BSAC HQ are frequently asked to book students simultaneously on OWIC and PIE events. This guidance will explains the reasons why this is not possible.
Booking requirements
With all ITS Events it is necessary for all students to comply with the prerequisites for the event at the time of booking.
For the Practical Instructor Exam the ESSENTIAL prerequisite is completed attendance on an Open Water Instructor Course (OWIC). Even where an OWIC has been booked this does not meet the attendance requirement until you complete attendance on the day. It is not unknown for sudden illness or other factors to prevent attendance or completion of a course on the day.
Need for planning
The most important reason why it is not possible to book a PIE immediately after an OWIC is that this does not allow adequate time for you to consolidate the lessons you have learnt on the OWIC. In addition during the OWIC you will have planned four lessons as a group. You will have seen one of these lessons demonstrated by your Instructor Trainer, had the opportunity to practice one of the lessons yourself and seen the remaining students practice the other two lessons. Following each of these lessons the group will have given feedback on the positive points from those lessons and discussed ways in which the lessons can be further improved.
It takes time to assimilate all of this information from what is a very intensive days training. The Practical Instructor Exam will involve delivering a similar lesson of the same duration as on the OWIC. However, the subject for your lesson will typically be given about half an hour before you are asked to deliver it. The topics for the PIE lessons are drawn from a list of around 15-20 possible subjects many, but not all, of which are listed in the OWIC Student Notes. It is unlikely that you would be allocated one of the topics previously used on the OWIC.
Consequently, you need time after attendance at the OWIC to plan and prepare your own lessons for use on the PIE as you are unlikely to have time to do that planning on the day.
Ensuring success
In order to ensure the best chance of success on your PIE then you need time after the OWIC to consolidate your learning and understanding of the course, practice your diving and teaching skills, plan for all possible lessons and revise the lessons you planned on the OWIC to make them your lesson plans rather than the groups.
All this takes time and whilst many people might be able to ‘muddle through’ a PIE Assessment or get a “lucky subject” and possibly pass the Chief Examiner considers that it is not in your best interests, that of your students and therefore the membership as a whole. Failure on any ITS event is difficult and frustrating not only for the student but also for the Examiners who have to award a fail grade and for the Chief Examiner and BSAC. All want you to succeed and this is part of the requirement for a gap after attendance on the OWIC. More information on how to succeed in exams can be found in the instructor exam support section.
HQ administration
In order to ensure that all members are treated fairly and given the same opportunity then this policy not only ensures you are given the best opportunity to succeed but also treats all members consistently and fairly. Whilst an event may fill up over time by ensuring that only those who are eligible to attend take up places then everyone is treated the same and on a first come first served basis. By doing this you will find that other students on the same OWIC will be in the same position as yourself. Asking to reserve a place on a future PIE is not consistent with this objective as it might prevent someone who meets the prerequisites form legitimately obtaining a place.
Combined events
A common question raised is “how is it then that students can do every event from IFC to OWI on a combined event?” Good question.
The key element of these events is that students have much greater contact with their Instructor Trainers over the IFC and OWIC not just on the courses but in the evenings as well. The intensity of the training means that learning is consolidated much more readily. In addition, such events schedule a complete day between the courses and taking the assessments to allow students time to plan and prepare for the assessments. During this time they continue to have access to Instructor Trainers for advice and support (but not to plan their lessons for them).
We hope this information helps explain the reasons for the limitations on booking PIE after an Open Water Instructor Course and will help ensure that you have a much more reliable chance of success.
