OVERJOYED 

OVERJOYED

by AIREEN TAMAYO PARDILLO, RPm

Everyone I know who aspired to become a registered Psychometrician has been preparing for the board exam since June. Review Centers here in Davao City were already welcoming reviewees. I wanted to enroll because customarily, that is what board exam takers primarily do. Too bad the situation I am in did not permit me to. I experienced financial constraint which hampered me from enrolling in a review center. Not just some financial constraint where I cannot pay for the enrollment, but it is more of a survival game. I cannot even pay for my tuition in school! On top of that, my salary is like “Coke” (as what they say). If it’s not sakto, it’s zero. Why is that? I got 3 loans to pay for to assist my father in financing the building of our new tiny house.  It was even difficult to buy a sumptuous meal for lunch so I struggled with noodles and luncheon meat alternately.

So there, my friends started reviewing while I was busy preparing for my upcoming wedding on October 20. My fiancé was still in KSA while I was attending to all the details for our big day. I did not get me a wedding planner/organizer because we are really trying to save, again due to financial constraint. So I did all the planning (credits to my fiancé for his little efforts and for financing the wedding though :P)

It was one week before the exam, and I was not even finished reading the whole book of Theories of Personality! That’s one subject there. I ordered a reviewer from SPARK but was not able to read it because I was too busy. I work from 8am-5pm from Mondays to Fridays and attended school every Saturdays from 8am-9pm. All the details for the wedding were to be attended before I sleep. My only review time is every morning while taking a doze of early morning coffee.

For the whole month of September, I was busy doing school works. Doing reports, preparing TNA, practicing counseling skills, writing modules for every topic we had discussed in one subject.

The following month came. October 20, big day for me! From being Ms. Pardillo to Mrs. de Lara. Next day, I felt relieved (credits to all who helped us prepare the program, to MSYS team who beautifully and perfectly decorated the place for the wedding). Thank God for the successful day. So there, done with all that décor thingy, photoshoots, dress ups. Next in line, the upcoming board exam. From the bottom of my soul I wanted to be a registered Psychometrician. I was hopeful. Well, I got no other choice because if I fail the exam, I might lose my work.

Me, and my ex-boyfie (my husband) left Davao on October 26 at 7:45pm. Due to traffic, we arrived at NAIA at around 10PM. Since we are both unfamiliar with the place, and because our budget is only good for a 2-night stay in a hotel (plus food allowance), we decided to stay in the airport until October 27 early morning. We slept on the floor of NAIA, with all other passengers passing by. While having our goodnight sleep, a security guard from the airport woke us up telling us to transfer because their utility will be cleaning the vicinity. We transferred to another area, still within the lobby, and continued to doze off on the floor. We left the airport at 4am and traveled to Recto where UE is located.

I spent the whole afternoon of October 27 reviewing DSM-IV TR on my laptop while hubby was enjoying the NATGEO channel. After scanning through my e-book, I forced myself to read and answer the reviewer I got from SPARK. It was too painful for me since I know I only got so little time. It was the only time I seriously studied the board subjects. Tired, I stopped reading and said to myself “bahala na, gikapoy na ko ug basa”.

The following day. This is it! I felt jitters all over my body. I experienced stomach ache and been into the bathroom twice before I left the hotel for the first subject of the first ever board exam in the Philippines! PT was given first. I’ve studied this well. After reading question number 1, I was like, OMG! I scanned all the other questions and felt even jitterier. It was difficult. Well at least for me. The questions were tricky as well as the stems. Plus, I am not too familiar with those theories. I felt hopeless after completing the first test. After the second day, I was hopeful that I would pass the exam but I could not gather enough courage and belief for myself. Only God can do what I cannot do. What we cannot do. I continuously prayed even after the exam. We went back to Davao on November 3.

