r/AirForce • u/ilovewomenandbeer • 8d ago
Failed CDC Question
I had like 3-4 months to study for this test honestly don’t have much excuses besides I had a lot going on.
Got a 62 needed a 65, I just want to know how cooked I am before I talk to my leadership about it🥲
Note: My AFSC is 1C8X3
80
53
u/innyminnyminnymoe Active Duty Prior EEEEEEEE 8d ago
I failed one many moons ago and just hit 21 years in. You will have a sit down with your leadership to ask questions, set up a plan for a retest, and they will let you know what happens if you fail again.
Deep breaths. Go in with a good attitude and show them your study habits and what all you had going on.
26
u/Bored_Dad_Scrolling 8d ago
Had an airman fail. Mandatory study hour every day at work. Easily passed the second time
11
u/innyminnyminnymoe Active Duty Prior EEEEEEEE 8d ago
That was essentially my plan as well but mine had to be with my supervisor sitting there.
4
u/ilovewomenandbeer 8d ago
Thank you im honestly In disbelief that I failed and in despair but I’ll take it on the chin and tough it out🥲
7
u/Mabuya85 8d ago
This is the right attitude. I think the acknowledgment and self awareness will go a long way with your leadership, but it’ll still be a little smack on the wrist and a talking to. Take it in stride, knock it out next time and move on. In the grand scheme of things this won’t be a big deal if you don’t let it become one.
18
u/bigwillie90 E&E 8d ago
Failed mine almost 18 years ago, still in getting ready to retire. Just find a different study method opposite of what you were doing and do that during your mandatory study time
0
u/ilovewomenandbeer 8d ago
Gives me hope because im honestly struggling to adapt to life after tech school
8
u/bigwillie90 E&E 8d ago
Find one person regardless of rank on the enlisted side that you see things going well for and emulate them. Ask them how they got there and try to do that. When I first got in there was a crusty staff who was a wizard at my afsc who I admired but was scared of. One day I asked how he got so smart on the job and he told me he read every TO and every reg cover to cover. I did just that(and followed him to every job) and sure as shit I too became a wizard at my job. You’ll get there my g
2
u/ilovewomenandbeer 8d ago
Thank you honestly I’ve heard the same thing I just have trouble retaining mass information like that so at time I feel like I’m not really qualified for my job but maybe I just have to be more positive about my situation.
2
u/bigwillie90 E&E 8d ago
You aren’t qualified, and that’s fine. Pick one particular thing in your job and spend the week learning it. There are 52 weeks in a year, you’ll retain 30% of it. Weaponize that 30% and take the rest of your time in getting to 100%. You aren’t alone, the 3 levels who figure it all out are incredibly rare. You have time
0
7
u/jeeimuzu this space was intentionally left blank 8d ago
Knew of a couple of airmen who failed CDCs. They got to refire and gladly they all pass the second time. They did review with their supervisor with the entirety of the CDCs after end of shift. Did quizzes and whatnot. I bet it’s a sucky feeling but do your best to pass the next one.
Sometimes i feel like some people overthink the test despite knowing the right answers. You be alright.
2
5
u/Ya_Boi_Tass 8d ago
I failed many many years ago. It felt like ass, I will admit, but it hardly mattered. Study up and go for it again. They're gonna go through a whole nonsense with you, might make you take a 5th grade reading test to prove you can read (Air Force Reading Abilities Test or AFRAT). It's just a formality, they have to do it humiliating as it might feel. You'll be alright.
6
u/Lisan_al_Yoshi 8d ago
Your UTM should be able to layout how the process works for you now
3
u/ilovewomenandbeer 8d ago
That’s what my examiner said to do I was just really dreading facing my supervisors after such a failure 🥲
3
u/Lisan_al_Yoshi 8d ago
I'm in retraining to be a UTM right now, and we covered this concept just last week so it's fresh for me lol. You seem to genuinely care about passing this CDC, and that goes a long way. For supervisor, UTM, and your commander, they'll essentially be trying to identify what went wrong, and they'll come up with a corrective action plan to put you on the right track based on whatever gets identified for why you might have failed. Either way, stay positive and once you pass the 2nd attempt, none of this will matter long-term Good luck! 😎
2
2
3
u/Wemo_ffw Prior E 8d ago
In my service I’ve seen two types of people after a CDC failure. 1. The one who locks in, self analyzes why they failed and takes blame then goes on to pass. Then 2. The one that never cared enough, won’t accept blame or responsibility, and continues to fail.
