Ptt

[roan rebel]

Hi, I was just wondering if anyone has done the PTT in the last year? How much preparation did you do for it (e.g. theory, lectures) and how many hours' teaching practice did you do before you were ready to do the exam?

Did you pass first time? If not, what things did you fail on?

Any hints/tips/anything I should know pleeeeease!

I have got the Hazel Reed and the Maxine Cave books on the PTT and the DVD. I didn't get the BHS book because I didn't find their Stages books that great.

Also: Does anyone have any old lecture notes that they would be willing to scan in/photocopy/send to me (of course I will pay p&p and any photocopying costs!)?

Thanks in advance!:)

[joey_olop]

I applied to do my PTT course but they suggested I should be teaching to get on it & I wasnt. The only practice I got was teaching my Mum & Sister but that wasnt enough!!

I suggest you go out & get teaching practice somewhere to get confident, friend of mine did it & was teaching for about 4 hours each day 3 months before her exam to get her confidence up.

Good luck :)

[roan rebel]

Thanks for the reply. I have just got a job at a riding school teaching children and beginners for roughly 8 hours a week, so that's a start. This will be mostly private lessons so I'll need to get some practice on group lessons before the exam!

[claire0781]

I would say that you can't have too much practice for the PTT exam. I am currently preparing for mine and have been told that the lunge lesson can be one of the hardest, so I am working hard on that one! My instructor has said that the teaching needs to come as second nature before you should go in for the PTT exam as nerves get the better of you more than in the other stage exams.

In relation to the talks - if possible rally around friends and possibly pupils form your riding school if willing because once again, the more practise the better. i have been told to buy the Horse Talks book in the same seires as the course companions (by maxine cave I think) is a good starting point for preparing for the talks section/

Good luck

[nicepony]

hi, i did the ptt a year ago. i trained for a month before the exam just constantly reading the books and training at a yard. have you been to a yard where they do the exams? if think that is one of the best ways to get a feel for what the day will be like. ask them do to a mock day.
i thought the dvd was rubbish. the candidates in it are rubbish so if you watch it make sure you are better than they are.
they go in to a lot of detail about child protection so make sure you read all of that. i think they are changing the ptt slightly this year..think they are adding a section to it.
feel free to ask me any specific Qs

[jenb]

I did mine over a year ago now, but passed first time :) I had been teaching for years beforehand though, but just never got round to doing the exam, so I couldn't tell you how many hours practice I'd had. I can't remember the lecture topic I got, but I taught a class lesson on jumping grids (had a huge horse and a teeny pony - made for interesting distances!) and a lead rein lesson. They had experienced riders on the lead rein lesson, mine was a rubbish actor so I assessed her as being suitable to trot and got told off by the examiner! :rolleyes: But I explained why I had asked her to trot and still passed.

They are changing the syllabus slightly to come in line with the UK Coaching Certificate regs, so make sure your copy of the syllabus is up to date!