A friend told me that the results will be released on November 4, at 8pm. I painstakingly waited. I refreshed a lot of pages for a hundred times, eager to see the results until I gave up and slept. The following morning, my husband woke me up and told me that a friend in fb posted a screenshot of his name being on the list of roll of successful examinees. He then opened my account and checked first my inbox after seeing 6 notifications of messages. There it is! After opening one of the messages, we read a CONGRATULATIONS! I was in disbelief! All the pain and the tears I’d been through paid off! But hey, I was still in disbelief! Yet together we thanked God for this success! If I try to look back, I got all the reasons not to pass the board exam due to the challenges I’d been through. I cannot even describe it well here. But God has made a way and made me victorious. For the nth time, He showed me His grace and His faithfulness to His promises. In just a month, I got two things in a row now connected to my name: Aireen Pardillo – “DE LARA”, “RPm”. 

To my friends who were not able to pass the exam, may you hold on to your hopes and continue to strive hard. God bless us all! 

(Aireen is 26 years old, with a degree in BS in Psychology from Holy Cross of Davao College, batch 2009. She is currently working as a Psychometrician in a private testing center in Davao City.  Among the great psychologists, she both like Carl Rogers and Maslow. Aireen enjoys reading detective stories, sometimes playing DOTA as a stress-busting hobby. Her plan for the future is to finish masters degree by 2015 and take up the board exam for psychologists.)

Dr. Cue's Statement Regarding Equivalency

NEW UPDATE from Dr. Cue
as of 26 August 2014, 12:00AM


The Certificate of  Equivalency is asked only if and when: 

a) you finished your degree abroad 
b) when finished a degree in Psychology by some other name and 
c) when you took a professional subject in the board by some other name that is not obviously equivalent to the board subject under consideration. 

Please note that we are only implementors of the law so any deviation on matters related to the educational curriculum must be certified by CHED, else the application will be denied. 

We trust each and every applicant to submit his/her application at any PRC office soonest so there is still time to work out any deficiencies.

Finally here is the much awaited reply from Dr. Mirriam P. Cue, Chairperson of the PRC Board of Psychology on the issue of Equivalency.  

You should check with the applications division on the requirements. The PRB already sat down with them... Yes, some subjects do not need any certificate of equivalency anymore, like Psychological Testing for Psychological Assessment; Psychopathology for Abnormal Psychology, etc. But for subjects not in the list, you have to seek equivalency from CHED. I suggest you apply now so you would know what your deficiencies are while you still have the time to go about it.

For those of you applying inform PRC that such clarifications was already made by the Psychology Board. Psychological Testing is similar/same with Psychological Assessment and Psychopathology for Abnormal Psychology.

Hope this matter is now clarified for those asking about this issue.

Initial Result of the Survey and Sign-up

In our curiosity to figure out some information about the upcoming Psychometrician Licensure Exam and due to the lack of information available, so we create information instead,  we came up with a survey and sign-up.  In exchange and a promise of providing those who answer the survey with relevant information and update as well as our guide notes and quizzes that we are still in the process of finalizing. And also per PAP and PRC Board of Psychology orientation the licensure exam will be an outcome-based assessment and with the release of the TOS, so the guide notes and quizzes have to be revised accordingly. 

So we would like to share the following data from our survey for the information of everyone, respondents and non-respondents alike:

Majority Female

Well Psychology is akin to Social Work, where there are more women enrolling and graduating from the course. I think this is very obvious if one is to look at classroom ratio in different schools and universities or for that matter in review centers. And if this survey is an indicator, then we definitely expect more women taking the Psychometrician licensure exam at almost 80%.

Fresh and Recent Graduates

Based on the survey majority of the respondents, both planning and will take the exam are new graduates or those that graduated in the last 6 years, whose age bracket belong to age category of 21-26. Noteworthy are some respondents who are still enrolled age 18-19 who answered the survey, early on they are already preparing themselves for the licensure exam, I admire them. Also, there's sizable number  of those in their late 30's and 50's who will or might take the exam. Many have not directly practiced the profession but wanting to go through the experience of taking the licensure exam and in the process, when they pass may opt to pursue career as psychometrician and for others an additional eligibility and promotion. Most of all many would want to be considered professional (even just for the first rung of the ladder to becoming a full pledge Psychologist)  having graduated from a four year course in Psychology.   

