Course Advice and Preliminary Information

Course Advice for NZMGA Course Candidates

• Clarify with the assessor/s if you are a Level 1 candidate and you are unsure whether or not a guiding-related activity is being taught or being assessed.

• Each assessment task is taken in isolation from all other assessment tasks. Therefore, go back to the beginning each time when you are starting a new task. For example, determine the level of ability of your “client”, and re-do your safety checks.

• Be aware that you may be asked to take over a task from another candidate part-way through the completion of the task. If so, you may be inheriting a situation that requires knowledge of what has gone on before. Alternatively, the previous candidate may have left the situation in a state that is less than satisfactory, and it is your task to resolve the situation. Keep your attention on what is happening even when you are not in the “hot seat”.

• Clarify with the assessor/s if you believe the task is not clear. When given a task, don’t assume too much. Ask questions of the assessor/s so that both you and the assessor/s have the same understanding of what is meant to be happening.

• Your assessor is attempting to replicate aspects of a realistic situation. In order to do this, a certain amount of simulation is inevitable. The combination of what you are actually doing, and what you are pretending to be doing, can lead to ambiguity. Attempt to clear up potential ambiguity by being pro-active with your communication, and by being pro-active with your management of the situation. For example, your assessor may tell you that they are role-playing the part of a client. Ask your assessor what level of “client” you are guiding. Treat this as verbal information on par with what a guide receives when first meeting his/her client, or when reading pre-course information. Then, assess the actual ability of your “client” based on what you observe.

• Clarify with the assessor/s if you believe you are being pushed into a trap; e.g., being asked to work at another candidate’s set-up site, and you don’t believe it is efficient and/or safe. Remember, the assessment scenarios are typically not merely simulations of reality, they generally involve real danger. The assessors expect to see safe practice. Make obvious your normal safe-practices.

• Time is a scarce resource during NZMGA assessment courses. The assessors are under pressure to observe all candidates in all topics. It is partly your responsibility to ensure that the assessors get to see you performing. Be organised and prepared.

• Every guide makes small mistakes in the field at some stage. If you make a mistake while being assessed, don’t give up on the task. What the assessors are interested in is whether you are aware of the mistakes that you make, how you resolve them, and how you learn from the mistakes that you (and others) have made.

• Assessment style – the assessors need to be in the thick of the action in order to observe what is happening. Assessors also need to record what has happened. Assessors peer over your shoulder when you are working on a task; assessors ask questions of you in order to try to gain knowledge of why you are doing, or have done, certain things (“judgement”); assessors use notebooks to retain information; assessor get together in order to bounce opinions off each other. This is normal. Try to not be intimidated by the close presence of assessors, nor the times when they are recording evidence or muttering among themselves.

• If, after receiving feedback, you are still unsure how you have performed against the required standard, then ask the assessor/s for a “benchmark” rating. Then, ask them what is required for you to improve your performance in future.

• If you are unsure as to your overall performance by the midpoint of the Course, then ask the assessors for a meeting so that you can determine how you are doing, and what you need to concentrate on.

• Read and understand the Training and Certification Programme BEFORE the Course begins.

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Preliminary Information to NZMGA Course Candidates

1. Harassment Policy: It is the responsibility of the candidates to have read and understood the NZMGA Harassment Policy. In summary, this states that during the running of this assessment course it is the responsibility of the assessors to ensure that no individual is the subject of unfair abuse or behaviour by other people. The aim of the assessment course is to create a favourable, or at worst, a neutral, training and assessment environment.

2. NZMGA Training and Assessment Programme syllabus: It is the responsibility of the candidates to have read the relevant sections of the NZMGA Training and Assessment Programme, and to have a general understanding of the scope and requirements of training and assessment tasks before the commencement of the Course.

3. Regarding training … to re-emphasise the above, please note that training will only occur for:
   • Designated Rock, Snow & Ice and Ski Training Courses
   • Level 1 Ski Course candidates
   • Level 1 Climbing Guide Course candidates
   • For Level 1 Ski and Climbing Guide Course candidates, training will only be given in techniques that are considered to be “guiding” tasks, not amateur mountaineering techniques.

4. Regarding assessment … the task of assessors is to gather evidence about the candidates in order to come to a decision. The way that this is done is by providing tasks that replicate authentic guiding situations, and by asking questions of candidates about what was going on during the task (the latter is used to check out the candidate’s judgement). The assessors are attempting to build up a picture of each candidate based on the candidate’s performance during individual tasks. Please keep in mind that the “big picture” can be overwhelmed by one performance that is deemed to constitute a failure of “client safety” or “snow safety”, leading to a course failure). Responsibility for safety during the Course resides ultimately with the assessors, but initially is the responsibility of the Candidates. If the assessors have to step in and halt a task for safety reasons, then the Candidate in control of the session has failed outright. Exceptions may be made in the case of a training exercise involving a Level 1 candidate who is still being taught guiding techniques.

5. During Ski Guide and Climbing Guide Courses, each assessor will generally be in charge of 3 candidates at any one time. Course participant may be asked to take on the role of “lead guide”, second guide, “lead instructor”, or “client”. These roles may vary throughout one assessment task.

6. The form of assessment used on NZMGA courses is both “formative” and “summative”:
   • Formative assessment – This is ongoing, “informing” assessment, carried on during the activity. It is a form of feedback of what has been learnt and understood so far. It is a guide to further learning. Formative assessment will be used to direct Level 1 candidates’ learning of guiding techniques.
   • Summative assessment – This type of assessment measures (i.e., “sums up”) the candidate’s performance in a particular task against the course objectives. The measurement of performance is done in relation to the relevant stage of the learning journey (e.g., Level 1, or Level 2). NZMGA assessors
7. Feedback on performance during the training and assessment process: A variety of methods may be used. The assessors will use a form of feedback that they feel is most appropriate to the occasion. Types of feedback that may be used include:
   • self assessment and peer feedback (many viewpoints, but lengthy.
   • 1 on 1 (only assessor gives feedback; personal and immediate)
   • benchmark (i.e., performance is judged as above or below a pass-fail standard; quick and immediate)

8. Assessment will be given during the programme as soon as is reasonably possible following each assessment task.

9. The NZMGA Training and Assessment Programme syllabus is structured in the following way:
   General topics (e.g., “Client care”)
   Specific topics (e.g., “Trip preparation and Planning”)
   The Programme contains the assessment marking schedule that will be used to record assessment of candidates on this course. The marking schedule incorporates two forms of summative feedback for each specific topic. The two forms of feedback are:
   (i) a score (e.g., out of a possible 10 marks), and…
   (ii) a written comment.

10. Candidates are not in direct competition with each other. Every candidate has the potential to attain the standard.

11. Possible outcomes of the assessment process:
       see
12. Grievance process –
    1. Talk with the assessors before leaving the Course.
    2. Contact NZMGA Committee member who is in charge of Assessment Course grievances.
    3. Do it relatively quickly after the assessment (but allow time to reflect).

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Insurance Cover

To protect yourself against unexpected events where you may be forced to withdraw from the course we strongly recommend insurance cover. Please contact a broker or travel agent for advice on where to get the appropriate cover.