Individuals from the Mid Atlantic States, New England, the Midwest, Texas, and California took the 2008 Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Test. This view was taken facing southeast at approximately 10:00 AM on Saturday, December 6, 2008.
This morning, individuals from all walks of life took the 2008 Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Exam. Approximately 250 people inquired to the National Park Service about the test, and requested materials to be mailed to them. Of those 250 people, 145 sent in the $50 registration fee. Of those 145 individuals, 135 showed up today to take the test.
Approximately the top 20 scorers on the test will be tested further with an oral examination in which they present their tour of the battlefield. How many of those 20 top scorers will pass the oral examination? For the test given in 2006, 21 people were eligible to take the oral exam, and only 10 of those passed the exam to be eligible to buy a license. Therefore, of the 250 people who requested information to take the test this year, possibly 10 will become Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guides before the December, 2010 examination.
The test took place on the Gettysburg Campus of Harrisburg Area Community College (HACC) on the Old Harrisburg Road. This view was taken facing east at approximately 7:30 AM on Saturday, December 6, 2008.
When one approached the front doors, however, remodeling of the main building blocked their entry. This view was taken facing east at approximately 7:30 AM on Saturday, December 6, 2008.
Those taking the test were required to find another entrance on the north side of the complex. This view was taken facing east at approximately 7:30 AM on Saturday, December 6, 2008.
The entrance is the door by the pickup. This view was taken facing southeast at approximately 7:30 AM on Saturday, December 6, 2008.
The test was scheduled to begin at 9:00 AM, but participants were requested to be present at 8:00 AM. This view was taken facing southeast at approximately 7:30 AM on Saturday, December 6, 2008.
Here is a floorplan of HACC. Instead of using the entrance on the bottom right of this diagram, participants walked to the entrance near the bottom left and entered near the “Red Hallway.” The National Park Service, for a fee of $120, was able to rent the Community Room (109), and four other rooms around it for $120. This view was taken facing south at approximately 7:30 AM on Saturday, December 6, 2008.
By 8:00 AM the potential LBGs were crowding the Red Hallway in an attempt to get out of the 20 degree outside temperature. This view was taken facing north at approximately 8:00 AM on Saturday, December 6, 2008.
National Park Service Supervisory Ranger Clyde Bell stood on a chair to make a short speech explaining the rules and guidelines for the three hour test period to those crowded in the hallway. This view was taken facing east at approximately 8:00 AM on Saturday, December 6, 2008.
National Park Service Supervisory Ranger Clyde Bell stood on a chair to make a short speech to those crowded in the hallway. This view was taken facing east at approximately 8:00 AM on Saturday, December 6, 2008.
In order to pick up their packets containing instructions and the test, the potential guides would show a photo ID to LBGs Terry Latschar on the left and/or Wayne Motts on the right. This view was taken facing east at approximately 8:00 AM on Saturday, December 6, 2008.
Then they filed into the rooms, such as the Community Room, to wait almost an hour to take the test. The tension was certainly building as some individuals were at this moment attempting to recall everything that they knew about Gettysburg and the American Civil War period. This view was taken facing northwest at approximately 8:00 AM on Saturday, December 6, 2008.
At first there were three rooms reserved, but in order to spread out the test takers, five rooms were eventually commandeered. This view was taken facing northeast at approximately 8:30 AM on Saturday, December 6, 2008.
Finally, at 9:00 AM, the test takers were allowed to open their packets to begin the test. The test consisted of 206 questions. There were supposed to be 205 questions, but there ended up being two question #157s. Some questions, of course, required multiple answers. This view was taken facing south at approximately 9:00 AM on Saturday, December 6, 2008.
The test was divided into the following parts: Short Answer, Multiple Choice, True/False, Matching, Photo Identification (16 individuals, fill in the blank, no word bank), Monument Identification (21 monuments, there was a list to match the name of the monument to a picture of the monument), Map and Landmark Locations (there was a map of the Gettysburg area with 20 numbered locations that needed to be identified. There was a list of locations to match the number on the map), Essays (five essay questions, and three of the five essays needed to be answered. However these were short essays, where bullet points were allowed). This view was taken facing southeast at approximately 9:30 AM on Saturday, December 6, 2008.
The individuals in the dark blue blazers standing around the test rooms are part of the current force of 155 Licensed Battlefield Guides, such as Jim Frick on the far left, Wayne Motts in the center, and Bob Radke on the right. They were proctoring the exam, and every time that they had a moment, pored over the test to see what was on it, and determine if they could do well on this year’s version. This view was taken facing southeast at approximately 9:30 AM on Saturday, December 6, 2008.
