CPST class is coming up - getting nervous & have questions

My class starts the 10th. DH laughed at me when I said I was nervous about passing the class, but I am. For one thing, I haven't taken a written exam in over 10 years, so I'm nervous about that. Is the test timed? That would be worse.

Secondly, I'm worried that I'm not familiar with many different models of vehicles (with their different belt set ups) and only familiar with the models of carseats that I've owned personally. I can't identify seats by sight and know when they were made, etc. like all of you can. And worse, I've never even laid my hands on any type of AO, which I'm sure it's the most common model around here. Maybe I need to go to BRU to play for a while.

I'm also nervous about being away from my girls for 5 straight days I will have to work my regular job on Monday, and then have 4 days of class. I normally only work 2 days/week. And my mom is sounding like she's dreading watching them all week long, and they've been sick this week and very needy, so none of that is helping me feel better about leaving them.

But it's already paid for and I am going! I just hope I pass. I need to clean out my car. The paperwork said they'd use participants cars for training, but do you think they'll want to use my seats too? I know most students may not have carseats, but I have a Regent that some of the techs around here have never seen IRL. I don't care if they want to look at it, but I'm not letting anyone take it apart and put it back together, but me.

Also, the paperwork says the class is from the 10th to the 13th. Does that mean the seat check will be on Friday (the last day), or is it considered separate? There is no mention of Saturday the 14th, but they do say there will be a seat check at the end.

It's not 'written', it's multiple choice! SO easy, I promise You'll know way more seats by sight than anyone in your class, and they won't ask you anything like that anyway. The curriculum supposedly is/has been changed to be shorter, so maybe you're taking the 'new' class? Probably there's only a couple things that will be a bit of work to memorize, like NHTSA rules (don't be surprised when they pronounce it 'nitsa'), and the Haddon Matrix (you'll finally learn what 'pre crash (positioner)' is referring to, and they show/teach you all the seatbelt types. The hands on stuff will be fine, they don't expect you to be perfect (try to read your teachers...sometimes making a mistake that they can correct will make them LOVE you, because you'll know way more than your classmates, maybe even more than your teachers, and that can be threatening, but if they get to correct you, that makes it all better )

Good luck Kathy and have fun! Good to know it is multiple choice. IMO you should get bonus points for not being familiar with any version of the AO...it means you never fell for the "It's the only seat you will ever need". That's a good tip about how to endear yourself to the teacher. I'll be interested to know what your teacher will be teaching about in regards to extended rear-facing.

Don't worry! You'll do fine!! :thumbsup:

Our seatcheck was that last day of class. We met Monday-Thursday and we took the test thursday and had a seat check in the afternoon. It'll be fine.

The test is super easy. I got a 99% and that was only b/c i misread that stinky station wagon/bench seat/jump seat question (lol you'll know when you read it)

You'll do great! And you won't have to know all the vehicles, just like at a seat check event: they want you to read the manual and see what the automobile manufacturer says about such things as using one lower anchor from each of the outboard positions to create a center position, etc. Stuff like that is only done on the practical exercises and there are places to check on the worksheet: "What did the manual say about so-and-so?"

As for using your own car seats, our instructors had a collection of seats for the class to work with. I'm not sure, but I think that's standard practice...? And we weren't required to volunteer our vehicle. I did b/c we have a Jeep Wrangler which poses some unusual situations such as trying to get a car seat into the back seat of a two-door vehicle.

The test is not timed and many people in our class to 2-3x longer than others to finish it. Folks leave when they're done so it's not like the ones who finish early are sitting around waiting for everyone to finish.

You'll do great! I swear there were folks in my class who didn't know the difference b/t an infant carrier and a booster, had never installed a car seat, didn't know what LATCH was, etc. Plus, the instructors are there to help and educate, not to see who knows what and can pass. You'll know what you need to know for the test before taking it.

Have fun! I thoroughly enjoyed mine and did no studying beforehand. Hope your kids are feeling better by the time class starts...


ETA: After reading Jenny's post below, I'm not sure about it being timed. I finished in about 45 minutes, I guess? Then I hung around outside talking to some folks before leaving. I guess it was timed b/c we had to get to the seatcheck event after that.

You have all the concerns/worries I had! Don't worry, it will be fine! My instructors said the new curriculum wasn't being implemented until this summer, but that could just be in my area. For us, the test was multiple choice (A, B, C or D, on those fun little fill-in-the-bubble-with-#2-pencil papers), 100 questions, with a 2 hour time limit. I finished in 45 minutes, most everyone else finished within an hour.

I was also worried about not being familiar, hands-on, with a wide variety of vehicles, belt systems and carseats, but it didn't matter. The knowledge you've gained here and just the fact that you are already "carseat crazy" ( ) will place you at an advantage over at least 90% of the others.

I cleaned my car out and shampoo'd the carpets. My seats were all installed but nobody's seats were used, just vehicles. The instructors bring a ton of seats with them. If they needed us to work on a seating position within a vehicle that already had a seat installed, we were asked permission to uninstall that seat and move it to a front seat or to the trunk.

You aren't expected to know much going in, there is a ton of hands-on learning with belt systems in different vehicles, and with taking apart and putting together various seats, and checking for recalls, and reading manuals, and actually installing seats. It's sooo much fun!

Good luck, I'm sure you will do GREAT!

My class starts the 24th, and I have a lot of the same concerns as you do!

I'm a stay at home mom to a 6 year old and nursing 2 year old. My class is over an hour away from home. I will be gone about 11.5 hours a day, 4 days that week. My nursing 2 year old is going to have a really hard time, but dh took the time off of work so I am hoping he will keep them out of the house and entertained most of the time.

I'm not really worried about the class itself, I am worried that I will know more then the instructor though.

I am really looking forward to the class, one of my best friends is taking it with me, so we are carpooling and will have plenty of girl time that I desperately need.

My biggest worry is leaving my 2 year old for so long every day!

Thank you ALL!! You've made me feel so much better.

Lisa, I'm so glad I'm not the only one worrying about leaving my toddler. She's 20 months old and still nursing also. Plus, we've had a bout of Nero Virus at our house the last few days. My 4 year old and I escaped the vomiting/diarrhea that dd#2 and DH had, but have a head cold and her's just turned into her (first ever!) ear infection - so everyone is miserable this week and the thought of leaving them is out of the question right now. But hopefully we're getting it all out of the way now and everyone will be healthy next week.

I'm also glad to hear about everyone else's class experiences. I guess I was thinking the class would be made up of people like all of you - who know so much already.

Thank you all so much for the encouragement.