(Note:Some of the percentages are approximation.)

 Raw Data on 

Age versus Number of Respondents

Self-review

Majority of the respondents at 66% are doing self-review. Self-review are those who are doing review on their own without the help of any review centers for materials or review classes. Since this is the first Licensure exam even review centers are not informed of the kind of exam that will be given, although it was announced it will be outcome-based assessment. Except, perhaps for those who composed the Technical Committee for Psychology who came up with the TOS and the PRC Board of Psychology who might have an inkling or even contributed to the test bank of the licensure exam. Only after the first licensure exam in October 2014 will we be more familiar of the exam content and so we can find review materials on the shelf of bookstores and review centers will be more confident as to the content of their review classes. So only by then will be more people availing the services of these review centers. So for now, many are opting for self-review.

Below is t he table of the top 5 review centers that our respondents are attending for their review, the other table shows the rest of review centers that our respondents are attending. Most of those in the top 5 are review centers that opened their review as early as last year when it was speculated that the licensure exam would be given in October 2013.

MODE of REVIEW

Top 5 Review Centers for the 

Psychometrician Licensure Exam

             

Updated August 20, 2014
(as response to some comments of reviewers from review centers not on the top 5 list.)

Note: This data is based on the respondents of the ongoing survey conducted by TR Reviewer and may not be reflective of the real market condition. We would like to clarify again that the result is based on  the respondents of our survey. Also as noted below, SPARK being in the lead is because of their massive Facebook presence so most of their reviewers may have found out about this survey (shared and posted on FB and blog) and diligent enough to answer.  The basis is quantitative according to number of respondents to the survey making them on the top list and not for other reasons. To show facebook data of these review centers gathered as of 19 August 2014:

SPARK Psychology Review Center
https://www.facebook.com/SparkReviewCenter
39,647 likes

Srg Psych Review
https://www.facebook.com/sultanreviewgroup.psychreview
FRIENDS · 344

PSY Review Center Inc.
https://www.facebook.com/psy.reviewcenter
56 likes

RCAP (Review Center for Allied Professions)
https://www.facebook.com/pages/RCAP-Review-Center-for-Allied-Professions/142599899137088
1,838 likes

Or another plausible explanation, as we commented on one of the posts about this result,  perhaps the reviewers of the other review centers are too focused on their review and they have no time to do Facebook and read blog. Good luck to them.

Again the survey is ongoing and not yet conclusive.

Review Centers Identified by Respondents 

We will try to provide more feedback from the data of  the survey in the future. Watch out for it.

Result of the survey Handa ka na ba para sa Psychometrician Licensure Exam

Below is the result of the survey we conducted - Handa ka na ba para sa Psychometrician Licensure Exam. The survey first got a response on July 20 and the last was July 29, 2014. A total of 15 respondents answered the survey. The survey is now deactivated and we will reactivate it after 8 October 2014, the last day of the application for the Psychometrician Licensure Exam.

Initial response shows that as of July still many are not yet prepared as a proof only one of the 15 respondents got the notice of admission for the licensure exam. We observe that most of the respondents also are newly graduate, perhaps still undecided whether to take or not the licensure exam. We hope that these respondents will not do the last minute application. At least having delayed their application they benefited from the additional instruction from PRC like affixing documentary stamp to each of the 3 certificates of good moral characters and the provision of Certificate of Authentication and Validation (CAV) to TOR that does not have SO (special order). Check link here - http://psychometricpinas.blogspot.com/2014/07/email-from-prc-regarding-submission-of.html  and the FB discussion here - https://www.facebook.com/psychometricianreviewer/posts/249070291970124.

