these, I cannot ignore a mighty, all-knowing, all-powerful hand. Waiting for the results, I felt that seeing my name among the passers would just be confirmation. Sure, there were doubts that nagged like what if the Scantron machine fails at exactly the time when my answer sheet was on the feed or what if I forgot to shade something like the Test Set (which I actually did on the Abnormal Psych. part when I was in haste but to which the proctor called my attention as I was leaving the room). But I dispelled such thoughts believing "that all things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purpose."

In short, I passed. As I have passed with flying colors two other board exams although at roughly lesser odds. Friends ask me what is my secret. And I always answer two words. Faith AND hard work. What if I failed? is a tougher question. But I do know the answer. You see, I was almost kicked out due to really bad grades back in college and had my own string of disappointments joining the ranks of the unemployed for some time. These later successes I have proved just one thing: Failure is never final.

Or if you do not believe in God and go by psychology instead, hear George Kelly saying: "the interpretation of the event is more important than the event itself." Indeed, we can either rise and try again, or just roll over and die.