The Exam Content Outline of the Need-to-Know Criteria details the specific job tasks that are testable topics within each exam. It is typically near the bottom of page 3 of the NTK document. This section provides a breakdown of the number of questions for each content area on the exam. By reviewing this you can determine where you want to focus your studying. You might begin with the content area containing the most questions and then move on to the next highest area, and so on. Or you may focus on the content area you know the least about and work toward the one you know the most about.
If you have taken the exam previously and received an Individual Mastery Report, you can use it to determine which content area(s) to study. The Individual Mastery Report aligns with the NTK criteria and provides details such as how many questions you answered correctly in each content area. Therefore, if you review the report alongside the NTK’s Exam Content Outline, you should be able to determine which area(s) to focus your attention on while preparing for your text attempt for the best chance of increasing your score.
Once you decide which content area you’d like to study, turn to the NTK’s Supporting Knowledge Type section to find the types of knowledge on which you may be tested. Typically, this section of the NTK is on or around pages 8 & 9 of the NTK. Once there, find the column with a header that matches the content area you selected. Then look down the rows in that column for boxes relating to your exam level (EXAMPLE: for Class I, you will look for the purple ‘BASIC’ boxes). Items in the boxes could be concepts, procedures, equipment, duties, policies, materials, etc. that may impact the performance of the job tasks in the content area.
To learn about the items you found in the Supporting Knowledge Type, search for them in the Table of Contents or Index of your textbooks or other resources you plan to study. If you aren’t sure what textbooks or resources to use in your studies, WPI provides Exam References for each discipline. The ‘Exam References’ page contains links to every resource our Subject Matter Experts referred to when writing the examination items. Some institutions that publish the reference material also offer training and study materials besides textbooks.
