Quote:
Originally Posted by RoadGame
Any tips on preparing for the PAL course? I'm reading through the CFSC handbook and remembering what it was like to prepare for a final back in university... is it the kind of test where you will need to remember the detailed differences between different kinds of muzzleloaders, or is it more like getting a boating license where the focus is more on the big picture, practical issues that will keep you and those around you safe?
Obviously under all circumstances I want to be safe and responsible, just trying to gauge how many hours of prep to put into it, ahead of the course.
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It's a bigger deal than getting a boating license, for sure.
I'm an over-preparer. I condensed the entire book into my own notes in my own writing including my own diagrams. Probably spent 15 hours studying and reading and note taking in prep. Ended up with a 96% in the course.
My wife went in cold, hadn't read the book, just skimmed my notes and got, like 94%.
They teach everything you need to know for the test in the course. It's not grueling. It is very reminiscent of university. Only 'real' course I've taken since my degree was the Canadian Securities Course, so studying did feel foreign.
The historical stuff about muzzle loaders, etc. do come up in the course. I think if you read the book the week before you took the course and were attentive in the course you'd be fine.
Just memorize the acronyms ACTS and PROVE and you're halfway there, though. Also, they drill into you how you're basically disarming a nuclear weapon with 10 seconds to spare if you are ever so bold as to cross a fence with a firearm. A lot of people must have accidents crossing fences.
I think if you grew up around guns or know anything at all about them you're probably at a huge advantage. I have exactly zero experience with guns, so everything was new to me and I am worried about the safety aspect of things, so I wanted to make sure I got everything straight.