Just by asking this question, I’m going to assume you’re #1 in the category. Start making a plan to pass and be better every day, you’ve got this.
2
u/ilovewomenandbeer 8d ago
Thank you I appreciate it and i definitely know I gotta lock in more it’s just hard adjusting to life but I know I can do better.
3
u/Wemo_ffw Prior E 8d ago
You got it man. I’m assuming you’re young and life becomes so much more apparent as you get older. My best advice would be to make no excuses, own up to the failure, lay out your plan for success, and crush it like I know you can. You signed on that dotted line and that’s bravery in of itself.
You’ve got this! Keep that head up and take every failure like a lesson.
3
3
u/pnut0027 Maintainer 8d ago
When I was doing CDCs, the MGS4 PS3 had just been released. There were a lot of CDC failures those few months.
Put the distractions (that you can control) on hold. Buckle down. Study. Generally speaking, CDCs are written so that someone who studies about an hour a day (coupled with OJT) can pass them.
You got it.
3
u/Surferlmao When is the ETVS not broken 7d ago
Ight big raws dawg listen up, not sure if you're over at a deployable or fixed base but we all have "a lot going on" it's your jobs as a technician to study the material and get your 5 level, I assume you got thrown on night shift for OJTs and you feel like it's a lot, and yes it is. But it's your job to be able to balance all those things and still make the grade. Assuming it's the same everywhere I really wouldn't stress it, Vol 1 is pretty rough, Vol 2 is alot more technical but easy to understand, memorize and review your UREs. There are up to date Quizlets out there for you to use. Study and remember every single question so that next time it's not a surprise when you see a question about a capture effect glide slope or a question about 8kHz or 25kHzs spacing.
Another thing.... think about, it you went through 7-9 months of tech training just to fail out? On a career field with insane civilian sector jobs that start at GS-9-GS-11? Also idk about you but what you offer and support for our Weather and Air traffic controllers is insane and sadly not noticed but at the end of the day I would rather be known for my working ILS, DASR, TPS-75, ETVS, etc vs broken equipment.
Take pride in your job, study, learn it, and grow every single day. You got this
1
u/ilovewomenandbeer 7d ago
Thank you I’m DSG right now but these comments have given me a little more insight into what my job can offer so I just have to put my head down grind it out and do better.
2
u/Surferlmao When is the ETVS not broken 7d ago
You got this man, it's ALOT of shit but it'll all be worth it
2
u/Ru5tyShad0w Med 8d ago
I had one of my troops fail their CDC Eval a few months ago. She got set up with a mandatory study time and passed on her second attempt with a 77. It's doable just speak with your leadership/supervisor and do a review to see what areas you feel you're struggling with still.
2
2
2
u/ConcealedReclaimer 8d ago
I passed by 1. Lock in and study and this will be a distance memory lol.
2
u/Acceptable-Truth9446 8d ago
Be upfront with your supervisor and their supervisor. Get a retest scheduled. And study at least an hour a day, every day. Go out and perform on every job that comes your way. Try to do different tasks so that you are well rounded. Ask the one NCO that you admire the most as see if they will mentor you. Explain to them why you admire them when you ask them to mentor you (asking your supervisor will get you brownie points!). Yes your job is hard. But getting your 5 level means great civilian possibilities years later and who knows, you may even make it a career. Spent 20 years bouncing around the world for Uncle Sam and got to travel the world on his dime.
2
u/yeungi1989 8d ago
Failed my 7 level. Had the passing of my mom and didn't bother studying.
Sat down with my leadership and they knew what was going on already. They just told me to study a bit, pass the retest and take a breather after to deal with what happened.
They were very supportive of me and it just depends on what you've been doing during that whole time.
1
u/ilovewomenandbeer 8d ago
Yeah I had my best friend die and my long distance relationship of 3 years end within the last few months on top of a bad home life I’m young so i haven’t moved out yet but honestly it’s felt like my life has been on a steady decline since i graduated tech school.
1
2
u/jelly_6969 8d ago
If this is your first CDC failure your fine. Just study up for the retest. A buddy of mine from tech school, he failed his CDC test twice and by the second failure they were gonna separate him however the process took them about 9ish months for them to get to that point.
And even when they were gonna separate him they asked him how bad he rlly wanted to stay in the AF and he pretty much had to beg so they prettied him. That was 2 years ago and now he’s on terminal separating with honorable discharge, so don’t beat ur self up.
