Also Q7b
Define the term verification method as used in the NZ building code.
i have absolutly no idea what the awnswer is. all i can find is on the the dbh site
-Calculaions or test,
would this be enough to get the answer? i doubt it but i cant find anything else,

Q7c
Lst 2 verification methods given in the NZBC.
1. Acceptable solution?
2 Verification method?

Regarding your first question, an alternative solution is any design or construction the does not comply with an approved Document but which DOES comply with the New Zealand Building code. The Territorial Authority or a Building Certifier must make the decision as to compliance "on reasonable grounds". 

do you think your answer is just stating what an alternitive solution is? not what must be demontrated to a T/A when applying for building consent?
maybe the awnser is: you must show "on reasonable grounds" that your "alternitave solution" does comply with the building code even though it is not availible as an approved document
Thanks heaps for your help, hopefully others can post some questions that they need help with

I find it outragous that they ask such specific and technical questions

In most cases these are ambigious and comes down to the reader in how they are interpreted.

If the questions are straight forward then there is no chance of misunderstanding.

If a TA or other building regulator asked me a question that I was not sure of, I'd ask him to explain.

Most of us know the answer if it is expalined in "tradesman terms".

So why are they pissing around with trying to be stuck up technical tossers.

Most the blokes who write, examine and create these exams are people who have failed in business and are actually failures in their choice of work! Also probably in life and family issues too, but thats my opinion.

This has been substaintially proven in most professions!

What I want to do, like many of you guys is create an industry that supports and nurtures mature, honest, hardworking, and highly skilled and trained blokes. Lets lead the indusrty and support our future.

NOT FAIL THEM!

Help them to gain success. Build a fantastic and powerful industry - lead by Plumbers, Gasfitters & Drainlayers.


US





KC

hi edyeagle,you say bitter don`t know if that is so but what i do know is that when you have done all the prescribed training and got the trade tests you should be able to go get a job and earn a living without having to join some exclusive club which is very expensive and acts like the mafia in as much as if you don`t pay us 'the board' money we won`t let you work and if you do we will fine you $10,000. i have held craftsman plum and gas licences for many years i, i could say:i`m allright jack pull up the ladder,but i`ve worked with some top tradesmen who were not registered and never will be,but they completed apprenticeships and for some reason did not pass exams,they can only get limited licences and at a cost and also won`t be paid as much for work that is far better in every way than some fully qualified guys,i think that is totally wrong.The other thing i see as a big problem is(this applies to gas at present)you get craftsman/registered gas,then you need to get points,you are a young family man with big mortgage/child/children,you have to attend courses in your own time(away from family)(pressure) plus costs great,you have the points you get licence,another cost,if you have signed and certs you will get audited if you fail(it`s easy)a re-audit,more costs,that is a lot of money and you are probably reg or craftsman plumber as well,add it up and you are probably only on $25.00 per hr, you will have to work over time or do foreigners on the weekend, and for what real reason,to keep half a dozen board members,who do not want to work,plus all the office costs in well paid jobs under the guise of 'protecting the public against us' in the name of health and safety. I have now stopped renewing my gas licence because of the time/effort/costs/stress that it takes and for little gain,i`ve kept it up since c.b.t came in, Check out the amount of reg/tradesmen who do not register,look on the pgdb web site under public search of the register.

As far as i've read on this forum if you can set it up from nz and pass it in auz,as far as registering with the pgdb as a certifier your instantly in,one of the only loop holes i've come across after trawling through these forums trying to make sense of how to best combat a system that is intent on my(our failure),and taking our money. I hope to sit the craftsman gasfitting paper in november myself......this just occured to me,Why would they change the way they examine us??  Basically if you don't answer there questions word for word you run a high risk of failing the examinations you sit,but they don't care because it's all about the money to them in my opinion. if i have to sit it 3 times it's a big win for them,they get to call those who fail too incompetent and many in govt will nod their heads in approval,and as a bonus they take your money repeatedly.They have a system in place they will not easily change,not by there own hand anyway so my thoughts are to sit down and best come up with a system to combat these exams, i.e study extremely hard focusing on codes,standards,past examination papers,open polytechnic courses but mainly the ANSWERS to these exam questions that are out there but were removed from the boards website,some are hear which is fantastic to see,i hope the database grows!!