National Park Service Supervisory Ranger Clyde Bell was responsible for creating the test, and the current Licensed Battlefield Guides thought the test was a good overall examination of questions that future guides should know. This view was taken facing northeast at approximately 11:00 AM on Saturday, December 6, 2008.
LBG Fred Hawthorne surveys the scene in the Community Room. Clyde Bell allowed us to share sample questions from some of the categories on the test. The Short Answer section consisted of 126 general questions, which were all fill in the blank, and no word bank was provided. We have given you a sample question below. This view was taken facing east at approximately 10:00 AM on Saturday, December 6, 2008.
Question #27. Name one of the monuments sculpted by Henry K. Bush-Brown.
Answer #27: Lincoln Speech Memorial, George G. Meade Equestrian, John F. Reynolds Equestrian, John Sedgwick Equestrian.
The multiple choice section consisted of 16 questions, and again we have given you a sample below. This view was taken facing northeast at approximately 10:00 AM on Saturday, December 6, 2008.
Question #137. How many reburials in the Soldiers’ National Cemetery are completely unknown?
A. 675
B. 878
C. 979
D. 1065
E. 1664
Answer #137: C
There were 16 True/False Questions which needed to be read carefully, and we have given an example of one below. This view was taken facing northeast at approximately 10:00 AM on Saturday, December 6, 2008.
True False Question #145. The Peach Orchard at the intersection of the Taneytown and Millerstown Roads formed the blunt point of Sickles’ salient.
Answer Question #145: False. The Peach Orchard is located at the intersection of the Emmitsburg and the Millerstown Roads.
A section of Matching consisted of four questions, but there were five parts to each question. Our example is below, and yes there are five individuals in the left column, but six possibilities with which to match them in the right column. This view was taken facing northeast at approximately 10:00 AM on Saturday, December 6, 2008.
Question # 157. Match the name in the left column with the regimental monument in the right column.
A. Sgt. William Lilly
1. 13th VT
B. George Warner
2. 20th CT
C. Lt. Stephen Brown
3. 21st PA Cavalry
D. Pvt. George Sandoe
4. 5th NH
E. Color Sgt. Ben Crippen
5. 149th NY
6. 143rd Pennsylvania
Answers #157: A-5, B-2, C-1, D-3, E-6.
Participants were allowed from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM to take the test. One person left at 10:20, but only finished half the test. Most individuals stayed at least two and a half hours. Here is the Community Room. This view was taken facing northeast at approximately 11:20 AM on Saturday, December 6, 2008.
It appeared that individuals in the smaller rooms stayed longer than individuals in the larger Community Room. This view was taken facing west at approximately 11:30 AM on Saturday, December 6, 2008.
Here are the individuals left in the Community Room at 11:30… This view was taken facing northeast at approximately 11:30 AM on Saturday, December 6, 2008.
… and here are the individuals in the Community Room at 11:45. This view was taken facing northeast at approximately 11:45 AM on Saturday, December 6, 2008.
We don’t know if it was peer pressure or just not giving up, but Room 108 received many of the current guides’ admiration for perseverance. Nobody had left this room by 11:45. This view was taken facing southwest at approximately 11:45 AM on Saturday, December 6, 2008.
By 11:58, it was time to start packing up. This view was taken facing northeast at approximately 11:58 AM on Saturday, December 6, 2008.
The test takers placed all their materials back in the blue packets, and turned them in as they left. Clyde Bell hopes that he has the tests graded and the results back to everyone by Christmas. This view was taken facing southwest at approximately 12:00 PM on Saturday, December 6, 2008.
See our previous posts on Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guides:
Gettysburg Guide Room: The Final Days on March 8, 2008.
Lights Out at the Electric Map on April 13, 2008.
New Guide Room at the New Visitor Center on April 19, 2008.
New Association of Licensed Battlefield Guide Office and Library Opens on August 25, 2008.
Evergreen Cemetery Headstone Damage with LBG Deb Novotny on October 20, 2008.
Camp Letterman Part 1 with LBG Phil Lechak on November 15, 2008.
Camp Letterman Part 2 with LBG Phil Lechak on November 17, 2008.
Gettysburg Artillery Part 1 with LBG George Newton on November 21, 2008.
“Mammy’s Little Baby Loves Guided Tours” with LBG Charlie Fennell on November 23, 2008.
Bucktails on McPherson’s Ridge Part 1 with LBG Rich Kohr on November 26, 2008.
