-
Tips for taking the CPDT-KA Test
For those who have taken the CPDT-KA test, can you provide me with suggestions on how to best study for it? I have been going back to books (I have a huge library at this point many of which are on CCPDT’s list), CATCH materials, and flashcards but would like to make sure i am focusing in the correct areas as I feel like I am getting into some tangents. Appreciate any good tips!
-
44 Replies
-
Hello Amy,
And congratulations on working toward your Certification.
Although it has been several years since I have taken my CPDT-KA test, I can still remember the anxiety in test preparation.
What I can share with you is that CATCH provided me with all the information needed for the exam. I studied and studied and re-read the end of each chapter and answered the test questions in the end. Over and over again.
The focus of concentration for me was the months and days for training on all levels. What time frame goes with what. What ages go with what…
I recall there were many questions regarding training sessions, both group and individualized. also behaviors from the humans and what or not to do.
My suggestion, Amy, is to know your stuff from CATCH! and you should do well.
Best to you,
Barbara
-
Thank you Barbara. This is a relief. I started reading getting more books and reading but just won’t have the time. (Although the book I am reading right now by John Bradshaw is very interesting and hard to put down). I will take your advice and go back to my CATCH materials.
-
-
Hi Amy – I echo what Barbara said – CONGRATS on getting to the point of being ready to take the exam. Have you already applied for a test date?
I strongly recommend knowing the “quandrants” solid, for sure. You’ll get a lot of questions on that. For example:
❓At home, Fido barks out the window. Every time he barks, his owner Sally joins him at the window and shouts at Fido. The problem is, it seems that Fido’s barking is happening more often! This is:
A. Positive Punishment
B. Negative Punishment
C. Negative Reinforcement
D. Positive Reinforcement
(You’ll need to know that Punishment decreases behavior. Reinforcement increases behavior. Negative is taking something away from the dog. Positive is adding something to the dog.)
So, which is it?
-
Thanks Catherine. I actually have been focusing on the quadrants. I rewrote a study notes sheet based on CATCH’s materials on this subject. The one that I find the most difficult to to wrap my head around is Negative Reinforcement.
In the example you gave, I am going with Positive Reinforcement. The dog’s behavior is being reinforced (i.e. increasing the behavior) by giving him (adding) attention.
-
Thanks for bringing this topic up, @DoggoneSpecial ! I am interested in taking the next step, too!
-
Are there a lot of questions related to health and medical conditions, if at all?
-
@DoggoneSpecial You are correct!
The medical and health questions are related to what a trainer needs to know to keep a class environment safe. You aren’t expected to be a veterinarian, thankfully. Things like vaccines, worms, respiratory signs and other contagious disease (mites, parasites) are important to be able to spot as the pup comes into the building, so you can expect questions on that. The exam follows the domain percentages outlined in the CDPT Handbook. (Be sure to download the most current version, as it changes every year.)
-
Thanks Catherine this is very helpful!
-
-
-
I will be saving this conversation thread for future help. Thanks guys. ????????
@doggonespecial thanks for bringing up this topic.
-
Negative reinforcement trips up a lot of people at first. What helped me when I was learning it was to ingrain in my brain that
???? “Negative” means SUBTRACT – to take away from the dog.
????”Reinforcement” is MAKING STRONGER – like in construction, to hold up a bridge.
So Negative Reinforcement is taking away something to increase the likelihood the behavior will happen again.
????Another tip – the quadrants function in pairs across the diagonal. So, +R and -P are partners. -R and +P are partners, working on DIFFERENT BEHAVIORS. ????
To increase a behavior by taking something away (-R), technically, we need +P for a partner behavior.
For example, if a dog pulls forward on leash, the head halter adds pressure (+P). The behavior of pulling is (technically) punished. If the dog walks by your side, the pressure on the head halter is removed (-R) and the behavior of walking near you is reinforced.
When answering questions on the exam, be SURE you know which behavior is being targeted, and whether it is increasing or decreasing, and you should have a much easier time.
I hope that helps!
-
Thanks Catherine! This is so helpful and your example is very apropos as I was struggling with this example, specifically. I have been reading a book by John Bradshaw that uses anthropological evidence and scientific research to debunk myths about wolves’ and domestic dogs’ ancestral relationship including both animals’ pack structures believed to be hierarchical based on dominance and aggression. He uses this to challenge punishment based training as not just being inhumane but also not as effective or efficient as positive reinforcement. The f book is very interesting and well researched but in the chapter where he begins to talk about behavior and training methods he uses the following as an example of P+:
“the commonplace choke chain is a good example of a positive punisher – the discomfort of being choked, is intended to reduce the desire to pull on the leash”.
When I read this I thought it didn’t sound right. I thought the use of a choke chain was an example of R- because as the dog stops pulling the aversive is removed. I started to look this up and there were other examples that supported my view. I then added the comment “INCORRECT – Negative Reinforcement” next to the example in the notes I had taken from the book. I was thinking I am surprised that this author who has excellent credentials and is writing a book based on scientific research could put the wrong information in it. But I gave him a pass thinking – he’s an anthropologist and scientist and not a trainer.