Best of luck with your exam man, i really do hope you get it!!

hi guys,if the auditor general`s report was anything to go by it`s no wonder that you did not pass. Here is a couple of pages of what he found. i urge you to download the report from pgdb.co.nz and print it out and examine it then ask for a resit or your money back.
The quality of the examination questions
5.24 The most serious allegation made to us was that some of the examination
questions contained incorrect data or incomplete information, making it difficult
to correctly answer the question. We were told that the alleged faults with the
questions had been drawn to the attention of the Board on several occasions but
had been ignored.
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5.25 We decided to have some of these questions independently reviewed to confirm
whether the questions could be answered. Our reviewer was a qualified engineer,
who had no involvement in the Board examinations or in any other Board activity.
He was asked to review 13 questions in the registration examinations and the
craftsman registration examinations for 2007/08. He consulted with two other
members of his engineering team.
5.26 The reviewer and his colleagues found mistakes in 10 of the 13 questions. The
mistakes were such that it would have been difficult for candidates to correctly
answer the question. In our view, some of the mistakes were so serious that it
would be unreasonable to expect candidates to be able to correctly answer these
questions. The mistakes included:
• A question in a craftsman common examination asked candidates to calculate
the discharge power from two pipes of different sizes. There is no such term as
“discharge power” in fluid dynamics. Asking candidates to answer a question
about a term that does not exist means that the question would be very
difficult to answer.
• A question in a craftsman plumbing examination asked a series of questions
about pump performance. The vertical height between the pump and the
water supply was not provided. Without knowing the vertical height, the
question cannot be answered.
5.27 There were mistakes in several other questions that would make them
unnecessarily difficult to answer:
• A question in the craftsman gasfitting examination asked candidates to
calculate the gas input rate for a gas heater. There were several mistakes in
this question. The specific heat capacity of water had been incorrectly stated.
The heating value of gas had been incorrectly written. The formula given in the
examination to calculate the input rate was incomplete.
• A craftsman gasfitting examination asked candidates questions about
installing a gas supply for a motel. Candidates had to make a number of
calculations, including calculating the size of gas pipe work from the first
stage regulator to the second stage regulator. There were several errors in this
question. The data provided to answer the questions stated “pipe size m”, when
it should be “pipe size mm”. The unit rating for the water heater was incorrectly
stated. The gas pressure from the outlet was not specified. Another part to this
question asked about the sizing of LPG pipe work. Information in the form of a
chart was provided to enable candidates to answer the question. However, not
enough information was provided to use the chart accurately.
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Part 5 The examination system
• Another question said that 1kg of LPG will deliver 250m3 of gas, when in fact
1kg of LPG will deliver 0.5m3 of gas. The review team stated that this was “out
by a factor of 500”.
5.28 We gave the Board a copy of the report from our reviewers. The Board did not
agree that in all cases the mistakes meant that it was difficult for people to
correctly answer the questions. In its view, there were two questions that could
not be answered (the two questions described in paragraph 5.26), and there were
technical shortcomings in four other questions.
5.29 Although we have different views on the extent of the problems with examination
questions, we and the Board agree that some questions that have been used are
fundamentally flawed, and that others have shortcomings.
5.30 These problems take on more significance when put in the context of an
examination that comprises 11 to 16 questions, with a 60% pass mark. Having
some faulty questions could materially reduce the candidate’s chances of passing
the examination.
5.31 As already noted, the examinations have a high failure rate. Figure 1 sets out
recent pass rates for the different registration and craftsman (now certifying)
plumbing, gasfitting, and drainlaying examinations.
Figure 1
Percentage of applicants who passed examinations, 2004-2008
2004 pass
rate
%
2005 pass
rate
%
2006 pass
rate
%
2007 pass
rate*
%
2008 pass
rate*
%
Plumbing registration 31 12 37 32 36
Gasfitting registration 65 58 49 72 36
Craftsman common 32 58 37 23 34
Craftsman plumbing 31 38 63 35 20
Craftsman gasfitting 49 62 47 41 30
Drainlaying registration N/A N/A 75 55 51
* Combines the June and November examination cycles.
Note: N/A means not applicable.
Source: Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board (2009) Annual Report Year ended 31 March 2009, Wellington.
Use of unrealistic scenarios in questions
5.32 Another issue raised with us by representatives from training providers was that
some of the examination questions describe situations that are unrealistic. For
example, a question in a craftsman plumbing examination described the design
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Part 5 The examination system
of a hot water system to be installed in a sports club to feed a number of showers.
It then asked candidates to calculate the plumbing requirements for the system.
One part of this question asked candidates to calculate the volume of water
that had to be heated and stored. The calculations showed that the hot water
tank would need to hold 2500 litres of water. We were told by a tutor that most
plumbers would not have encountered a hot water tank of this size and would
assume that their calculations were wrong and would not attempt the rest of the
questions.
5.33 Another plumbing tutor, with extensive experience in the plumbing industry, was
more explicit in his criticisms of this question. He told us that a 2500 litre hot
water tank does not exist and that the scenario described in this question makes
no sense. In the situation described in the question, where the hot water is to be
used only twice a day, for 30 minutes, plumbers would install instantaneous water
heaters, which would be a cheaper and more efficient system.
5.34 The issue of presenting unrealistic scenarios in questions had been raised with
the Board but rejected. The Board took the view that the point of such questions
was for candidates to be able to demonstrate that they can work through the
calculations and that they should ignore the scenario presented in the question.