Machinery Lubrication magazine published by Noria Corporation
Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1250226
38 | May - June 2020 | www . machinerylubrication.com TRAINING AND CERTIFICATION MLE exam is an inconvenient time to realize this. "I underestimated the lubricant selection and application for all types of machinery, some of which I have not yet been exposed to in my career, such as turbomachinery or certain types of compressors," omas commented. "So, trying to identify an optimal lubricant for these applications was difficult for me and something I was unprepared for." Similarly, Gabriel Delgado, senior technic a l instructor at Freepor t McMoran, found the scope of the exam met his expectations and was up to date. However, specific questions still posed a challenge. Like the others, Delgado ran into unforeseen emphases. "I did not anticipate the knowledge base of refining used lubricants, oil recla- mation," he said. "I also had an excessive amount of questions on seal designs I did not anticipate." Cameco's Brad Owen had a similar run-in with the unexpected. "With my other ICML and mainte- nance professional certifications, I felt comfortable that I would be able to pass the exam," he stated. "(But) there were a few questions on statistical analysis that I was not prepared for." Gaps in the Test? On the opposite end of the spec- trum, a couple of respondents suggested that some BoK topics were somewhat u nder repre sente d . For i n st a nc e, OilDoc's Rüdiger K rethe assumed the exam would have included more about lubricants and lubrication in the MLA and MLT overlapping content. Wojciech Majka, president and CEO of Ecol and Ecol North A merica, expressed similar concerns. "I thought more tribology/lubrica- tion engineering issues would appear," he noted. "at was a wrong assumption." In all fairness, there are 24 areas in the comprehensive BOK and only 150 questions on the exam, so some areas receive less attention than others. Because the MLE is not explicitly a continuation of the ML A or MLT tracks, the overlap of those other bodies of knowledge is not meant to be robust. Echoing this sentiment in a broader sense was ICML technical contributor Mike Johnson, who assumed there would be a more obvious correlation between the exam's BoK and the certi- fication's name. " T he c er t i f ic at ion is t it led, 'Machinery Lubrication Engineer,' (but) a substantial amount of content with this certification is about maintenance group/ program management, not lubrication engineering," Johnson pointed out. ICML does, in fact, promote the MLE as a management-level certifica- tion, which is consistent with Johnson's assessment. His fear is that candidates might alter their study plans based on the title alone. (ICML recommends candidates review all 24 BoK areas and assume nothing as they prepare.) Trick Questions? Just like the questions on all other ICML certification exams, MLE exam questions are in the multiple-choice format. However, both Majka and WestRock's Jeffrey DesArmo expressed concern over questions that pose multiple possible solutions. One of them used the phrase, "more than one correct answer," and the other labeled these questions as "tricky." While a question technically cannot have more than one correct answer, it may present a scenario where the test- taker can discern multiple realistic solutions among the available choices. Any such question instructs the candi- date to identify a "best" solution. In this way, there is still only one correct answer for scoring purposes. Of course, if a question is irredeemably vague, ICML would want to know about it to consider revising it. A s Optima in's Da nny Shorten lea rned, none of t hese questions is ever intended to be a so-ca lled trick question. "K nowing how other lube anal- ysis certif ication tests work, I was concerned that the multiple-choice questions might be structured to catch me out, which I found they did not," Shorten said. In real life, every lubrication scenario may present multiple options involving many variables, parameters and busi- ness priorities that must be considered to identify an optimum solution. It only makes sense that the MLE test questions reflect such realities. Other Concerns ICML allows up to four hours to take the MLE exam, while the organi- zation's other certification exam sessions end at three hours. Because candidates for different certifications may share the same exam room, ICML currently mandates a short break at three hours to release the MLA, MLT or Laboratory Lubricant Analyst (LLA) test-takers before any remaining MLE candidates can proceed with their exams for an additional hour. This arrangement necessitates splitting the MLE exam into two parts: Part 1, which is roughly 110 questions, is turned in at the end of three hours, while Part 2, which is approxi- mately 40 questions, is turned in at the end of the fourth hour. Only DesArmo mentioned this break in his response, suggesting that its configuration may require ICML's further attention. "I was concerned about the allotted time split, and it did have an effect on the exam," he explained. "(ere was) too much time on the first part and not enough on the second." With this in mind, MLE candidates should be prepared to pace themselves accordingly. Finally, Majka expressed concern for candidates whose native language is not English, worrying that they would experience difficulties until such time as the MLE is translated into more regional languages. (As of this printing, the MLE exam is available only in English and Spanish.) "Language makes it more diff i- cult for non-native speakers," Majka added. ML