Answer briefly and stop. The examiner wants to see that you know the material, not that you can talk.

What the instructor says

• Short, then quiet. Two or three sentences, then let them ask the next question. If you do not know something, say so and ask them; do not throw stuff at a barn door hoping something sticks.
• Know the two one-liners. A narrow loop comes from a straight line rod tip path; a tailing loop comes from a dip below it. Then stop and let them ask what causes the dip: creep shortening the casting arc, inappropriate power, or a front and back cast less than 180 degrees apart.
• Set the parameters on a hypothetical. Begin with I would assume they are all beginners, and I would assume I have 45 minutes. If the examiner sets the parameters, answer inside theirs.
• Diagnose the same way every time. Watch the line, then the rod, then the hand, and correct in the reverse order. With several faults, fix the first error in the sequence; the full method is here.

Putting it to work

1. For each task, put the questions an examiner could ask on a 3 by 5 card and write the answer as concisely as you can.
2. Have friends quiz you; many of these questions are in the study guide, and 90 percent of examiners ask them.

Source

From the FFI CI walkthrough series by Dayle Mazzarella (Chapter 3 — FFI Casting Instructor Certification Tasks, Fly Fishing Coach International), lesson 1 part 3, 00:06:10–00:06:55, lesson 14 part 1, 00:07:52, and lesson 14 part 2, 00:03:09 and 00:04:48. See the video library for the series and the CI exam section for the tasks; terms follow the FFI Fly Casting Definitions.