DMC Level 3

[Mr. Gain]

This was a bahh.
FOC btw

Tidy job

 

[Border]

I'm not sure when your DSC1 was done but I feel the current offerings may be lacking the additional info you got from the likes of David Stretton
the actual content of the assessments should be fairly straightforward if you are competent - it's the additional info and context you could get which would be invaluable but after a while everything gets staid and delivered to a price

When i needed a level 2 certificate I went PDS2 rather than DSC2 as it included an assessed taught element and 2 observations of each of the performance criteria of the stalk Vs 1 stalk for the DSC2 - plus it was cheaper so there was nothing not to like

Did you have DSC 1 from before or PDS 1?
Can you pick and mix?

 

[weblyish]

Did you have DSC 1 from before or PDS 1?
Can you pick and mix?

I had DSC1 and Pds accept DSC1 as suitable prior learning

It does not work the other way (which is silly as the content is similar enough that it is just DMQ being precious)

The PDS2 online learning elements are not earth shattering but are an extension of DSC1 and worth doing. Esp considering there is no real consistency in what your DSC2 experience might be. Maybe you get a mentor type who helps you learn and understand everything or maybe you get an assessor who just watches and notes your mistakes in a book. I've heard of both types

 

[Deerkeeper2]

Esp considering there is no real consistency in what your DSC2 experience might be. Maybe you get a mentor type who helps you learn and understand everything or maybe you get an assessor who just watches and notes your mistakes in a book. I've heard of both types

Unfortunately, it looks like you didn’t give anyone a chance to explain how DSC2 works.

If You needed training and mentoring then that should have been done outside of the witnessed stalk and is not anything to do with DMQ. An AW (or an Assessor) might also be a good person to train you but that is not their role.

The DMQ DSC2 process with AW’s followed by formally qualified Assessors, IQA’s and EQA’s may not be perfect but at least it follows national standards and principles of assessment.

Before any comes back and challenges me with ‘I know a guy that does it for a bag of chips and a Curly Wurly’, I say as I always do, send me the name of the Candidate and the name of the witness and I’ll take it to DMQ first thing Monday morning. Oddly enough nobody has ever actually met one of these people.

 

[weblyish]

Unfortunately, it looks like you didn’t give anyone a chance to explain how DSC2 works.

If You needed training and mentoring then that should have been done outside of the witnessed stalk and is not anything to do with DMQ. An AW (or an Assessor) might also be a good person to train you but that is not their role.

The DMQ DSC2 process with AW’s followed by formally qualified Assessors, IQA’s and EQA’s may not be perfect but at least it follows national standards and principles of assessment.

Before any comes back and challenges me with ‘I know a guy that does it for a bag of chips and a Curly Wurly’, I say as I always do, send me the name of the Candidate and the name of the witness and I’ll take it to DMQ first thing Monday morning. Oddly enough nobody has ever actually met one of these people.

I absolutely did get a full run down of both before choosing because I'm careful and do my research

I spoke to 3 people with DSC2 and 1 with PDS before I chose mine. I also compared the performance criteria to see if they covered the same stuff (essentialy yes although pds has some extra bits split out that are not in DSC2 but sort of assumed)

One candidate had the driving assessor style guy behind him who barely said word and just made notes. Horrid experience and he felt he ballsed everything up because he was nervous. Still passed - as he should have done but hated it

Another guy had a really nice AW who asked the right sorts of questions in the right sort of way helped lead him to the bits he forgot say and ran through in advance the sort of things he wanted to see and set him completely at ease

I've no idea what you are on about ticking you off for the bag of chips. I didn't say that just the experience and what they assess is highly inconsistent

 

[Tim.243]

I absolutely did get a full run down of both before choosing because I'm careful and do my research

I spoke to 3 people with DSC2 and 1 with PDS before I chose mine. I also compared the performance criteria to see if they covered the same stuff (essentialy yes although pds has some extra bits split out that are not in DSC2 but sort of assumed)

One candidate had the driving assessor style guy behind him who barely said word and just made notes. Horrid experience and he felt he ballsed everything up because he was nervous. Still passed - as he should have done but hated it

Another guy had a really nice AW who asked the right sorts of questions in the right sort of way helped lead him to the bits he forgot say and ran through in advance the sort of things he wanted to see and set him completely at ease

I've no idea what you are on about ticking you off for the bag of chips. I didn't say that just the experience and what they assess is highly inconsistent

These experiences you mention are both different as are both of the people you describe also people fall apart in different ways, the consistency will never be the same as we are all different people.
I have been through and sat in on career changing exams (diving instructor ) back in the day the examiners flew in from the US and as our course directors warned us "you are being assessed" the whole time you are on site pool/classroom so behave!
They sit/swim watch your every more and give instructions for 1 of the group to make a deliberate mistake which you have to notice/act/correct or you cam fail! Then top side you give a de-brief explain the skill and reminding the person who made the mistake then corrected it.
I remember one examiner picking me up in a jovial way as I said mudded flask instead of flooded mask saying "well you lads like to dive in those clay pits in the UK lol"
However not being prepared is no excuse as with DSC2 people had a lot of time to make 3 stalks and they still ran out of time.

 

[Sabian223]

I've obtained DSC1 and 2, Advanced Deer Management, EFAW+F and Humane Dispatch over 20+ years of stalking. It seems a bit rich to expect someone to pay £750 (plus other course fees) to essentially say 'yes, here's a badge and a certificate to prove you've shown us the certificates for other courses you've done.'
I'm a member of BASC, BDS and the NGO. I will be very unimpressed if I find they are linked to this scheme.

Not sure about Basc. NGO endorsed it in the promo video but the BDS have publicly denounced it. If you look at the points system, you get more points for a Jelen course (funnily enough part of the shooting and hunting academy) than you do a BDS course, it's frankly ludicrous.

 

[Sabian223]

I had DSC1 and Pds accept DSC1 as suitable prior learning

It does not work the other way (which is silly as the content is similar enough that it is just DMQ being precious)

The PDS2 online learning elements are not earth shattering but are an extension of DSC1 and worth doing. Esp considering there is no real consistency in what your DSC2 experience might be. Maybe you get a mentor type who helps you learn and understand everything or maybe you get an assessor who just watches and notes your mistakes in a book. I've heard of both types

The AW isn't there to coach you, nor should they be. DSC2 is completely candidate lead and a demonstration of their own unprompted competence. The AW has to ask some questions to ensure certain elements of the ICR are covered off which is re-itterated within the recent re-brief. Whether you get a 'nice' AW or one that you consider not to be, its important to know that they're purely there to witness your competence. Irrespective of who you get, the ICR and assessment criteria are the same.

Referring back you your post, they are not mentors.

 

[Happy stalker]

The AW isn't there to coach you, nor should they be. DSC2 is completely candidate lead and a demonstration of their own unprompted competence. The AW has to ask some questions to ensure certain elements of the ICR are covered off which is re-itterated within the recent re-brief. Whether you get a 'nice' AW or one that you consider not to be, its important to know that they're purely there to witness your competence. Irrespective of who you get, the ICR and assessment criteria are the same.

Referring back you your post, they are not mentors.

Absolutely we as AWs are not mentors to candidates, as you said purely there to observe and ask questions on specific issues, candidates should be able to demonstrate their knowledge and skill confidentiality if they cannot then they are not ready, to many folk rush into this.

 

[Poh]

Hopefully, if we ignore it, it will go away.

 

[CookM]

A bag of chips,and a Curly Wurly!!
Best start saving.