Your example is perfect because it explains how the use of the same equipment can be both P+ and R- depending on the action of the dog. (I still feel Bradshaw’s example for P+ is not as good as your example is).
Thanks Again????
-
Amy, good for you for thinking critically. Just because it’s printed in a book doesn’t make it right! lol – and yet, he was, in this case! The key is to ask WHAT BEHAVIOR are we discussing? Again, behaviors work in pairs – positively punishing one thing may negatively reinforce the opposite behavior. The best way to get this into your head is to try to work the diagonals with a bunch of different behavior pairs, and think PRACTICALLY – with real life training issues. Write out the answers in the quadrant boxes. Soon, it will be second nature.
-
-
@Catherine On a side note to this great conversation, I have seen the learning quadrants written as both +R and R+, for example, (as in even your example, written in the box differs from what is in parentheses). I assume both are acceptable to use? I can not seem to find which is “standard”.
Thanks
-
Sharp eye, @Jenz ! Scientists use the symbol after the R or P. Dog trainers commonly write the symbol in front of the letter. I saw what I did and intentionally left it because you will see it both ways, depending upon whom is writing. The “science way” is nice because it puts the Increase (Reinforcement) or Decrease (Punishment) part first, then whether we are adding (+) or taking away (-) something. The “dog trainer” way is nice because that’s exactly how we say it. Hope that helps!
-
-
I love this conversation!! I will be definitely reading and keeping up with this!!
-
Great tips and support for one another, everyone. I love seeing discussions like this!
-
I too am registering for the CPDT-KA test in September. My biggest weakness is getting my head around Classical and Operational Conditioning. Does anybody here have any suggestions on additional books or content that I could read/study for the exam?
-
Hi! One that was recommended to me (I am registering for September as well) is “When pigs fly” by Jane Killion. Not sure of it’s direct connection with the test (or if it has one), but the recommendation came from a skilled trainer, “decorated” agility competitor and now judge for agility. She highly recommended I read it prior.
I did enjoy reading it!
-
@tondabenge Try bringing your questions here! What, specifically, are you struggling to understand?
Here are a few memory tricks to help keep them straight:
????Classical conditioning works on emotional, visceral and automatic responses. Think of how listening to Mozart makes you calmer/more focused without any “doing” on your part. Classical= emotional.
????Operant conditioning is choice-based behavior with the expectation of a certain consequence. The “operant” is the individual choosing the behavior. Think of a rat in the box, pushing a lever – he is operating the lever, therefore he is the operant.
-
Hi @tondabenge,
I thought I responded the other day but I guess I didn’t hit the “Post” button.
Operant conditioning relies on the animal’s action (behavior) in order for learning to occur. The animal’s action produces a consequence (reward, punishment, or nothing) and from this consequence, the animal learns.
Some examples of operant conditioning are:
The dog sits, you give him a treat. The dog sits again and you give him another treat. The dog starts learning that sitting produces a treat and he is more likely to repeat that behavior. The dog pulls on the leash so you stop walking. When she stops pulling you resume the walk. The dog learns that pulling on the leash does not get her where she wants to go so she tries another tactic and stops pulling. She then learns that when she stops pulling the walk resumes. Her actions created consequences one that she didn’t like (walk stopped) and one that she liked (walk resumed).
Classical conditioning does not rely on the animal’s behavior for learning to occur. The animal does not need to do anything to produce an outcome. Classical conditioning is automatic and relies on the animal’s emotion. The learning happens when the animal makes an association between two events (stimuli). A neutral stimulus is paired with a stimulus that has emotional meaning to the animal. The neutral stimulus then takes on the emotional characteristics of the other stimulus and elicits the same response from the animal.
Some examples of classical conditioning:
Charging the clicker/marker. Initially, the clicker has no meaning to the dog. When you charge the clicker each time you click you immediately follow it up with a treat regardless of what the dog is doing. The sound of the clicker becomes a good sound to the dog like the treat.
A dog’s food bowl initially has no meaning to the dog. Each time you go to feed the dog you take the food bowl out of the cupboard. The dog then begins to drool as you get the food bowl out of the cupboard. The food bowl starts to take on the same emotional characteristics as the food and elicits he same response from the dog – i.e. he starts to drool as soon as he sees it.
So to summarize Classical Conditioning forms an association between two stimuli.
Operant conditioning forms an association between a behavior and a consequence.
Cheers,
Amy
-
@DoggoneSpecial Amy – this is a great reply – I missed it earlier, sorry about that. Thanks for taking the time to give these examples!
-
-
My mentor suggested Coaching People To Train Their Dogs by Terry Ryan. I did not read through the whole thing to prep but I love this book – it covers everything and short simple segments to refer back to. I will say I laughed when it arrived as its about half as big as the CATCH Master program study guide.
-
-
I’m also registered to take my exam in March! I took the practice without any further studying or refreshing (granted, I’m also finishing up with CATCH at the moment) and got an 87. The exam doesn’t tell you by question how you did, rather by topic. I was surprised to get one of the three equipment questions wrong, not surprised I got one husbandry question wrong, but I got two wrong in learning theory and three in instruction skills.
