Success!

I passed my OUPV test on the first try! I scored 97% on the Rules of the Road portion that requires a 90% to pass. I scored 86% on Deck General, 100% on Nav General both of which require only 70% to pass, and I aced plotting with a score of 100% also.
Plotting was the only portion of the test I was worried about. Only 10 questions, lots of math, drawing on charts etc... If your lines aren't perfect you will come up with a wrong answer. If your math isn't correct or you use the wrong formula you will come up with a wrong answer. You have to buy the charts if you want to practice. I didn't buy the charts. I was dreading plotting. It is the only part of the test I didn't study for, because I couldn't. I will be completely honest with you. I managed to figure out 9 out of the 10 answers and was pretty sure that they were correct, so I was confident that I passed before I took the score sheet up to the scorer. But that last question... it was a booger. Figure out the set and drift... First I plotted the wrong coordinates, then when I did the math I came up with an answer that wasn't even close to the choices. So I checked my plotting and realized I had used a coordinate from an earlier problem... duh... (make sure you erase your earlier stuff from the chart real good.) Then after correcting the coordinate I still came up with a weird answer so I cheated... not really cheating mind you, but I decided to figure out the speed since they wanted course and speed for the answer. I used the speed equation kind of. I divided the distance traveled by the time in minutes and then multiplied the result by 60 and came up with 10 knots. Since my engine was turning 9.2 knots, the speed of my drift was .8 knots with favorable seas...so I picked the answer that said .8 knots and it was correct.... I guess there is more than one way to skin a cat... but I probably would end up lost at sea if I had to rely on my plotting skills. lol That's why I have a handheld Garmin GPS and keep plenty of extra batteries on board.
Now I still have to finish up with my sea time documentation, get some character references (3 of them) and take a first aid/cpr class. Then I need to put all my paperwork together, have it looked at by Sea School to make sure it is all in order and then send it off to the Coast Guard and wait for about 6 months to receive my actual license... a sweet bureaucracy
I think I will celebrate by going fishing tomorrow!