Majority (67%) of the respondents are familiar with the outcome-based assessment and 93% are confident they will pass the licensure exam. We at TR Reviewer believe of the self-fulfilling prophecy, if you think and firm on the thought you will pass then half of the effort of passing is done - the rest is hard work of preparation of reading, reviewing and exercising in test taking. So to our readers believe you will pass couple it with hard work and prayers, so be it - you'll be a registered Psychometrician!

Respondents consider Theories of Personality as the subject they will get a good grade and comparing it with the subjects they will get a poor grade validate their responses of the former question - Abnormal Psychology, Psychological Assessment and Industrial Psychology. Our initial observation tells us that the confusion on the use of  DSM4 TR or DSM 5 compounds the difficulty of many on the Abnormal Psychology subject, as to Psychological Assessment many students of psychology are averse to math so they consider the subject difficult and for Industrial Psychology the lack of experience and exposure to a work settings among newly graduate will prove difficult compared to those already exposed and experienced to a work settings. Also another observation, among the different subjects up to this day the Philippines has not come up with a book or textbook on Industrial Psychology to think that many graduates tend to have a profession on an industrial setting compared to the clinical setting.

Although as to the subject respondents will have a good grade  many answered Theories of Personality and it is the same responses with Psychological Assessment.

The survey provides us input and will help us prioritize which review subjects to focus on and share with our survey respondents.

We hope to get back to the respondents after 8 October 2014 and see how many of them will take the licensure exam for Psychometrician.

Email from PRC regarding Submission of Certificate of Authentication and Validation (CAV)

For those who already applied and got their NOA for the Psychometrician Licensure Exam, do check your email and spam mail box if you received an email like the above email. Particularly for those who did not comply with the CAV thing like me. Even if I have my NOA already,  PRC still wants me to comply with this missing requirement.

But in the email it cited Sec. 12-A (c) which applies for Psychologists, but since I received the email I will still comply just so I will be "included in the room assignment". The more appropriate provision for Psychometrician is below (but it seems they made a general email to all  licensure examination applications for Psychologists and Psychometricians who did not comply with the CAV):


Sec. 13-A. Documentary Requirements to the Licensure Examination of Psychometricians

c. Original and photocopy of transcript of records (with scanned picture) indicating the Special Order (S.O.) number, and where school is exempted from the issuance of an S.O., a Certificate of Authentication and Validation (CAV) from the CHED.


What is CAV? 

Per IRR of Psychology Act of 2009, CAV refers to Certificate of Authentication and Validation (CAV) issued by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED). But there is also other CAV or the Certification, Authentication and Verification (CAV), term also applies to those requirements when you want your documents authenticated and to have a red ribbon especially for those who applies for work abroad.  Well perhaps the purpose is to distinguish it from those fake documents issued in Recto and Quiapo.

CAV is the requirement I missed out in my application, I was confident that the SO from the school I graduated will not be questioned. But alas, with the email from PRC using a gmail account and without a signature (that looks very unofficial),  I have to apply for it again and secure it from CHED. The school registrar also informed me when I applied for my TOR that most of those who secured their documents for the licensure exam did not request for the CAV requirements, well perhaps, I graduated much earlier than most of the younger batch.

How to apply for CAV?

Some school have their liaison officer who facilitates the application for CAV on behalf of their students/alumni. It can take three (3) weeks before it is released. But in some school they allow their won students to do apply to CHED on their own, with the necessary endorsement from the school. If individual applies directly it may take a week for CHED to release the CAV.

Frequently Asked Question: 3 Certificates of Good Moral Character

Implementing Rules and Regulations of Republic Act No. 10029, Known as the "Psychology Act of 2009"

Rule 5 - Licensure Examination

Sec 13-A. Documentary Requirements to the Licensure Examination of Psychometricians

e) Three (3) certificates of good moral character, preferably from school, employer, church, barangay captain duly signed by the issuing authority and duly notarized under oath.

