Announced Vs. Unannounced Testing

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[jitensha]

Hello all,

I was administered, for the first time in my martial arts career, a surprise promotion test on Wednesday night after our evening classes. This is atypical for our dojo. Usually, testing dates are announced and students have at least 2 weeks to practice the techniques.

I was wondering if unannounced testing is common or even the
norm in other dojos, and whether or not people feel that it is a better learning tool and measure of ability/development than announced testing.

Personally, I'm the type of person who likes to be fanatically prepared, so I was pretty shocked when I was suddenly asked to test immediately following 3 hours of class. Although I felt my techniques could have been more technically correct and better executed if i had practiced, the element of surprise forced me to have a mushin type of attitude toward the test. Made it a completely different experience...learned a lot about myself.

[Jeanne Shepard]

You said it yourself, unannounced testing has its advantages. But so does announced.

Jeanne

[Larry Feldman]

I've used both methods of testing.
When your teacher asks you to test it is because you are demonstrating that ability day to day in class. You have the skill level, now you need to demonstrate that to the class. He probably saw you exhibiting the appropriate skill and felt it was a good time for you to test. For some people weeks of preparation is better, and it can polish up technique, but on impromptu tests I allow leeway for not spending weeks getting ready. Trust your teachers judgment, he is setting the standard for the dojo.

It's about 'testing' everyday you practice - trying to learn and getting better.

Congrats on your test.

[stuartjvnorton]

Sounds like someones's sensei was tired of them dodging gradings & fixed it... ;-)

[Michael Cardwell]

My sensei told our class that he would never throw a surprise test on anyone since the only time he had seen that done the testie had just returned from a big pizza lunch and promptly threw up when he heard about the test. :crazy:

[Dario Rosati]

There's actually a third way, at least for low ranks :)

My sensei, for our first exam, "announced an unannounced" exam: he said we will act as in test for the next 4 lessons, but didn't reveal which one was the real exam... maybe all of them where, maybe only the one where a godan friend of him came to watch... who knows?

Personally, my only concerns about surprise is the name of the techniques, which I still find difficult to master in all the variants I've trained in at this stage and surely need a special rethinking the day before the exam... but I don't think a few day of pre-advice may change a year of practice, so by a technical standpoint I think surprise or not, you'll do on the mat exactly the same stuff.

Bye!

[Tim Griffiths]

I'd like the best of both worlds - a couple of weeks of a student concentrating on getting a movement technically correct, not being flashy, fast and whathaveyou. This can be some of the best technical training of all.
Then I want to spring a test on them, to see their reaction.

All in all, I prefer anounced.

Tim