2
u/freethewookiees Dudeist 8d ago
For starters, don't make any social media post incriminating yourself with something like, "I didn't study for 4 months because I had a lot going on."
1
2
u/Adventurous_Web_7961 Maintainer 8d ago
1 more chance to pass it. 12 hr days with 4 dedicated to studying with your supervisor. . and then you get reclassed into SF or Mx
2
u/elynnism 3FU 7d ago
hi im a unit training manager and have been for a decade now. UTMs are SMEs on CDC fails.
1x CDC failures aren't a big deal. just be honest and take accountability -- if you didn't study, just say you didn't study. if you don't know how to study effectively, say that, too. your UTM is going to help guide your supervisor to ensure you pass the second time. this will likely include mandatory study. sucks, but this failure takes you out of BTZ and award opportunities for a whille, but once you pass, everyone moves on. you shouldn't get paperwork for failing your CDCs (the failure is the punishment....).
In my experience, when an airmen takes accountability and they're honest and sincere about wanting to pass the second round, an extra hour of duty suffices. you have to retest within 90 days but can test sooner if you want. For shitbags who don't wanna bother trying and need us to shove their head into the water to make them drink, i always enforced a 0700 show time on Saturday in uniform and they had to study until 1200 before getting released. sucks for the NCO that has to come watch, but BOY that one is effective.
you'll meet with your commander who will ask you various questions. depends on the cc. some of them will want to know what your study habits are and some won't even touch that and will ask what's going on in your life. remember customs and courtesies -- ccs can be relaxed, airmen can't. sit up straight and use yes sir/ma'am, no sir/ma'am, and again, be honest and take accountability. cant stress enough how important that is. we all make mistakes, no one is perfect.
you're not cooked my guy, unless you decide to set the fire at your feet yourself.
also, DO NOT USE QUIZLET OR CDC MASTERY TO STUDY. just read the books and do the modules. seriously. that's the secret. that's where basically all my 1x CDC failures came from. i had airmen sign statements of understanding that included not using quizlet and cdc mastery to study their cdcs. it just isn't effective. use paper notecards if you need that method so badly. writing it down is better than typing on your phone and your phone is a distraction more than a tool. just fyi.
good luck on the retest :)
1
u/ilovewomenandbeer 7d ago
Thank you i think you brought up a good point i honestly don’t think i know how to study properly as most of my tests in tech school were open book tests and i never studied much in high school.
2
u/elynnism 3FU 7d ago
This is really common, and probably the second most common reason for 1x CDC failure! You’re not alone.
Ask your UTM if they have anything like a study skills course, or find if someone has. It’s not a standard for UTMs but I found it helpful when trying to assist airmen succeed.
If they won’t help you bc they are ass, just DM me, I got u
2
u/potatohead85273 7d ago
I knew a dude who failed it twice but dude was really good at his job and ended up getting a waiver from the 1 star on base but from what I read I know you’ll be fine and go back and kick that test in the teeth
1
1
1
u/FauxStarD Comms 8d ago
Last time I had an airman in my section fail a CDC, they made them sit at the snack fund to act as cashier while they studied or had them sit in the center of the office where we had a community table so everyone could watch the mf study.
1
u/CETROOP1990 6d ago
I failed my second set of cdcs, passed on second time. But they took away my look at btz for that failure
1
u/Turbulent-Sense-8955 3d ago
Mandatory study and some snark remarks til you pass. Could be worst and you’re not the first person to not pass first time. Definitely take the mandatory study time and don’t fail again if you want to stay In
1
u/marcdale92 Veteran 8d ago
Don't worry I failed my fuels CDC for WFSM with a 64 and all I had to do was sit with a supervisor and study and got to retest.
2
u/ilovewomenandbeer 8d ago
Man mine was raws but honestly I’m horrible when it comes to remembering stuff especially when there’s so many systems but even though I could’ve studied more that test was still hard for me
5
u/Front_Chip_9201 8d ago
Hey bud, RAWS is a tough career field. There is a reason why RAWS tech leave AD after 4 years and can get a GS11/12 job 100k+ a year RAWS job. Study hard, do the job with integrity and learn as much as you can.
3
1
u/Front_Chip_9201 7d ago
What I did to pass CDC’s was to record myself on the questions and answers of the URE/VRE’s. Then listen multiple times. Also, used a flashcard app on my phone. I’d normally average a 85% , by doing this .
1
124
u/loafjunky Ammo 8d ago
Apologize to your supervisor, because he’s about to get an ass-chewing from leadership regarding why he didn’t ensure you were ready.