I blame this situation on exams being set by office workers and not plumbers also I was always taught that you will need to look at the regs/standards/manufacters instructions and not to relie on your memory as you can make mistakes. Also the plumbers board is destroying an honourable profession and are way behind the times ,they like to make rules but dont police them example I came to NZ because immigration said that I could start my business up here like back in the Uk,unfortunately immigration and pgdb dont talk . So anyway ive worked for 2 business here with no supervision from the craftsman whilst working on plumbing and gas work This i was told by the craftsmen was ok because they knew that UK trained people were some of the best in the world and the pgdb knows this happens but do nothing because like in Taupo most businesses have 1 craftsman to 6 trainees or non registered so how do you expect these trainee plumbers to pass exams when the craftsman is to busy making money from them

There needs to be an independent audit done on papers that have narrowly failed. On my last attempt I could prove 8 answers marked wrong were deemed to be correct in the study publications provided. after a re-marking of my paper I was given the necessary mark to pass on an obscure question that I had not picked up on. There are many cases like this. The standard of the units delivered to the apprentices is low. There has been a history of conflict with many parties responsible for the education of the apprentices and setting of the exams. To blame the failure rate on poor preparation by the trainee year after year is a disgrace. The people who have been given the task of educating and ensuring the growth of our industry should hang their heads in shame

They should review which questions the apprentices were failing on. I happen to have a friend who failed the exam, and even his boss couldn't answer some of the questions. If the students are all failing on the same questions, then it's the question at fault, not the students. How many plumbers know what "absolute zero" is, and which answer is correct. It depends on which answer the questionnaire wanted. A vague question will give many possible answers.

A high failure rate is not unexpected when for whatever reason those at the top may have or do still have still beleive that the Craftsman Exam can only be undertaken in a "closed book" situation. How rediculous is that, after nearly 40 years in the game I still refer to the regulations and NZ Standards so how is a newby in the trade suppost to not only know but fully understand all of these documents and then NOT be able to use them in an exam. Lets get real I know of no other trade with such stringent or restrictive practices that set annual exams for apprentices.

A slight misrepresentation say this man is sitting craftsman exams .After four years he would be sitting registration exams . It takes six years minimum to be a craftsman plumber only a craftsman plumber can take out building consent in that trade .For every one hundred people whom embark on an plumbing apprenticeship only 1 will become a craftsman plumber .