Source - http://prc.gov.ph/uploaded/documents/BoardofPsychology-IRR.pdf

PAP holds Orientation on the Psychology Licensure Exam

After the released of the Tables of Specifications  for the Psychologists and Psychometricians Licensure Exam, the Psychological Association of the Philippines (PAP) in partnership with the Professional Regulatory Board of Psychology will hold an Orientation on the Psychology Licensure Exam. When we called PAP Secretariat and clarifies if Psychometrician will also be covered they answered in the affirmative.

So it is encouraged that those who are taking the licensure exam this October 2014 should attend this very important orientation to know more about the contents and approaches that will be used for the said exams. The orientation seminar is open to Psychology faculty, students and alumni, specifically for those taking the licensure exam.

Source - https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152038816225388&set=a.10150469570850388.363899.148851815387&type=1&theater

Registration fee will be collected to those who will attend the orientation.

PAP Members who preregistered  - PhP 300.00 
PAP Members walk-in                     PhP 400.00

Non PAP Members preregistered     PhP 400.00
Non PAP Members walk-in              Php 500.00

To register please take note of the following:

1) Register on or before June 13, 2014. 

2) Pay registration fee via BPI Current Account :
Psychological Association of the Philippines
CA# 0421 0208 68

3) Email deposit slip with your name (participant/s name) to pap_1962_08@yahoo.com

4) Wait for PAP Secretariat acknowledgement.

5) Conctact PAP Secretariat - 0915 847 7727 (Globe) or Tel nos. 453 8257


Details of the orientation

Orientation on the Psychology Licensure Exam
18 June 2014
9:00 - 11:30 AM
Philippine Social Science Council (PSSC) Auditorium
PSSC Bldg., Commonwealth Avenue, Diliman Quezon City
PAP Secretariat - 0915 847 7727 (Globe) or Tel nos. 453 8257


Check Google map here -
https://maps.google.com.ph/maps?ie=UTF-8&q=google+map+PSSC+Diliman+Quezon+City&fb=1&gl=ph&hq=PSSC&hnear=0x3397b7a8473fbad5:0x7a660141d92d88e6,Diliman,+Quezon+City


PSSC is located at Commonwealth Avenue, among the landmarks:

1) Few meters away from Philcoa - Philippine Coconut Authority

2) Across UP Diliman - College of Human Kinetics

3) PSSC Building is near Iglesia ni Kristo/New Era University 

Particular Emphasis on Psychological Assessment on your Review

Among the four subjects for the Psychometrician Licensure Exam, it is highly probable that Psychological Assessment will have the most items compared to the other three subjects: Abnormal Psychology, Theories of Personality and Industrial Psychology.

Well after all, the licensure exam is for Psychometrician and those who will be licensed should be adept in Psychometrics, Psychological Testing  and Psychological Assessment.

So if the rest of the subjects would be at 100 items each, with a percentage of 20%, then Psychological Assessment would be in the range of 130-160 items at 40%.

So what are the most likely topics from this subject? Kindly refer to this earlier post here - http://psychometricpinas.blogspot.com/p/chedcourse-specification.html


Also, be sure to cover the following areas shown in the infographics.

Please tag and share this info to your friends and other reviewers.

Magezi opens review center in CALABARZON

Good news for Psychometrician reviewers in the CALABARZON areas! You do not have to leave the confines of your comfort zones and come all the way to Manila, a review center is just a stone throw away from your territory,  thanks to Magezi....

Well I am not advertising them but I would like to feature them here in our blog because of their
pioneering initiative of starting a review center in the CALABARZON areas. As a disclaimer
this is not a paid ad, merely as a purpose of this blog, fulfilling its obligation to serve as a
resource for the upcoming Psychometrician Licensure Exam so we are introducing them here.

To know more about them, below are details emailed to us at TR Reviewer:

 MAGEZI is Brilliance!

ABOUT US

Magezi Training Events and Educational Services is happy to offer its expertise in Psychologist and Psychometrician Board Reviews. We are offering comprehensive reviews in Batangas City, with a schedule (Sundays ONLY, 8:00am-5:00pm) flexible enough to fit in the schedule of young professionals and employed reviewees.

