# Top Candidate



## thorbahn (21 Dec 2004)

Hi, I'm on BMQ right now (well, on weekends) and have heard that at the graduation someone is awarded as "top candidate". I was wondering what the course staff would look for when deciding on which candidate to choose. (the criteria for top candidate)


Thanks for any info!


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## aesop081 (21 Dec 2004)

thorbahn said:
			
		

> Hi, I'm on BMQ right now (well, on weekends) and have heard that at the graduation someone is awarded as "top candidate". I was wondering what the course staff would look for when deciding on which candidate to choose. (the criteria for top candidate)
> 
> 
> Thanks for any info!



At CFSME we would lokk at overall marks on all POs and attitude during the course


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## .68 (21 Dec 2004)

Yo, I just finished BMQ in St.Jean, for top \candidate they look at everything, directives, po failures, all your test marks,(weapons, drill, mk, first aid, etc.) and attitude basically whomever is the most squeaky clean.


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## 2FERSapper (22 Dec 2004)

thorbahn said:
			
		

> Hi, I'm on BMQ right now (well, on weekends) and have heard that at the graduation someone is awarded as "top candidate". I was wondering what the course staff would look for when deciding on which candidate to choose. (the criteria for top candidate)
> 
> 
> Thanks for any info!


I'm a BMQ instructor. we look at the marks, chits, appearnace, attitude, teamwork, PT etc. Basically everything. Whoever is all around on top gets it.


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## Northern Touch (22 Dec 2004)

2FERSapper said:
			
		

> I'm a BMQ instructor. we look at the marks, chits, appearnace, attitude, teamwork, PT etc. Basically everything. Whoever is all around on top gets it.



hey Sapper, who is the ultimate decision maker on who gets it and do you normally tell the rest of the platoon, or only those who recieve the top 3?


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## 48Highlander (22 Dec 2004)

Actually, usually we just flip a coin.


    No, usualy the way it works is every section commander submits his/her top candidate and then there's a discussion.  The marks usualy tend to be really close, so the DS bring up different good and bad points about each of the three and just generaly compare notes.  In the end it's either decided by a unanimous decision or a vote.  The top candidate is usualy reckognized during the graduation ceremony.


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## Northern Touch (23 Dec 2004)

48Highlander said:
			
		

> Actually, usually we just flip a coin.
> 
> 
> No, usualy the way it works is every section commander submits his/her top candidate and then there's a discussion.  The marks usualy tend to be really close, so the DS bring up different good and bad points about each of the three and just generaly compare notes.  In the end it's either decided by a unanimous decision or a vote.  The top candidate is usualy reckognized during the graduation ceremony.



Ohh yaaaaa, thats why we had all those guys run out of ranks during our ceremony.  Must of just slipped my mind I guess.


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## 2FERSapper (23 Dec 2004)

well what REALLY happens is we slide 1 blunt object and 1 sharpe object into this ring were the top 2 troops are. And its your classic fight to the the death. With the music from star trek when Kirk and Spock were fighting. Great times. Na 48 hit the nail on the head.


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## Tickles (30 Dec 2004)

I finished basic in november and took home top candidate, top athlete, and top marksman. 

to get top candidate get the best marks on tests. study and do homework.DONT SLEEP the less sleep you get the better, get used to not sleeping or VR.tests are first aid, nbcd, military knowledge (you get a certificate and $50 free grad pictures for top candidate -win all 3 and you get all pictures free)

to get top athlete it looked like whoever did the best on the express test. i find the military more about cardio and endurance than power. just always do the best you can do. ALWAYS! i cant stress it enough. practice running you should be running 10km no problem (you get a certificate a trophy and a t-shirt for top athlete)

to get top marksman is the easiest one since i had never shot a rifle before basic. STAY CALM and just do what your told. the instructors are great they know exactly what they are doing. they will tell you exactly what to do to tighten your grouping. (you get a certificate for top marksman)

its nice on grad parade when you get to recieve awards infron of everyone

get along well with everyone and you can win comradeship award or improve and get improvement award

keep in mind basic is very easy. everyone who doesnt get hurt passes. the slackers will be weeded out later


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## Love793 (1 Jan 2005)

General Attitude, Marks, Drive and Number of times introduced to warning system.  Top Candidate is nice, but I've seen a lot of soldiers so wrapped around the axles about getting it they either forget to do their job or start blading everyone in site.

old adage : A "C" is a "P", and weekends are free.


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## Sh0rtbUs (2 Jan 2005)

just give everything you're all, and if you come out top candidate, good on you. But if you dont, it doesnt matter. As long as you know you gave it all you had, then you'll be fine. Too many guys on my course got the stars in their eyes and wanted that Plaque, the result was several confrontations as people began attempting to take centre stage all the time looking for recognition. Its most often the quiet guy who does his job and helps buddy that gets it, not the most vocal and dominant.


