Final Review the Diamond Course
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Final Review The Diamond Course Diamond Council of America © 2015 Progress Evaluation Reminder f you have not yet completed Progress Evaluation 4, please I do so before continuing further with your coursework. The DCA Diamond Course includes four Progress Evaluations. They come after Lessons 2, 8, 14, and 21. Each one has three separate components – a Learning Evaluation, a Training Evaluation, and a Satisfaction Evaluation. For more information about Progress Evaluations and how to complete them, see the “How This Course Works” section in Lesson 1. If you have other questions or need help, please contact us. You can use this website – just click on Help. You can also email [email protected] or phone 615-385-5301 / toll free 877-283-5669. Final Review In This Review: • The Last Step • Exam Options • Grading and Completion • Studying for the Exam • Lesson Checklists THE LAST STEP Congratulations! You have come to the Final Review for The Diamond Course. The time and effort you’ve invested in this phase of your career training will soon be formally recognized, when you are Diamond Certified by the Diamond Council of America. Your DCA certification identifies you as a true diamond professional, and confirms that you have achieved some very important objectives: • You’ve gained knowledge and skills that establish a solid foundation for your success in diamond retailing. • You’ve demonstrated your commitment to integrity and expertise in your work, made valuable contributions to your firm’s operations, and delivered quality service to your customers. • You’ve shown that you can learn by combining organized independent study with the resources available in your store and your own experience. This review is designed to send you into your exam well-informed and Now it’s time to take the last step in this course: To prepare confident. for and pass The Diamond Course Final Examination. The Diamond Course 22 Diamond Council of America © 1 Final Review If you’re among the sizable percentage of adult learners who feel somewhat anxious at the prospect of structured testing, relax. You’ve already done a great job on the 20 Lesson Self-Tests and the four Learning Evaluations. You can expect to do equally well on the exam. If you think you may have forgotten how to study for tests, you’re not alone in that, either. This review will walk you through the process and give you some helpful guidelines. When you’ve finished, you’ll be ready for a successful examination. EXAM OPTIONS When you have successfully completed all four Progress Evaluations, you are eligible to take the Final Examination. The exam consists of multiple-choice questions just like the ones on the Learning Evaluations. The testing procedure and the number of questions depend on how you decide to take the exam, and there are two basic options: • Open-Book Exam – You take the exam without supervision and you can look through the course to find answers. If you choose this option, the exam will have 150 questions. Open-book exams may be taken online or by mail. Your review will help you organize your study, • Closed-Book Exam – You take the exam under identify the main points of each lesson, and recognize areas that need further attention. the supervision of a proctor designated by your company, and you cannot check the lessons or other references. If you choose this option, the exam will have 100 questions and you will receive special recognition from DCA. Closed-book exams can only be taken by mail. The Diamond Course 22 2 Diamond Council of America © Final Review Most students take the exam open-book. If you completed your Learning Evaluations online, you’ll be given access to the online version of the open-book exam. If you completed the Learning Evaluations by mail, DCA will send you a printed (hardcopy) exam. However, you may take an open-book exam whichever way you prefer. If you completed the evaluations online and want a hardcopy exam, or you completed the evaluations by mail and want an online exam, you can contact DCA and all the arrangements will be made. You will also need to notify DCA if you want a closed-book exam. You can do this by signing the Request for Closed-Book Exam that is at the end of Training Evaluation 4, or you can contact DCA and make the request. GradinG and COmplEtiOn The Final Examination is graded like the Learning Evaluations. The grade you receive will be a percentage based on correct versus total answers. There are two limits on course completion that you need to keep in mind: • academic Limit – The minimum grade target for the Final Examination is 75%. If your grade is less than that, you may retake the exam once. If you do not reach or exceed the target on the second attempt, you must re-enroll in order to complete the course. • time Limit – All of the coursework, including the Final Examination, must be completed within 12 A good way to begin the review of each consecutive months from the date of enrollment. If lesson is running down the checklists and you do not meet the time limit, you must re-enroll in marking off items you’re confident you know. order to complete the course. (Your completion deadline is noted on The Diamond Course Instruction Sheet that came with your printed course materials, and on the "Welcome" page of the online Student Testing Center. You can also obtain the date from DCA.) The Diamond Course 22 Diamond Council of America © 3 Final Review STUDYING FOR THE EXAM You’ve probably been using many things you learned in the course. Normally, you don’t need to study what you already know so your review should go fairly quickly. You might need to re-read a few lessons closely, and you’re likely to discover some facts you overlooked when you first studied the material. There’s no substitute for being prepared for your exam. “Cramming” the night before probably won’t do much more than rob you of good sleep. This review is designed to send you into the exam well-informed and confident. It will help you organize your study, identify the main points of each lesson, and recognize areas that need further attention. Before you start, let’s recap some of the study tips you received in Lesson 1: • Set your review schedule and stick to it. • Pick a quiet, comfortable place to study. • Whenever your attention begins to lag, take a short break. The next section of this lesson includes checklists of key terms and facts for every lesson in the course. The best approach is to review one lesson at a time. If you’re going to take the exam open-book, you might aim at covering four lessons per study session. That way you’ll complete the review process in about five days. If you’ve decided to take the exam closed-book, it’s probably better to tackle two lessons per session, so your energy and retention stay high. A good way to begin the review of each lesson is to run down the checklists and mark off items you’re confident you know. Then go back to the lesson and look up anything you’re not sure about. Make brief notes or highlight the material to reinforce your memory. Be sure to review your Self-Tests, Learning Evaluations, and the Learning Evaluation Feedback you have received. Give extra attention to any questions you answered incorrectly. The Diamond Course 22 4 Diamond Council of America © Final Review If you’re taking the exam open-book, your main concern is knowing where to find information. If you’ve chosen the closed-book option you need to continue through the checklists until you’ve marked off everything, and you’re able to respond to each item without looking back at the course material. For extra practice, you might give this review to a coworker or friend and ask them to quiz you. If you have questions or concerns about the Final Examination or any other aspect of your coursework, please contact DCA. Diamond Council of America 3212 West End Avenue, Suite 400 Nashville, TN 37203 Phone: 615-385-5301 Toll Free: 877-283-5669 Fax: 615-385-4955 Email: [email protected] Website: www.diamondcouncil.org lESSOn CHECKliStS Because some terms and facts are discussed in more than one lesson, they may be duplicated in the following checklists. To get the complete picture of any term or topic, check all the references when you’re reviewing for the Final Examination or refreshing your memory after finishing the course. The Diamond Course 22 Diamond Council of America © 5 Final Review lESSOn 1: The First Step Terms to Know: 4Cs blemish carat weight clarity clarity characteristic color cut fancy color fancy cut Facts to Know: fancy shape finish • What diamonds are made of (that is, the chemical element). identifying characteristic • The four factors that normally determine a diamond’s value. inclusion • Which value factors are primarily related to natural rarity. metric carat • Which value factor usually has the greatest effect on a polish diamond’s beauty. proportions • The standard unit of weight for diamonds. symmetry • The usual basis of a diamond’s clarity grade. • The normal market range of diamond color. • What the term “cut” refers to when it’s used descriptively. • The most popular cut for diamonds. • The factors that affect cut quality. • The function of the FTC. The Diamond Course 22 6 Diamond Council of America © Final Review lESSOn 2: Carat Weight Terms to Know: carat grain (weight) grainer jeweler’s balance light-half melee per-carat price point total weight Facts to Know: • The standard unit of weight for diamonds.