CLD Results :(

[taper]

Bad news, got back my CLD score and I didn't make it.  Security System for those that took it.  14/15 on Style, 7/10 for Documentation, but only 1/15 for Functionality.  That really bums me out.  Like most people I ran out of time so I concentrated on making the meat of my State machine right.  I think all the states worked correctly but I didn't get to finish the state controller subvi so none of them ever queued up.  I did complete the FP on this, brought in everything I'd need and left a nice comment describing what I would do in the subvi, just didn't do anything when run.  I knew I'd lose points for not finishing, but it seems like the grader just ran the VI, tried the FP buttons, and gave me nothing because they didn't work.  Everything I've read about the CLD said it was more important to show understanding than functionality if you had to pick, so I concentrated on the states.  I really do think I had full functionality once this subvi was done.  Lost some documentation points for the unfinished subvi too so if those 1 or 2 had been picked up and another 10+ for Functionality I would have had a very good score.  Another 30 min...

The front panel was provided but it was just basic controls.  I turned everything into typedefs and added tip strips/documentation, which if I'd spent the time on my BD instead it would have worked.  Still think this was the right thing to do but I have to wonder if the loss of Style/Documentation points would have been worth the gain in Functionality.  I'll see about trying again at NI Week.

[crossrulz]

I thought when I took the CLD that if the program did not work, you would not pass.  The mindset I had going into it was to get the functionality, document as I go.  Then I worried about the tip strips and other small stuff.

Don't feel too bad.  I have heard that less than half of the people who take the CLD pass it.  At least now you know more of what to expect.  Study up on your design patterns and kill it in August!

[AustinManinTown]

It has been a long time since I marked CLD exams, but I bet, even today, a non-functioning submission is going to cost you a lot of marks.

When the CLD exam was first created there was a lot of discussion about the amount of time candidates should be given. Agreed, 4 hours puts you under pressure, but we concluded that with the information given in the exam paper and the expectation an employer has for your rate of work, it was decided that 4 hours was reasonable. It does put extra pressure on those of us who tend to be a little slower (yes, I include myself), but the exam is passable if you have the skills.

As another poster commented, don't beat yourself up too much. Keep practicing and developing your skills and you will pass. Good luck!

[Mike_Le]

You have another month to study! Hopefully your experience with the last exam will send you over the top on the second round. It seems like you were very close to a passing score.

Good luck! Rooting for you.

[pallen]

Don't feel too bad.  I've been coding long enough to know better, but I made more or less the same mistake.

For some reason I always had it in my head that it's expected that you won't complete the exam, so some missing functionality is OK as long as it looks like you were going in the right direction.  I now believe that to be dead wrong.

While you may not have time to complete all of the components, you need to complete (and test!) some of them to pass.  I don't think there is partial points for components that were well coded and on their way to being complete.  They either work or they don't.  

I went way too far into the exam before I started testing overall operation.  I was getting close to completing all of the compnoents so I just kept pushing when I should have stopped coding and started testing about 20 minutes sooner. 

Hopefully we'll both get it next time.

[mmoni]

Tough Luck ! But don't get disheartened, as someone said you are wiser now ... so think that you paid it for your wisdom.

Again it makes all the more important for test takers to take the practice exam seriously and analyse the results thereof. Most of the flaws can be capture there and then worked upon.

As for me, personally I would consider the functionality more important than documentation, not that documentatio is not important, but it comes secondary. Perhaps NI should increase the weightage for the functionality. Of course I like well documented code but only when its working in the first place.

And ya, I gave my CLD yesterday, guess I got ~90% functionaluty working and most of the documentation (that I could think of) done. Hoping for a pass. Fingers crossed.

All the best for your next attempt.

[taper]

Well, if someone reads this and is able to pass because they have a better idea what to expect, it wasn't for nothing.  I just don't like the way I failed.  I wasn't missing any fundamental concepts, didn't make mistakes, I knew exactly what to do for all requirements, just missed time management a little and didn't get what the test was looking for.  Maybe it's because I'm personally against the idea of teaching to pass a standardized test instead of to gain knowledge.  Nothing against NI in that, it's a far larger problem in schools all over.

[Rodéric]

Hi taper,

I took the exact same exam this morning, so I focused on giving a running app rather than finishing all functionality. I guess an extra 30 minutes would be perfect to finish this exam.

I hope I'll pass since I spent a lot of time on documentation and improving neatness of subVIs.

Thanks for your input on the community!

[Mike_Le]

For those of you who just took the exam (Roderic and taper): How would you compare it to the sample exams? Were they comparable in complexity/difficulty?

[Rodéric]

My opinion, the security system is way harder than the sample exam (harder = longer and requirements sometimes unclear) I wasn't able to finish it (sample exam taking me about 3 hours)

We were 5 coworkers to take it, only one finished it (former CLA). Only two of us took the security system and did not finish.