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## Love793 (3 Jan 2005)

Shortbus,

Well put. >


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## McInnes (3 Jan 2005)

Sometimes there is no top candidate. My BMQ we didn't get graded or top candidate as it "may make certain individuals feel bad".


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## 2FERSapper (4 Jan 2005)

firstl like to say i hate the "a c's a p" attitude. it drives me nuts. its a underachieving way of sailing through courses. secondly shortbus all to often ive seen both that grayman and the loud vocal guy win top candidates. it goes either way. really depends on the instructors. FinallyAquilus, thats awful. Unfortunatly that is a problem we are face far to often in the army today. When i did my ql2 we were ranked. everyone who passed was given a number from 1-30(30 people passed) same with my ql3 in gagetown. Then i go out for my ql5 and your no longer allowed to give a # for a person. Its not nice. You shouldnt do that. so they changed it to just top 3rd, middle 3rd or bottem3rd then my next course there was no ranking at all. just  top candidate.


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## thorbahn (4 Jan 2005)

Pardon my ignorance, but what exactly does "a c's a p" mean?


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## aesop081 (4 Jan 2005)

thorbahn said:
			
		

> Pardon my ignorance, but what exactly does "a c's a p" mean?



as in grades.........C is a P means a grade of C is a Pass..........

aim for the minimum standard .......not a good idea.


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## Michael OLeary (4 Jan 2005)

A grade of "C" is still a "Pass".

Most CF courses grade students with a letter grade A-B-C against the criteria for each performance check (test) as defined in the Course Training Plan, the average leading to a final grade. One failed test can automatically result in a "C" for the course. Some courses use a Pass/Fail final grading.


CFAO 26-12 -- CANADIAN FORCES COURSE REPORTING SYSTEM
http://www.forces.gc.ca/admfincs/subjects/cfao/026-12_e.asp



> 14.     c.   The overall course grade of A, B, C or the course result "Fail"
> shall be based on -
> 
> (1)  the performance objectives stated in the CTS,
> ...





> (4)  Where the CTS directs that a letter grade be used, the
> following alphabetical grades are assigned -
> 
> (a)  A. Achieved all performance objectives without
> ...


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## aesop081 (4 Jan 2005)

Michael OLeary said:
			
		

> A grade of "C" is still a "Pass".
> 
> Most CF courses grade students with a letter grade A-B-C against the criteria for each performance check (test) as defined in the Course Training Plan, the average leading to a final grade. One failed test can automatically result in a "C" for the course. Some courses use a Pass/Fail final grading.
> 
> ...



Yes, C is still a pass, but as *professional* soldiers, should me not strive for better ?  Some soldiers *AIM* for the minimum, i call them minimum soldiers and i hate it !


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## Love793 (4 Jan 2005)

What was meant by it was, a pass is a pass.  As a proffesional learning everything your trade is a responsibilty of yours.  However, getting bent out of shape about being top candidate is not.  Way to many people make a huge thing out of it.  Very few times have seen someone being "Top Candidate" have a major impact on their career.


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## aesop081 (4 Jan 2005)

the "top candidate" thing is not what i was implying at all.  This destinction should , IMHO, be done away with.  What i simply meant is that we should not aim for the minimum passing mark. Some soldiers actualy want nothing more than a P...if thats what you get trough your efforts, then so be it but not strive for the minimum.....


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## Love793 (4 Jan 2005)

I agree whole heartedly.


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## Sh0rtbUs (4 Jan 2005)

Quick clarification, a soldier who makes the minimum grade may not necessarily be a "minimum soldier", but one who strives for such a grade surely would classify as such. Im assuming thats what you were moving on aesop?

For the bent out of shape bit, I've seen a couple of guys act as if their career was over because they accumulated too many red chits or simply didnt get an award at grad. Not the case in any means, in fact...some of the top soldiers who earned alot of my respect on my BMQ and SQ are no longer in the Army.


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## aesop081 (4 Jan 2005)

Sh0rtbUs said:
			
		

> Quick clarification, a soldier who makes the minimum grade may not necessarily be a "minimum soldier", but one who strives for such a grade surely would classify as such. Im assuming thats what you were moving on aesop?



 Thats exactly what i was getting at.  Some soldiers are naturaly stronger performers than others.  I have seen soldiers ( some of the were my students) work their asses off and barely pass.  Those are not what i mean by "minimum soldiers".  Soldiers who come to courses with no intention of working hard and acheiving the best that they can because they are too lazy to put in the extra time it takes to get B or A are "minimum soldiers", and chances are that they will be this way their entire career.


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