Our goal is to partner with Institutions in helping our clients not just pass but TOP the Psychologist and Psychometrician Board Examinations. MAGEZI assures you that after the review sessions, they are more than prepared for the first ever Board Examinations.

REVIEW SESSIONS

Our review sessions are meticulously planned by our coaches who are from the top Universities in Manila and CALABARZON who all have the necessary degrees and are renowned in the field of Psychology. MAGEZI has partnered up with lecturers and coaches from the University of Santo Tomas, The National Teachers College, Far Eastern University, Centro Escolar University, De La Salle Dasmariñas, and Lyceum of the Philippines University-Batangas.

Effectively designed review sessions will comprise of orientation and diagnostic exams, lectures and coaching, and pre-board and final coaching that will run from June 1 to October 19.

PAYMENT TERMS

We offer the review at a much lower price of P8000/head for the Psychometrician Board Review and P9000/head for the Psychologist Review.

With this, MAGEZI is ready to accept enrollees for the 2014 Comprehensive Review starting March 20 until May 15, 2014. Reservation is at P3000 only.


DISCOUNTS AND PROMOS

To know more about our exciting offers and available promos you may contact us at 09258466897 or e-mail at us magezitrainings@yahoo.com.ph.

We hope that you will consider our offer and avail of our brilliant services. LET US MAKE HISTORY IN THE FIELD OF PHILIPPINE PSYCHOLOGY.


Coaches/Lecturers

Dr. Lida C. Landicho - UST, LPU

Dr. Teresa Q. Amarille - Emilio Aguinaldo College

Prof. Roldan C. Ragot - Independent Management Consultant on Training, Coaching, People & Organizational Development

Prof. Miriam Grace Aquino-Malabanan - DLSU, LPU

Prof. Gem B. Escoza - Adventist Psychological and Professional Services


Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MageziTrainingEventsAndEducationalServices
Website: magezi.weebly.com
Contact No.: 09258466897
Email: magezitrainings@yahoo.com.ph


Check other review centers here - http://psychometricpinas.blogspot.com/p/pyschology-review-centers.html





Logo and Photo credit to Magezi.

Can an AB-Psychology graduate take the psychometrician board exam?

Comments to one of our blog posts - http://psychometricpinas.blogspot.com/p/chedcourse-specification.html


sonny rivera April 12, 2014 at 11:13 AM

do you have to be a bs-psychology graduate to take the Psychometrician board exam? because I'm an ab-psychology graduate but I have taken all the 4 main subjects covered by the board, i'm feeling vulnerable right now because they might not let me take the exam because i'm an ab graduate and not a bs.

I've read in the IRR of RA10029 that the people who can take the licensure exam for psychometricians are people who have a bachelor's degree in psychology? It does not say that one should be a BS Psychology graduate and not an AB-psychology graduate, am I correct? because I'm an AB Psychology graduate and I believe I have the right to take the exam.

so question is can an AB-Psychology graduate take the Psychometrician board exam??


DEFINITELY  YES!!


Take a look at these screen captures from the online application of PRC for the Psychometrician Licensure Exam. There are several choices of courses that you can choose from and one them is AB in Psychology or Bachelor of Arts in Psychology.

I hope this clarifies your concern.

The Science of Happiness - An Experiment in Gratitude, ikaw masaya ka ba?

Wow it seems watching this relieved me of my migraine. Going to the you tube site and reading through the comments is insightful - how did the experiment measure happiness, etc, etc.

But whatever the measure was, for many more than a million who watched and could relate and resonate to the emotion and sentiments of the subjects I think the measure is not that important. They vicariously felt happy and experiencing such happiness is great and wonderful.

So whom have you made happy lately, whom have you told good things, whom have you made feel they are important in your life?

Perhaps for readers of this blog they are happy and have now time to watch this video after knowing that the Licensure Exam for Psychometrician is now postponed for  October 2014. So more time to prepare and keep always the happiness... and be grateful to life and everyone else important in your life.