I took note of the questions that gave me pause during the test. Some of them were the ever so tricky “Choose the answer that’s the MOST right”. Some of these were a questions of ethics vs practicality, IE is a specific aversive tool best described by its aversiveness or difficulty to teach owners (there were 4 answers, doing my best to be vague and not give away questions). Some of these made sense afterwards when I looked at the humane hierarchy, as they asked about what you’d recommend first if a client has an issue, and lists multiple potential solutions in different spots on the hierarchy. Some were about how to respond to difficult situations in group and private class settings, and how to prioritize attention, but as a fledgeling trainer it makes sense why this may be confusing.
Overall, I think if we understand what we need to know to be effective in our work, it seems like this test should be fine. We don’t receive tiered certifications based on our exam scores, but as a previous schooling “A Student” the 87 still hurts ????
Before the exam, I’ll be rereading sections of “Coaching People to Train Their Dogs”, which I think I pulled from the CCPDT-KA reading list, to better understand how they recommend priorities should be placed during training sessions. I’ll also be going through ALL of my CATCH notes the week before.
-
Thanks @Fuzzles This is very helpful!
-
Hi James – Thank you for sharing your insight (without sharing specific questions – really appreciate your professionalism!) It sounds like you’ve got a great plan in place for study and with that 87 on the practice test, you are in great shape. Definitely know the HH and current CCPDT code of ethics! Read the position statements on their website, too. Good luck and be sure to let us know when you get your results (which takes forever…) @Fuzzles
-
Whew, it did feel like it took forever to get those results back! I passed with flying colors ???????????? ~730/800 Thanks so much for all of the support in this forum and from CATCH!
-
@fuzzles Congrats!!! What an amazing score!!
-
Great job, James! Well done!
-
Congratulations @James ! Great job. Thanks so much @Amy for starting this discussion, as well as everyone on the discussion thread. Incredibly valuable information – especially the four quadrants, which I struggle with. I will be taking the exam in the fall, so will be bookmarking this and referring back. Thanks everyone!
-
Awesome news, great work, congrats James @fuzzles !
-
-
-
-
Operant versus classical conditioning can be so tricky for me because of all the situations where they overlap. As Bob Bailey put it, “Pavlov is on your shoulder”, even when we are training operant behaviors.
My thanks to all of you involved in this conversation. Multiple choice tests scare the heck out of me – give me an essay exam any day!
-
Congratulations @fuzzles!
-
I studied by using the study topics list provided by ccpdt and used it to review what I wasnt 100% on. Then, since I had typed up the questions and my answers for all the CATCH study guides I printed them out and quick read through all. I will say I used the entire test time 3hrs 15m with 55 seconds to spare before hitting submit but I had flagged a bunch of questions to go back and review and then spent time over second guessing a few. I thought Id be through it with time to spare but it was just enough time not to rush and I didnt take a break during.
-
Great approach, @lisad , here’s to your successful outcome! ????
-
Thank you! I can’t imagine preparing for it without CATCH!
-
-
-
Thank you for this distillation @doggonespecial!
Classical Conditioning forms an association between two stimuli.
Operant conditioning forms an association between a behavior and a consequence.
I haven’t heard/read it put quite this way and I think it is a very helpful wording for both professionals and clients.
-
Glad this thread is here! It’s such a good review I am getting my dog hours in and going to follow with taking the CCPDT exam. I will be taking all those tips with me. Anyone else taking this exam soon or in future? What other forms of education is good to have under your belt? I am always looking into learning more and more!
-
Good for you, @pawsup ! When do you sit for the exam?
Be sure you’ve downloaded the current documents put out by CCPDT – they change them every year and will have updated information about the domains and percentage of questions for each.
Here’s the Study Objectives file for this year
ccpdt.org
How to become a certified dog trainer - CCPDT
Are you a professional dog trainer with education, knowledge, skill, and experience? Show the world your expertise through independent certification.
-
Hey, how cool! Hope it’s a good process for you @pawsup. Let us know how it goes! Exciting to see all the progress here on this thread. ????
-
Thank you @catherine. I did not set up a time yet. Getting some dog hours with group from Petco. I will definitely be going over this! Thank you for the document. I just always want to be evolving- Everytime I do something new, I learn another thing about dogs/trainjng! What other goals would you encourage for learning?
Thank you for the kind words @paularlabreclectusI appreciate it;)
-
You’re doing great, Krista! You’re moving forward, taking all the necessary steps to advance your career. Well done!
At some point, you may find you have a particular interest. You can seek out learning opportunities to guide your focus. For example, extra courses like Family Paws (Babies & dogs), Aggression, Separation Anxiety or Shelter Behavior.
It’s also totally fine to be a generalist and accept a variety of cases. I think that’s an important place to be in the beginning of your career as it will give you a broad experience.
Good luck with your studies! @pawsup
-
Thank you Catherine! I will be looking into these as well. The more education and trainers I am around the more I love you learn other ways of thinking and doing things etc.
-
I love your openmindedness, @pawsup . ????
-
Thank you @virginiad You are so sweet!!
-
-
-
-
-
Log in to reply.